Big Ten rankings · National FBS rankings · All teams
| Date | H/A | Opponent | Tier:Conf | Result | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/1 | H | Oregon St (2-10) | [P4:Pac-12] | W | 77-31 | |
| 9/8 | H | Rutgers (1-11) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 52-3 | |
| 9/15 | N | TCU (6-6) | [P4:Big 12] | W | 40-28 | |
| 9/22 | H | Tulane (6-6) | [G5:AAC] | W | 49-6 | |
| 9/29 | A | Penn State (9-3) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 27-26 | |
| 10/6 | H | Indiana (5-7) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 49-26 | |
| 10/13 | H | Minnesota (6-6) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 30-14 | |
| 10/20 | A | Purdue (6-6) | [P4:Big Ten] | L | 20-49 | |
| 11/3 | H | Nebraska (4-8) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 36-31 | |
| 11/10 | A | Michigan St (7-5) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 26-6 | |
| 11/17 | A | Maryland (5-7) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 52-51 | |
| 11/24 | H | Michigan (10-2) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 62-39 | |
| 12/1 | N | Northwestern (8-5) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 45-24 | Big Ten Championship Game |
| 1/1 | N | Washington (10-3) | [P4:Pac-12] | W | 28-23 | Rose Bowl Game Pres. by Northwestern Mutual * |
* game does not count in Harbin ratings