If the College Football Playoff hopes to weed out the weak, the Big Ten is already doing its job.
Pro Football Focus dropped its top ten hardest schedules rankings, and four Big Ten schools cracked the top 10. That’s not a surprise. The conference added West Coast firepower, plays nine conference games, and doesn’t exactly hand out layups come Saturdays.
The teams facing the most treacherous schedules in the conference include Wisconsin, UCLA, Northwestern, and Rutgers each are facing grueling matchups across the nation, but all sharing the same reality. No weeks off. This ranking just reinforces how deep the newly expanded conference has become.
Wisconsin leads the way among the group, ranking number 1 in schedule strength drawing a brutal slate that includes matchups against national title contenders like Ohio State. The Badgers are still finding their rhythm under Luke Fickell, but 2025 could be a year that tests their depth and identity early and often.
UCLA, now in its second Big Ten season, also faces an uphill climb. With long travel weeks, a tough crossover schedule, and a roster in transition, the Bruins are entering a season with plenty of question marks and very little margin for error.
Rutgers and Northwestern round out the Big Ten quartet. While both programs are trying to gain respect in a crowded conference, their projected schedules will make any major leap forward even more difficult. Northwestern, in particular, will spend 2025 away from Ryan Field as renovations continue, adding one more layer of adversity to an already challenging year.
The Big Ten doesn’t offer anyone a backdoor path to the postseason. And in a year where the Playoff committee is watching strength of schedule closer than ever, these four programs will have to earn every headline they want to make.
The Big Ten is built differently. At least that’s what Pro Football Focus believes when it comes to strength of schedule in 2025.
According to the latest PFF projections, four Big Ten programs are expected to face some of the most grueling matchups in the nation. Wisconsin, UCLA, Rutgers, and Northwestern all cracked the top 10 hardest schedules ahead of the 2025 season, reinforcing just how deep the newly expanded conference has become.
Wisconsin leads the way among the group, drawing a brutal slate that includes matchups against national title contenders like Ohio State and Penn State. The Badgers are still finding their rhythm under Luke Fickell, but 2025 could be a year that tests their depth and identity early and often.
UCLA, now in its second Big Ten season, also faces an uphill climb. With long travel weeks, a tough crossover schedule, and a roster in transition, the Bruins are entering a season with plenty of question marks and very little margin for error.
Rutgers and Northwestern round out the Big Ten quartet. While both programs are trying to gain respect in a crowded conference, their projected schedules will make any major leap forward even more difficult. Northwestern, in particular, will spend 2025 away from Ryan Field as renovations continue, adding one more layer of adversity to an already challenging year.
Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti has championed the strength of the new 18-team format, and these early numbers seem to back him up. The league might not get four playoff bids in 2025, but nobody can say they didn’t earn their stripes.