Too-early 2023 Big Ten football game-by-game predictions by team
Spring ball is kicking off for most teams, and if it hasn’t already, it’s on the horizon. All eyes are now off the rearview mirror and onto the horizon with 2023 approaching.
There are a lot of questions across the Big Ten Conference, in the final season before USC and UCLA join the fray. Will Michigan football be able to win a third-straight championship, especially with most its talent coming back? How will Ohio State acclimate to a new quarterback? Same with Penn State? Can MSU rebound after a tough 2022 campaign? How will Wisconsin, Nebraska and Purdue fare with new head coaches? Can Rutgers turn the corner? How about Indiana and Northwestern?
With all of that in mind, here is how we’re predicting each game to go for every Big Ten team in 2023, at least before things get truly established in spring ball.
Illinois Fighting Illini
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Sept. 2 — Toledo – W
Sept. 9 — at Kansas – W
Sept. 16 — Penn State – L
Sept. 23 — Florida Atlantic – W
Sept. 30 — at Purdue – W
Oct. 7 — Nebraska – W
Oct. 14 — at Maryland – L
Oct. 21 — Wisconsin – L
Nov. 4 — at Minnesota – W
Nov. 11 — Indiana – W
Nov. 18 — at Iowa – L
Nov. 25 — Northwestern – W
Final record: 8-4
Indiana Hoosiers
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Sept. 2 — Ohio State – L
Sept. 9 — Indiana State – W
Sept. 16 — Louisville (Indianapolis) – L
Sept. 23 — Akron – W
Sept. 30 — at Maryland – L
Oct. 14 — at Michigan – L
Oct. 21 — Rutgers – W
Oct. 28 — at Penn State – L
Nov. 4 — Wisconsin – L
Nov. 11 — at Illinois – L
Nov. 18 — Michigan State – L
Nov. 25 — at Purdue – W
Final record: 4-8
Iowa Hawkeyes
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Sept. 2 — Utah State – W
Sept. 9 — at Iowa State – W
Sept. 16 — Western Michigan – W
Sept. 23 — at Penn State – L
Sept. 30 — Michigan State – W
Oct. 7 — Purdue – W
Oct. 14 — at Wisconsin – L
Oct. 21 — Minnesota – W
Nov. 4 — at Northwestern – W
Nov. 11 — Rutgers – W
Nov. 18 — Illinois – W
Nov. 24 — at Nebraska – W
Final record: 10-2
Maryland Terrapins
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Sept. 2 — Towson – W
Sept. 9 — Charlotte – W
Sept. 16 — Virginia – W
Sept. 23 — at Michigan State – W
Sept. 30 — Indiana – W
Oct. 7 — at Ohio State – L
Oct. 14 — Illinois – W
Oct. 28 — at Northwestern – W
Nov. 4 — Penn State – L
Nov. 11 — at Nebraska – L
Nov. 18 — Michigan – L
Nov. 25 — at Rutgers – W
Final record: 8-4
Michigan Wolverines
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Sept. 2 — East Carolina – W
Sept. 9 — UNLV – W
Sept. 16 — Bowling Green – W
Sept. 23 — Rutgers – W
Sept. 30 — at Nebraska – W
Oct. 7 — at Minnesota – W
Oct. 14 — Indiana – W
Oct. 21 — at Michigan State – W
Nov. 4 — Purdue – W
Nov. 11 — at Penn State – W
Nov. 18 — at Maryland – W
Nov. 25 — Ohio State – W
Final record: 12-0
Michigan State Spartans
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Sept. 2 — Central Michigan – W
Sept. 9 — Richmond – W
Sept. 16 — Washington – L
Sept. 23 — Maryland – L
Sept. 30 — at Iowa – L
Oct. 14 — at Rutgers – W
Oct. 21 — Michigan – L
Oct. 28 — at Minnesota – W
Nov. 4 — Nebraska – W
Nov. 11 — at Ohio State – L
Nov. 18 — at Indiana – W
Nov. 25 — Penn State – L
Final record: 6-6
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Aug. 31 — Nebraska – W
Sept. 9 — Eastern Michigan – W
Sept. 16 — at North Carolina – L
Sept. 23 — at Northwestern – W
Sept. 30 — Louisiana – W
Oct. 7 — Michigan – L
Oct. 21 — at Iowa – L
Oct. 28 — Michigan State – L
Nov. 4 — Illinois – L
Nov. 11 — at Purdue – W
Nov. 18 — at Ohio State – L
Nov. 25 — Wisconsin – L
Final record: 6-6
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Aug. 31 — at Minnesota – L
Sept. 9 — at Colorado – W
Sept. 16 — Northern Illinois – W
Sept. 23 — Louisiana Tech – W
Sept. 30 — Michigan – L
Oct. 7 — at Illinois – L
Oct. 21 — Northwestern – W
Oct. 28 — Purdue – W
Nov. 4 — at Michigan State – L
Nov. 11 — Maryland – W
Nov. 18 — at Wisconsin – L
Nov. 24 — Iowa – L
Final record: 6-6
Northwestern Wildcats
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Sept. 2 — at Rutgers – L
Sept. 9 — UTEP – W
Sept. 16 — at Duke – L
Sept. 23 — Minnesota – L
Sept. 30 — Penn State – L
Oct. 7 — Howard – W
Oct. 21 — at Nebraska – L
Oct. 28 — Maryland – L
Nov. 4 — Iowa – L
Nov. 11 — at Wisconsin – L
Nov. 18 — Purdue – L
Nov. 25 — at Illinois – L
Final record: 2-10
Ohio State Buckeyes
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Sept. 2 — at Indiana – W
Sept. 9 — Youngstown State – W
Sept. 16 — Western Kentucky – W
Sept. 23 — at Notre Dame – L
Oct. 7 — Maryland – W
Oct. 14 — at Purdue – W
Oct. 21 — Penn State – W
Oct. 28 — at Wisconsin – W
Nov. 4 — at Rutgers – W
Nov. 11 — Michigan State – W
Nov. 18 — Minnesota – W
Nov. 25 — at Michigan – L
Final record: 10-2
Penn State Nittany Lions
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Sept. 2 — West Virginia – W
Sept. 9 — Delaware – W
Sept. 16 — at Illinois – W
Sept. 23 — Iowa – W
Sept. 30 — at Northwestern – W
Oct. 14 — UMass – W
Oct. 21 — at Ohio State – L
Oct. 28 — Indiana – W
Nov. 4 — at Maryland – W
Nov. 11 — Michigan – L
Nov. 18 — Rutgers – W
Nov. 25 — Michigan State – W
Final record: 10-2
Purdue Boilermakers
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Sept. 2 — Fresno State – W
Sept. 9 — at Virginia Tech – L
Sept. 16 — Syracuse – W
Sept. 23 — Wisconsin – L
Sept. 30 — Illinois – L
Oct. 7 — at Iowa – L
Oct. 14 — Ohio State – L
Oct. 28 — at Nebraska – L
Nov. 4 — at Michigan – L
Nov. 11 — Minnesota – L
Nov. 18 — at Northwestern – W
Nov. 25 — Indiana – W
Final record: 4-8
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Sept. 2 — Northwestern – W
Sept. 9 — Temple – W
Sept. 16 — Virginia Tech – W
Sept. 23 — at Michigan – L
Sept. 30 — Wagner – W
Oct. 7 — at Wisconsin – L
Oct. 14 — Michigan State – L
Oct. 21 — at Indiana – L
Nov. 4 — Ohio State – L
Nov. 11 — at Iowa – L
Nov. 18 — at Penn State – L
Nov. 25 — Maryland – L
Final record: 4-8
Wisconsin Badgers
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Sept. 2 — Buffalo – W
Sept. 9 — at Washington – L
Sept. 16 — Georgia Southern – W
Sept. 23 — at Purdue – W
Oct. 7 — Rutgers – W
Oct. 14 — Iowa – W
Oct. 21 — at Illinois – W
Oct. 28 — Ohio State – L
Nov. 4 — at Indiana – W
Nov. 11 — Northwestern – W
Nov. 18 — Nebraska – W
Nov. 25 — at Minnesota – W
Final record: 10-2
