ESPN's FPI ranks strength of 2024 Big Ten football schedules (2024)

Josh Helmer

June 10, 2024 3:30 pm CT

ESPN recently released its initial 2024 Football Power Index rankings.

ESPN’s FPI simulations give the Iowa Hawkeyes a 77% chance to win six or more games in the 2024 college football season, a 7.4% chance to reach the College Football Playoff and ranked Iowa No. 37 nationally.

Among Big Ten teams, the Hawkeyes’ No. 37 national ranking checked in as the seventh-highest ranking. Iowa’s projected win-loss total was 7.0 wins and 5.0 losses.

In addition to some of those numbers, ESPN’s initial FPI release also ranked all 134 Football Bowl Subdivision schedules for the 2024 season.

Here’s where every Big Ten team’s schedule ranks in terms of difficulty nationally and in the league according to ESPN’s FPI.

Purdue Boilermakers

Matthew Holst/Getty Images

National Strength of Schedule Rank: No. 11

Key Dates: vs. Notre Dame on Sept. 14; at Wisconsin on Oct. 5; vs. Oregon on Oct. 19; at Ohio State on Nov. 9; vs. Penn State on Nov. 16

UCLA Bruins

Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

National Strength of Schedule Rank: No. 12

Key Dates: at LSU on Sept. 21; vs. Oregon on Sept. 28; at Penn State on Oct. 5; vs. Iowa on Nov. 8; at Washington on Nov. 16; vs. USC on Nov. 23

Washington Huskies

Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

National Strength of Schedule Rank: No. 13

Key Dates: vs. Michigan on Oct. 5; at Iowa on Oct. 12; vs. USC on Nov. 2; at Penn State on Nov. 9; at Oregon on Nov. 30

Illinois Fighting Illini

Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

National Strength of Schedule Rank: No. 15

Key Dates: vs. Kansas on Sept. 7; at Nebraska on Sept. 21; at Penn State on Sept. 28; vs. Michigan on Oct. 19; at Oregon on Oct. 26; at Rutgers on Nov. 23

Ohio State Buckeyes

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

National Strength of Schedule Rank: No. 16

Key Dates: vs. Iowa on Oct. 5; at Oregon on Oct. 12; at Penn State on Nov. 2; vs. Michigan on Nov. 30

Michigan Wolverines

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

National Strength of Schedule Rank: No. 18

Key Dates: vs. Texas on Sept. 7; vs. USC on Sept. 21; at Washington on Oct. 5; vs. Oregon on Nov. 2; at Ohio State on Nov. 30

Michigan State Spartans

Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

National Strength of Schedule Rank: No. 19

Key Dates: at Maryland on Sept. 7; vs. Ohio State on Sept. 28; at Oregon on Oct. 5; vs. Iowa on Oct. 19; at Michigan on Oct. 26

Wisconsin Badgers

Mark Stewart / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

National Strength of Schedule Rank: No. 24

Key Dates: vs. Alabama on Sept. 14; at USC on Sept. 28; vs. Penn State on Oct. 26; at Iowa on Nov. 2; vs. Oregon on Nov. 16

Maryland Terrapins

Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

National Strength of Schedule Rank: No. 25

Key Dates: vs. Michigan State on Sept. 7; at Virginia on Sept. 14; vs. USC on Oct. 19; at Oregon on Nov. 9; vs. Iowa on Nov. 23

USC Trojans

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

National Strength of Schedule Rank: No. 27

Key Dates: vs. LSU on Sept. 1; at Michigan on Sept. 21; vs. Wisconsin on Sept. 28; vs. Penn State on Oct. 12; at Washington on Nov. 2; vs. Notre Dame on Nov. 30

Oregon Ducks

Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

National Strength of Schedule Rank: No. 30

Key Dates: at Oregon State on Sept. 14; vs. Ohio State on Oct. 12; at Michigan on Nov. 2; at Wisconsin on Nov. 16; vs. Washington on Nov. 30

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

National Strength of Schedule Rank: No. 32

Key Dates: vs. Colorado on Sept. 7; vs. Rutgers on Oct. 5; at Ohio State on Oct. 26; at USC on Nov. 16; vs. Wisconsin on Nov. 23; at Iowa on Nov. 29

Penn State Nittany Lions

Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports

National Strength of Schedule Rank: No. 33

Key Dates: at West Virginia on Aug. 31; at USC on Oct. 12; at Wisconsin on Oct. 26; vs. Ohio State on Nov. 2; vs. Washington on Nov. 9

Northwestern Wildcats

Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

National Strength of Schedule Rank: No. 39

Key Dates: vs. Duke on Sept. 7; at Washington on Sept. 21; at Maryland on Oct. 11; at Iowa on Oct. 26; vs. Ohio State on Nov. 16; at Michigan on Nov. 23

Minnesota Golden Gophers

Mark Brown/Getty Images

National Strength of Schedule Rank: No. 41

Key Dates: vs. North Carolina on Aug. 29; vs. Iowa on Sept. 21; at Michigan on Sept. 28; vs. USC on Oct. 5; at Rutgers on Nov. 9; at Wisconsin on Nov. 30

Indiana Hoosiers

Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

National Strength of Schedule Rank: No. 43

Key Dates: at UCLA on Sept. 14; vs. Maryland on Sept. 28; at Northwestern on Oct. 5; vs. Nebraska on Oct. 19; at Michigan State on Nov. 2

Iowa Hawkeyes

Matthew Holst/Getty Images

National Strength of Schedule Rank: No. 44

Key Dates: vs. Iowa State on Sept. 7; at Ohio State on Oct. 5; vs. Washington on Oct. 12; vs. Wisconsin on Nov. 2; at UCLA on Nov. 8; vs. Nebraska on Nov. 29

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

National Strength of Schedule Rank: No. 78

Key Dates: at Virginia Tech on Sept. 21; versus Washington on Sept. 27; at Nebraska on Oct. 5; at USC on Oct. 25

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ESPN's FPI ranks strength of 2024 Big Ten football schedules (2024)

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