Big Ten football beat writers pick most important games

The final installment in our four-part Big Ten football preview series asks a beat writer from every school for his/her team's most important game.

[ MORE: Part I: Breakout players | Part II: Underrated players | Part III: Indispensable players ]

See which game your school's beat writer selected below:

ILLINOIS

at North Carolina, Sept. 19. You would think it might be at home against Ohio State or Nebraska or Wisconsin. But the game at Chapel Hill gives Illinois a chance for a 4-0 start. No offense to Kent State, Middle Tennessee and Western Illinois, but the Tar Heels are the one challenge on the nonconference schedule. A bowl bid for Illinois becomes much more realistic with a 4-0 start.

– Bob Asmussen (@BobAsmussen), news-gazette.com

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INDIANA

Iowa, Nov. 7. The first of back-to-back home games after a bye. A win could be the team's 4th or 5th entering a crucial home stretch.

– Mike Miller (@MikeMillerHT), hoosiershq.com

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IOWA

at Wisconsin, Oct. 3. I?m not going to say Iowa has a soft non-conference. Iowa State is picked to win three or four games, but the Cyclones have had Iowa?s number in recent years. And then there?s a night game at Kinnick Stadium against Pitt and new coach Pat Narduzzi, who knows the Hawkeyes well after serving as Michigan State?s defensive coordinator. Still, Iowa has a chance to come out in the 4-0, 3-1 range. If the Hawkeyes want to sniff the top 25 for the first time since late November 2010, a spotless non-conference and a win at Wisconsin (which would be Iowa?s first at Camp Randall since 2009) should do it. And why not get off that schneid?

– Marc Morehouse (@marcmorehouse), thegazette.com

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MARYLAND

Penn State, Oct. 24. Maryland's game against Michigan on Oct. 3 will be highly anticipated, but this game in Baltimore is important for the Terps to continue building a potential Big Ten rivalry for the future. It has recruiting implications. It also falls in the middle of a midseason scheduling gantlet for Maryland and could be crucial as it pushes for a third consecutive bowl game.

– Roman Stubbs (@romanstubbs), washingintonpost.com

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MICHIGAN

Ohio State, Nov. 28. This is certainly not the most winnable game but it will be watched by everyone and gives U-M the best measure of how far it has to go. The past three games were all competitive despite the talent disparity.

– Mark Snyder (@Mark_Snyder), freep.com

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MICHIGAN STATE

at Ohio State, Nov. 21. Michigan State vs. Ohio State has been the biggest matchup in the Big Ten the past couple years and that again in the case this season. There is a decent chance both teams are undefeated heading into the Nov. 21 meet in Columbus, so playoff implications likely will be on the line.

– Mike Wilson (@MikeWilson247), michiganstate.247sports.com

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MINNESOTA

Wisconsin, Nov. 28. The Badgers have won Paul Bunyan?s Axe 11 straight years, and last season it cost Minnesota a Big Ten West title.

– Joe Christensen (@JoeCStrib), startribune.com

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NEBRASKA

Wisconsin, Oct. 10. The BYU opener will set a tone, but a Badger pelt would be a statement win for Riley over team that has been royal pain for Huskers.

– Tom Shatel (@tomshateOWH), omaha.com

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NORTHWESTERN

at Duke, Sept. 19. It's early in the year, yes, but Duke might provide a glimpse into how this year will turn out for the Wildcats. Stanford to open the season will be a stern test and Eastern Illinois should be a win; the Duke game (in Durham) will set an early tone for the season.

– Zach Pereles (@zach_pereles), insidenu.com

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OHIO STATE

at Michigan, Nov. 28. The easy answer is Nov. 21 against Michigan State in Columbus. The Spartans are clearly the second-best team in the Big Ten on paper entering the season, and all three Urban Meyer vs. Mark Dantonio games have been close (with the Buckeyes holding a 2-1 edge). That being said, I'm going with the Buckeyes' game at Michigan on Nov. 28. Or as both programs simply refer to it: "The Game." No matter the records, this game is always tight. And I think Jim Harbaugh will turn the Wolverines from a 5-7 team into a squad that wins 8 or 9 games this year. It will be a dogfight in Ann Arbor for OSU just like it always is. Two years ago, the Buckeyes were far better than Michigan all season, yet had to squeak out a 42-41 win over the Wolverines in Ann Arbor. There are also interesting parallels to the 1969 season. Ohio State won the national championship in 1968 and returned nearly its entire roster. Michigan was led by a new head coach in '69 and upset the Buckeyes in Ann Arbor. This year, the Buckeyes are coming off a national title and welcome back almost their entire roster. Can Harbaugh do what his mentor, Bo Schembechler, did 46 years ago? Until that game is in the books, Buckeye fans will be nervous about it.

– Dave Biddle (@davebiddle), ohiostate.247sports.com

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PENN STATE

Michigan, Nov. 21. It's Penn State's senior day and a white out, plus a win could bode well on the recruiting trail. Jim Harbaugh's Michigan coaching debut at Beaver Stadium will include several impressionable recruits on the Penn State sideline who need to see that the Nittany Lions will be able to keep pace in the highly competitive Big Ten East in the coming years.

– Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4), postgazette.com

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PURDUE

at Marshall, Sept. 6. The first one, Marshall. It will set the tone. Win, and Purdue has a chance to have a good September.

– Mike Carmin (@carminjc), jconline.com

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RUTGERS

at Indiana, Oct. 17. You could say at Penn State from the perspective of commanding respect and developing a rivalry, but I?ll say at Indiana. It?s sandwiched in between home games against Michigan State and Ohio State on the schedule, and Rutgers has very little margin for error within the Big Ten, so that means beating Indiana most years.

– Ryan Dunleavy (@rydunleavy), mycentraljersey.com

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WISCONSIN

at Nebraska, Oct. 10. It's Wisconsin's first true road game against perhaps its biggest competition for the Big Ten West division title. A win would give the Badgers — who avoid Ohio State and Michigan State this year — a head start on making it back to Indianapolis.

– Jason Galloway (@Jason_Galloway), madison.com