2024 Big Ten Schedule Release: Previewing the Most Interesting Matchups
Via Michael Hickey/Getty Images
The 2023 college football season will truly be the last ‘normal’ season we ever experience as there are major changes to come in 2024. Especially in the Big Ten, one of the oldest conferences in college football. This truth was realized when the Big Ten released their conference schedule for the 2024 season, including new arrivals USC and UCLA. News of USC and UCLA joining the Big Ten shocked the country leaving us wondering what the Big Ten would look like over the next several years. Now we don’t know who might leave or most likely join the Big Ten in the next couple years, but for now we have an idea what the Big Ten modified scheduling will look like amid getting rid of the West and East divisions.
Despite controversy regarding the loss of tradition in the Big Ten, there really shouldn't be that much to worry about from the fans perspective. The conference announced its new “flex protect plus” model which gives schools up to three protected annual rivalries, while also keeping a similar rotation of conference opponents on a two-year basis essentially serving as a home and away series for the conference. Outside of the protected rivalries, they will have a goal of playing every other institution twice over four years. In terms of a conference championship, that’s even simpler, the top two records go. With all this in mind, let’s preview the schedule and take a look at some of the most exciting matchups of the 2024 season outside the traditional rivalries of the Big Ten.
UCLA at Michigan (Week 6)
Via MichiganLive
UCLA making its first trip to the Big House will be something monumental and special. Despite meeting 11 times previously, this will be the first time meeting as conference opponents (U-M has a 8-3 series lead). This will also be one of the first of the big headline games of the merger between UCLA and USC with the Big Ten that will occurring midway through the season as the teams out west will travel into the heart of the Big Ten country. Though it’s difficult to look too far down the road, these are both teams that are trending upward so this should be an exciting introduction of the years to come and usher in a new era of Big Ten football.
Ohio State at UCLA (Week 11)
Via Pac12.com
This is an obvious answer but anytime Ohio State is set to play in the Rose Bowl I would consider it to be fairly exciting. The location shouldn’t affect ethier team very much but this game late in the season should likely have implications for the conference championship, especially true considering that both these teams follow this week with their protected rivalries, Michigan and USC respectively. Outside of the quality and implications of this game, I think it will bring back old memories of Big Ten vs PAC 12 in the traditional Rose Bowl game which might not be the same in the coming years as the landscape of CFB continues to change. Interestingly enough, OSU and UCLA have only met once prior in the 1975 National Championship where the Bruins pulled off the upset.
Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin at USC (Week 5-7)
Via Chris Ahrens
This obviously isn’t just one game, however I see it as a series of games that introduces USC into what Big Ten football is and vice versa. Shipping these three teams out west will certainly provide us with interesting performances and will be interesting to see how these teams adjust to the different styles of play. This is especially true for teams like Iowa and Wisconsin who still regularly use a fullback and consider a game where they only pass the 16 times to be normal. Luckily it won’t be in any cold or wintery conditions, however I think it will be very fascinating to see these traditional Big Ten powers perform out west in PAC-12 country and give USC a preview of what to expect in the years to come.
USC at Penn State (Week 10)
Via Nittany Lions Wire
Looking at all the games I see this one as being the biggest and most exciting of them all for a variety of reasons. One being the time of the year, this game should be taking place in late October or early November and with teams like these, there should be some serious conference championship implications on the line. The next being the scale of this game, getting a game of blue bloods of college football this late in the season and it’s hard not to be excited for these types of matchups. Especially under the consideration that this may be Penn State’s whiteout game of the year where USC can experience a crowd of 106,572 creating one of the most raucous crowds in all of College Football, something they might not be entirely used to coming from the PAC 12. These teams have met nine times previously where USC holds a 5-4 advantage.
USC at Purdue (Week 11)
Via The Exponent
Lastly, this game on paper is by no means the most exciting of matchups, however I see this game to have major potential come the 2024 season and be a massive trap game that could shift the Big Ten standings. Purdue is already notorious for being the giant killers in the Big Ten, especially at home in West Lafayette. Immediately when USC and UCLA joined the Big Ten everyone questioned how they could handle the cold games in Big Ten country. This will be the first test of such most likely taking place in the month of November. USC will most definitely be tested on the road and receive their first true experience of the cold weather games as it will come against an always tough Purdue team that loves to play to their opponents potential, especially in the big games. The last time these two teams met was in 1998 and it was the start of the Drew Brees era where USC walked away with a 27-17 victory.