I’m Bored. Let’s Argue About Schedules, Part II: Ohio State, Indiana, UCLA, Michigan State, Maryland, Washington, Purdue
Welcome back to the “bored-as-shit Spring ’25” schedule rankings. Today we’re looking at the middle of the pack, strength-of-schedule-wise. Seven teams within a half point of each other. Each tier is represented, though, so some of these teams are more likely to be hollering about the unfairness of it all than others. Bottom line, each of these teams has a manageable, but occasionally tricky, conference lineup.
T-8. OHIO STATE (21.5 points)
Yeah, you’re the defending national champs. You’re going to get challenged. But, you’re the defending national champs. You get Penn State at home, and the road trio of Michigan, Illinois, and Washington should still only see one loss, at most. Beyond that? Home dates with Minnesota, UCLA, and Rutgers, and road trips to Purdue and Wisconsin. Oh? Wisconsin might get their first big win post-Covid this year? Doubtful. So, talent alone says this should be a 10-2 season at worst. It could be easier (see Michigan), but nobody cares, so go back to waiting for the first excuse to start hating Ryan Day again, you ingrates.
T-8. INDIANA (21.5 points)
Hey Hoosiers! Looking to stay in the upper echelon of the conference? Totally possible! Last year six teams went 6-3 or better. You’re probably not winning @Oregon or @Penn State. And @Iowa is never a picnic. But…the other two road games are Tier 4 Northwestern and Tier 4 Purdue, and the home dates are Michigan State, UCLA, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Even if there’s some regression, Cignetti’s track record suggests that splitting the first two conference games (vs. Illinois, @Iowa) might be enough to put the Hoosiers on a nine-win path. However, if they do drop both, the next game is @Oregon, and it could get interesting in a hurry.
T-8: UCLA (21.5 points)
Nice QB ya got there. Didn’t you implode the Pac-12 because you were claiming poverty? Anyway, you have to go to Columbus, granted, but you’re making Penn State fly a long ways to play you. Your third toughest game is @Indiana. Sure, you’ll likely be a clear underdog. You went 5-7 last year. Your third toughest conference game is probably going to be against a team better than you. The other three road games: @MSU, @USC (hardly a road game), and @NW. Coming to the Rose Bowl: Nebraska, Washington, and Maryland. If you want to take a step forward, this is an accommodating schedule.
T-8: MICHIGAN STATE (21.5 points)
What will Jonathan L. Smith show in year 2? Lost in last year’s 5-7/3-6 campaign is that every conference loss was to a team that went bowling (three of whom made the CFP, and another, Illinois, who won 10 games). So, even if this year’s schedule is pretty much right in the middle, it should probably look pretty good to Sparty fans. The good? Home dates with Maryland, and UCLA. The bad? Hosting Penn State and Michigan, and heading to Bloomington. The mediocre? @Minnesota, @Iowa, @USC, @Nebraska. It’s tough that all of the apparent make-or-break games are on the road. But, honestly, going 1-3 in those should be enough to send Sparty bowling. Something to build on.
T-8 MARYLAND (21.5 points)
What the hell was that? Three pretty reasonable years, all capped with bowl wins, and then you drop a 4-8/1-8 turd? Can the Terps get back on track? With this schedule? Quite possible. It certainly helps to be the only B1G school to miss OSU, Oregon, and PSU. But they also miss NW and Purdue. So, Maryland is your early leader to be 2025’s #teamchaos! Homes dates with Michigan and Indiana look like losses. As does the read trip to Chambana. But would 1-2 in those three really be a huge surprise? And the other six games—vs. Washington, vs. Nebraska, @Wisconsin, @UCLA, @Rutgers, @MSU—all are reasonable. I mean, Maryland might be underdogs in all of them. But, again, they’re coming off a shitty season. The fact that you can squint and see a bowl appearance suggests that things could be a lot worse, schedule-wise.
T-6 WASHINGTON (21 points)
No, I’m not going to pretend Washington’s schedule is decidedly harder than Maryland’s. They’re only a half point different, after all. But, West Coast team and all that. They only leave the Pacific time zone three times: @Michigan (crazier things have happened), @Wisconsin (winnable), and @Maryland (definitely winnable). Hosting Ohio State and Oregon is no picnic, but getting Illinois in Seattle makes that a winnable game, and home dates with Rutgers and Purdue are a helluva a base to build on. The other road game is @UCLA. Washington is up-and-down, but they’ve made the CFP twice in the last decade. There really should be no whining about this slate.
T-6 PURDUE (21 points)
Even if Barry Odom were Curt Cignetti—and he’s not—this is a lot tougher schedule than Indiana had last year. Still, it’s not murderous. Home games with Ohio State and Indiana don’t seem like fun. Neither does the road date with Michigan. But, with Ball State and Southern Illinois on the non-conference schedule, could Purdue go 4-2 in their other B1G games and sneak a bowl bid? Probably not, but look at vs. Illinois (ask @thumpasaurus about this), vs. Rutgers, vs. USC, @Minnesota, @Northwestern, and @Washington and tell me it’s impossible. And honestly, giving how horrific the Boilers were last year, even 5-7 would feel like a leap, and that’s not beyond reach with this middling slate.
BoilerUp89: 4-8 would feel like a massive leap. I'm just glad Purdue doesn't play wisconsin.
