The first weekend of game times are now official. The first game of the season is now Friday, October 23 instead of Saturday, October 24 as my Illini travel to Madison to play Wisconsin in a rematch of the biggest upset of the year last year.
The Big Ten also announced several Friday games. There are games on Oct. 30, Nov. 13, 20, and 27 (Nov. 6 is missing as the whole month of December). It is unusual for me to see night games in mid/late November but since most games won't have fans maybe we will see more night games on Saturdays as well.
https://bigten.org/news/2020/10/12/footb...unced.aspx
Game times are normally announced 12 days in advance although the networks have the option to wait until 6 days in advance if they wish. We should expect the Week 2 (Oct. 31) game times next Monday although I'm not sure why the network with first pick of games hasn't just announced and scheduled Ohio State at Penn State since that is such an obvious first pick that week. Considering it is the 2nd most attractive game of the season, it should go to ABC and should be prime time (7:30pm ET). I'd expect Michigan State at Michigan to go to FOX as their "Big Noon" game.
More "guesses" I made:
https://www.offtackleempire.com/2020/9/2...v-networks
I will post on Mondays the official announcements of game time updates. Tomorrow will be the Halloween games. It is possible some games will be held for 6 days depending on this week's games and because nobody has played any games it would make sense to do so.
On Sundays, Matt's College Sports Media Blog guesses times for the games before the official games are released the following day.
His guesses for the Halloween (Week 9/Week 2 of the Big Ten):
https://mattsarzsports.blogspot.com/2020...03120.html
He has Ohio State at Penn State a prime time (7:30pm ET) on ABC, Michigan State at Michigan as the Big Noon game on FOX, and Wisconsin at Nebraska at 4pm ET on FOX. I can see OSU/PSU and MSU/Mich being switched if FOX has first pick for Oct. 31 although I'm pretty sure ABC has first pick. I like Wisconsin/Nebraska being in the "middle slot" away from the other two games although I'm not sure whether it will air FOX or ABC (3:30pm ET).
Maryland at Minnesota has already been announced as a Friday night game on Oct. 30. Other games are Purdue at Illinois, Indiana at Rutgers, and Northwestern at Iowa. Two of them will probably be BTN games, maybe all three if BTN wants a triple header.
The weekly release (
https://bigten.org/documents/2020/10/19/...df?id=6826) has the game times for Oct. 30/31):
FRIDAY, OCT. 30
Minnesota at Maryland 7:30 p.m. ESPN
SATURDAY, OCT. 31
Purdue at Illinois Noon BTN
Michigan State at Michigan Noon FOX
Northwestern at Iowa 3:30 p.m. ESPN
Wisconsin at Nebraska 3:30 p.m. FS1
Indiana at Rutgers 3:30 p.m. BTN
Ohio State at Penn State 7:30 p.m. ABC
Two games are over the air, one on FOX and one on ABC, just like Oct. 24. I'd have to believe ABC had the 1st pick Oct. 31. I think FOX had the 1st pick Oct. 24 although I'm not 100% sure. Ohio State is most likely the #1 TV draw in the conference but Michigan is probably #2 and Minnesota is ranked (but Nebraska is a bigger brand name than Minnesota). It's pretty clear who the two biggest games were on Halloween.
Here are the Nov. 7 games:
Minnesota at Illinois
Michigan at Indiana
Michigan State at Iowa
Nebraska at Northwestern
Rutgers at Ohio State
Maryland at Penn State
Purdue at Wisconsin
I assume every Big Ten team has to play one game on BTN and it makes sense for Ohio State to play the Rutgers game on BTN. If Indiana beats Penn State and Michigan wins, that's got to be the #1 choice. Even if they don't, Michigan (assuming they win and possibly if they don't) looks to be a big draw. Penn State also would draw well as could Wisconsin, especially if Purdue wins and they are at home vs. Iowa. I expect ABC to have top pick because this is the worst week of Big Ten games and ABC gets last pick (FOX gets first pick).
Michigan at Indiana should be the #1 pick by ABC.
I'd have Purdue at Wisconsin over Maryland at Penn State as the next most attractive game. Rutgers did win today but they're still Rutgers and Ohio State still needs a BTN game (I read somewhere the Big Ten is still going to demand every Big Ten team to play TWO games on BTN although I think that is stupid and would make the other broadcasters upset).
If you are looking at time slots, FOX has scheduled Arizona State at USC at noon ET. According to Matt's College Sports site, FOX will not have a Saturday Night game Nov. 7. ABC will likely have Stanford at Oregon which could be a pretty big game. The biggest Big 12 game is Oklahoma State at Kansas State with both teams ranked although I have no idea which network has first choice. It's anyone's guess as to when Michigan/Indiana and Purdue/Wisconsin will end up. You have two really big games already scheduled, Georgia vs. Florida in Jacksonville at 3:30pm ET on CBS and Clemson at Notre Dame at 7pm ET on NBC.
I'll say,
Michigan at Indiana, noon (ABC) (Oklahoma State/Kansas State 3:30pm, Stanford/Oregon Saturday Night)
Purdue at Wisconsin, 4pm (FOX)
Maryland at Penn State, 3:30pm (ESPN)
Rutgers at Ohio State, 7pm (BTN) (BTN will talk OSU into a night game).
A bad week for the Big Ten as they will only have one game on FOX or ABC, Purdue at Wisconsin (3:30pm ABC). This is insulting. The Big 12 has two games scheduled for ABC/FOX, one on each network (West Virginia at Texas and Oklahoma State at Kansas State). The Pathetic 12 has one game scheduled on FOX but ABC's 7:30pm slot hasn't been filled yet and most of the conferences other than the Pathetic 12 have been scheduled so I'm almost positive Stanford/Oregon got that slot. Michigan at Indiana deserves to be on ABC or FOX and not stuck on FS1. Two second choice state schools (OkSt and KSU) should be on FS1 or ESPN. If you want your schools on ABC or FOX, you have to watch Big Ten games and stop watching Big 12/Pathetic 12 games. Speak with your remote and tell FOX and ABC what you want to see so we get their slots and not the inferior conferences.
Rutgers/Ohio State is on BTN because BTN needs an OSU game. I'm guessing Maryland/Penn State is because they need a PSU game as well.
Nov. 14 games:
Iowa at Minnesota (Nov. 13, 7pm ET FS1)
Ohio State at Maryland
Wisconsin at Michigan
Indiana at Michigan State
Penn State at Nebraska
Illinois at Rutgers
Northwestern at Purdue
Wisconsin at Michigan is the obvious headliner. I have ABC having first choice. Alabama/LSU is on CBS at 6pm which cuts into the 3:30pm and prime time slots. ABC can air the game at noon to avoid 'Bama/LSU. Or ABC can schedule them at night figuring they can get the 'Bama/LSU audience when it finishes or at 3:30pm getting them before 'Bama/LSU. FOX needs a Big Noon game, the next best on paper would be either Ohio State at Maryland or Penn State at Nebraska (BTN could use Maryland as OSU's 2nd BTN game and then PSU/Neb would be the default pick).
If Purdue at Wisconsin is not played, BTN currently has two games scheduled at 3:30pm ET, Maryland at Penn State and Minnesota at Illinois. The easiest change would be Md/PSU moves to ABC and BTN airs Minn/Ill nationally.
Assuming ABC has the 1st pick Nov. 14, I don't think they will need to duck 'Bama/LSU after LSU got stomped on by Auburn yesterday. They'd like to have that game at night but would Wisconsin and Michigan want to play in prime time this late in November? I'll say no and it will be a 3:30pm ET start. Assuming each Big Ten team is required to have two BTN appearances, Maryland looks like a good choice for Ohio State's 2nd appearance (Rutgers will be their first). Indiana has a decent chance of being 4-0 when they play OSU on Nov. 21. You also have Illinois on Nov. 28 (Thanksgiving Saturday which usually means big TV ratings) and Michigan State Dec. 5 (are they the team that lost to Rutgers or the team that beat Michigan?). Assuming OSU/Maryland is a BTN game, Penn State/Nebraska will be the Big Noon FOX game. Northwestern at Purdue will pit two teams that are now 2-0 but I highly doubt that would be chosen over PSU/Neb. BTN would like another prime time game for OSU (assuming Wisc/Mich say no) but would OSU and Md agree? Another possible prime time game would be ESPN. ESPN can't air an SEC game opposite CBS so if they're not airing a Big Ten prime time game on ABC, why not on ESPN?
I'll say,
Penn State at Nebraska, noon (FOX)
Indiana at Michigan State, noon (ESPN)
Illinois at Rutgers, noon (BTN)
Wisconsin at Michigan, 3:30pm (ABC)
Northwestern at Purdue, 3:30pm (BTN)
Ohio State at Maryland, 7pm (BTN)
From the Big Ten website:
Wisconsin at Michigan, 7:30pm (ABC) - Saturday Night Football
Indiana at Michigan State, noon (ABC or ESPN2)
Penn State at Nebraska, noon (FS1)
Illinois at Rutgers, noon (BTN)
Ohio State at Maryland, 3:30pm (BTN) (From OSU's website)
Northwestern at Purdue, 7:30pm (BTN) (From Purdue's website)
BTN Games:
Illinois: Wisconsin, Purdue, Minnesota, Rutgers
Indiana: None*
Iowa: Purdue
Maryland: Northwestern, Penn State, Ohio State
Michigan: None
Michigan State: Rutgers
Minnesota: Illinois
Nebraska: Northwestern
Northwestern: Maryland, Nebraska, Purdue
Ohio State: Rutgers, Maryland
Penn State: Maryland
Purdue: Iowa, Illinois, Northwestern
Rutgers*: Michigan State, Ohio State, Illinois
Wisconsin: Illinois
Indiana-Rutgers was originally BTN but promoted to FS1.
Ohio State will fulfill their BTN quota the next two weeks. Michigan needs to. Ohio State will be on FOX. No way will they put Penn State on FOX so Rutgers and Maryland have to be on BTN. Wisconsin still needs a BTN game and doesn't really have an obvious dud left. Maybe they dump Indiana because it kills two birds with one stone. Indiana needs two games and they already played Rutgers so one "good" Indiana game is going to BTN (or the Bucket game vs. Purdue is).
(11-01-2020 06:49 AM)schmolik Wrote: [ -> ]If Purdue at Wisconsin is not played, BTN currently has two games scheduled at 3:30pm ET, Maryland at Penn State and Minnesota at Illinois. The easiest change would be Md/PSU moves to ABC and BTN airs Minn/Ill nationally.
Now that the cancellation is official, let's see if this happens.
(11-03-2020 02:16 PM)schmolik Wrote: [ -> ] (11-01-2020 06:49 AM)schmolik Wrote: [ -> ]If Purdue at Wisconsin is not played, BTN currently has two games scheduled at 3:30pm ET, Maryland at Penn State and Minnesota at Illinois. The easiest change would be Md/PSU moves to ABC and BTN airs Minn/Ill nationally.
Now that the cancellation is official, let's see if this happens.
Penn State/Maryland is intriguing to me. Penn State is a darn good football team and that Maryland offense started clicking last week. Could be a really good game that brings a nice TV rating for ABC, if they pick it up.
BTN Required Games:
Indiana, Michigan: 2
Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Wisconsin
Nov. 20 Game: Purdue at Wisconsin, 7:30pm ET (TBD)
Indiana at Ohio State
Wisconsin at Northwestern
Michigan at Rutgers
Iowa at Penn State
Illinois at Nebraska
Michigan State at Maryland
No doubt the game of the day is Indiana at Ohio State. Barring either team crapping the bed next week or getting their game canceled because of COVID-19, you should have 4-0 vs. 4-0 in the Horseshoe on Nov. 21. If FOX gets first pick, it will be the Big Nooner game. If ABC gets first pick, they will want it to be the Saturday Night Game although it is November and Big Ten schools may not want it that late. Before the season started, I picked this week as the second least attractive Big Ten week as there was no obvious showcase game (I had Nov. 7 as the worst week because OSU was playing Rutgers and Indiana is a better team). So I think FOX will get Indiana/Ohio State and they will kick off at noon. This is the game that can get the pregame show to Columbus and possibly ESPN College Gameday as well.
Wisconsin at Northwestern looks like the next best game on paper but Northwestern doesn't usually draw well on TV. I think ABC's best game that day (assuming they don't get Indiana/Ohio State) will be Oklahoma State/Oklahoma). They will also probably have Clemson/Florida State in Trevor Lawrence's first game back. Wisconsin/Northwestern fits in at 3:30pm then but the Pac-12 is also a factor. If it came down to USC/Utah or Wisconsin/Northwestern at 3:30pm on ABC, I'm not sure it's a slam dunk that Wisconsin will be on ABC. Wisconsin/Northwestern could wind up on ESPN. No one wants to watch an 0-3 Penn State team right now, especially PSU fans. But their game is the only remaining game that has any national interest so they'll probably wind up on ESPN2 or FS1 somewhere, leaving the other three for BTN. Or BTN can keep Iowa/Penn State, fulfilling both schools' BTN quota, and give one of the other games to ESPN2/FS1. Michigan at Rutgers is a lock for BTN with the Wolverines needing two BTN games with Ohio State locked into FOX and Penn State still on their schedule (then again, the way both Michigan and Penn State are playing, PSU/Mich deserves to be on BTN). This is the best chance to get MSU on BTN, their remaining games are Northwestern, Ohio State, and Penn State. Penn State still has Rutgers. Iowa still has Illinois.
Predictions:
Indiana at Ohio State, noon (FOX)
Wisconsin at Northwestern, 3:30pm (ABC) (I'll say USC/Utah on FOX)
Iowa at Penn State, 3:30pm (FS1)
Michigan State at Maryland, noon (BTN)
Michigan at Rutgers, 3:30pm (BTN)
Illinois at Nebraska, 7pm (BTN) - They'll do prime time
Indiana/Ohio State is the Big Nooner on FOX.
Illinois/Nebraska will be noon on BTN while Michigan/Rutgers will be prime time on BTN.
The other games are on six day holds. One will be 3:30pm on either ABC or ESPN (their competition for ABC, according to Matt's College Sports Blog, is Cincinnati at UCF). Noon on FS1 and 3:30pm on BTN are the other missing slots.
On Nov. 28 (Thanksgiving Saturday), the headliner was supposed to be Penn State at Michigan but with the two teams a combined 1-5, who knows?
Thanksgiving Weekend Speculation:
Fri. Nov. 27: Nebraska at Iowa, 1pm ET (FOX): Official. Unusual starting time.
Sat. Nov. 28:
Rutgers at Purdue
Penn St. at Michigan
Northwestern at Michigan St.
Maryland at Indiana
Ohio St. at Illinois
Minnesota at Wisconsin
(this was the order the games were listed on the CBSSports.com schedule)
I have FOX with the #1 pick.
At the beginning of the season, it was obvious Penn State at Michigan would be the #1 pick this week. Now the teams are a combined 1-7. This week shows why in most cases even the most obvious game at the start of the season isn't announced at the start of the season.
Ohio State is still on the board but Illinois, even though they won, still sucks. If Ohio State were playing a decent team, FOX (or ABC if they had the top pick) would definitely be picking the OSU game. Wisconsin is also on the board but Minnesota sucks. Would you rather see two pathetic teams that do have fan bases or a team with the best fan base in the Big Ten and a team with hardly any fan base at all (yes it's my school and we don't have much of a fan base!)
BTN Required Games:
Indiana: 2
Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State (COVID-19 wiped out the Maryland game), Penn State, Wisconsin
Either the OSU/Ill game or the OSU/MSU game will be on BTN.
Maryland/Indiana will be on BTN. Indiana/Wisconsin looks like a huge game and probably the #1 pick (likely ABC) on Dec. 5 so even though it's a big rivalry game the Bucket game (Purdue/Indiana) has to be on BTN.
Iowa/Illinois is probably going to BTN (the only other Iowa game is Wisconsin which is probably going to be a network game).
Wisconsin needs a BTN game and even though it's another big rivalry game the Minnesota game is probably the worst and Minnesota still needs a BTN game so I think this would be the best week to get their BTN game out of the way. If they don't, either they have to put Indiana or Iowa on BTN or they waive the rule (which I think they should anyway).
If OSU/MSU is on BTN, Michigan State is accounted for.
Penn State would use Rutgers (chances are Michigan State will be on BTN anyway).
Nebraska probably will have their last two games (Purdue and Minnesota) dumped to BTN.
I'll give FOX Ohio State at Illinois for the Big Nooner and ABC Penn State at Michigan at 3:30pm where it will get destroyed by the Iron Bowl (CBS has not officially claimed it but come on you know they are). I wouldn't be surprised if PSU/Mich gets dumped to ESPN and to be honest they should be.
Maryland at Indiana and Minnesota at Wisconsin will be on BTN because they have to be to fulfill network quotas. Rutgers at Purdue will be on BTN because no one else would want to air Rutgers. Northwestern at Michigan St. might have a chance to get on ESPN2 or FS1 or maybe BTN does split coverage.
Update for Nov. 21:
Wisconsin at Northwestern will be 3:30pm on ABC, confirmed on the Big Ten's website and Northwestern's Twitter.
Iowa at Penn State will be 3:30pm on BTN, confirmed on the Big Ten's website and Penn State's website.
The Big Ten's website and Michigan State's websites say Michigan State at Maryland will be noon on BTN but Illinois at Nebraska is scheduled at the same time. Will they then have split coverage? Maryland's website does not confirm the time nor network.
Illinois's website now lists FS1 for the Nebraska game. The Big Ten website and Nebraska's website still list BTN.
From Matt's page:
2pm BTN: Minnesota at Wisconsin
4pm FS1: Rutgers at Purdue
6 day hold:
Ohio State at Illinois
Maryland at Indiana
Penn State at Michigan
Northwestern at Michigan State
First choice for Nov. 28 games should be Ohio State at Illinois. Hey, the Illini won 41-23! Better than showcasing an 0-5 Penn State vs. a Michigan team struggling vs. Buttgers!
If Michigan loses to Rutgers, they and Penn State should be on BTN. Indiana "has" to be on BTN if they want Indiana/Wisconsin to not be on BTN. Let undefeated Northwestern go to ABC or ESPN next week.
FOX Big Nooner: Ohio State at Illinois
3:30pm ABC: Northwestern at Michigan State
BTN: Penn State at Michigan, Maryland at Indiana
(11-21-2020 10:25 PM)schmolik Wrote: [ -> ]First choice for Nov. 28 games should be Ohio State at Illinois. Hey, the Illini won 41-23! Better than showcasing an 0-5 Penn State vs. a Michigan team struggling vs. Buttgers!
If Michigan loses to Rutgers, they and Penn State should be on BTN. Indiana "has" to be on BTN if they want Indiana/Wisconsin to not be on BTN. Let undefeated Northwestern go to ABC or ESPN next week.
FOX Big Nooner: Ohio State at Illinois
3:30pm ABC: Northwestern at Michigan State
BTN: Penn State at Michigan, Maryland at Indiana
I'm looking forward to Maryland/Indiana. Maryland playing really good on offense and we are all aware of what the Hoosiers are about.