Jaydin Eierman and Nick Lee at the 2021 Big Ten Championships (Photo/Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com)The Big Ten wrestling schedule is officially on the calendar, and this winter, like all winters, looks like it's going to be a boatload of fun.
The 14-team league has 11 programs in InterMat's preseason dual meet rankings, including seven in the top-15 and five in the top-10. Not everybody will hit this year, as the Big Ten scheduled eight league duals for each team: four at home, four on the road.
The Big Ten portion of the college wrestling season begins Jan. 7, and there are plenty of matchups worth watching this season. Here are some quick thoughts on each weekend of Big Ten wrestling:
WEEK 1
Friday, Jan. 7
#15 Minnesota at #1 Iowa
#22 Purdue at #9 Nebraska
#18 Northwestern at #17 Wisconsin
#4 Penn State at Maryland
Indiana at #14 Rutgers
#7 Ohio State at Michigan State*
Sunday, Jan. 9
#22 Purdue at #1 Iowa
#18 Northwestern at #15 Minnesota
#14 Rutgers at #17 Wisconsin
Indiana at Penn State
Thoughts: Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson opens the Big Ten portion of his season at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Expect a large crowd for that one. The Purdue-Nebraska and Northwestern-Wisconsin matchups are going to be sneaky fun on Friday night. Brutal travel weekend for Rutgers: in Piscataway on Friday, Wisconsin on Sunday. After Wisconsin, Northwestern gets Minnesota. Fun opening weekend. Ohio State-Michigan State could be either Friday or Sunday, according to the Big Ten.
WEEK 2
Friday, Jan. 14
#21 Illinois at #14 Rutgers
#1 Iowa at #18 Northwestern
#5 Michigan at #7 Ohio State
#9 Nebraska at #15 Minnesota
Saturday, Jan. 15
Michigan State at #22 Purdue
Sunday, Jan. 16
#1 Iowa at #21 Illinois
#17 Wisconsin at #15 Minnesota
#14 Rutgers at #4 Penn State
Monday, Jan. 17
Michigan State at Indiana
Thoughts: Love the standalone duals on Saturday and Monday. Cool opportunity there for the Spartans. Minnesota gets two fun home duals, against Nebraska and Wisconsin, while Iowa has a road doubleheader. Illinois gets the funny travel schedule this weekend: at Piscataway on Friday, back home on Sunday. The Michigan-Ohio State dual is likely the highlight of the weekend, featuring Olympic bronze medalist Myles Amine, but don't sleep on Rutgers-Penn State, either.
WEEK 3
Friday, Jan. 21
#4 Penn State at #5 Michigan
#14 Rutgers at Michigan State
#1 Iowa at #7 Ohio State
#21 Illinois at #22 Purdue
#9 Nebraska at #17 Wisconsin
Maryland at Indiana
Sunday, Jan. 23
#14 Rutgers at #5 Michigan
#4 Penn State at Michigan State
#9 Nebraska at #18 Northwestern
Maryland at #7 Ohio State
#17 Wisconsin at #22 Purdue
Thoughts: Big Friday night here, with Penn State-Michigan and Iowa-Ohio State. Tons of fireworks in those duals. Illinois-Purdue will be all sorts of fun, too, and Nebraska-Wisconsin should be exciting. Rutgers and Penn State will both spend this weekend in Michigan. The Huskers go from Wisconsin to Northwestern, while Purdue gets two home duals.
WEEK 4
Friday, Jan. 28
#4 Penn State at #1 Iowa
#17 Wisconsin at Maryland
#15 Minnesota at #5 Michigan
Saturday, Jan. 29
#18 Northwestern at #21 Illinois
#22 Purdue at Indiana
Sunday, Jan. 30
#5 Michigan at Maryland
Thoughts: Lighter schedule, but Friday night will be action-packed. Iowa-Penn State is always a big deal. The Nittany Lions are going back to Carver-Hawkeye Arena. That same night, Mason Parris gets another crack at Gable. Northwestern-Illinois and Purdue-Indiana will be a couple of fun intrastate battles on Saturday. After hosting Minnesota on Friday, the Wolverines head to Maryland on Sunday.
WEEK 5
Friday, Feb. 4
#15 Minnesota at #21 Illinois
Michigan State at Maryland
#5 Michigan at #9 Nebraska
#7 Ohio State at #4 Penn State
Saturday, Feb. 5
#17 Wisconsin at #1 Iowa
Sunday, Feb. 6
Indiana at #21 Illinois
Maryland at #18 Northwestern
#15 Minnesota at #22 Purdue
#7 Ohio State at #14 Rutgers
#9 Nebraska at #4 Penn State*
Thoughts: Another standalone dual on Saturday that could be very, very fun. But it's sandwiched between two fun days of loaded wrestling. The Buckeyes travel to both Penn State and Rutgers while Nebraska wrestles Michigan at home, then, potentially, at the Nittany Lions (that dual could get flexed to Feb. 11, according to the Big Ten). Minnesota travels to both Illinois and Purdue.
WEEK 6
Friday, Feb. 11
#5 Michigan at Indiana
#18 Northwestern at Michigan State
#7 Ohio State at #15 Minnesota
#21 Illinois at #17 Wisconsin
Saturday, Feb. 12
Maryland at #14 Rutgers
Sunday, Feb. 13
Michigan State at #5 Michigan
#21 Illinois at #9 Nebraska
Indiana at #7 Ohio State
Thoughts: Maryland-Rutgers could be a sneaky fun dual on that Saturday. Ohio State-Minnesota and Illinois-Wisconsin highlight a fun Friday night slate, then Illinois travels to Nebraska and we get another intrastate battle between the Spartans and Wolverines on Sunday.
WEEK 7
Saturday, Feb. 19
#22 Purdue at #18 Northwestern
Sunday, Feb. 20
#1 Iowa at #9 Nebraska
Thoughts: Final weekend of Big Ten dual action features just two matchups: Purdue-Northwestern on Saturday, then the Hawkeyes at the Huskers on Sunday. Then everybody will head to Lincoln a couple weeks later for the Big Ten Championships. Giddy up.
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