Michigan 2015 & 2016 B1G Schedules Released

Schedules were announced this morning for the 2015 and 2016 Big Ten seasons. No non-conference bits here, just the league schedules.

Legends games in bold. 2013-2016 Michigan schedules can be found here.

2015:

Oct. 3	at Michigan State
Oct. 10	WISCONSIN
Oct. 17	MINNESOTA
Oct. 24	at Illinois
Oct. 31	Open
Nov. 7	NEBRASKA
Nov. 14	at Northwestern
Nov. 21	at Iowa
Nov. 28	OHIO STATE
Dec. 5	Big Ten Championship Game

2016:

Oct. 1	MICHIGAN STATE
Oct. 8	at Minnesota
Oct. 15	NORTHWESTERN
Oct. 22	Open
Oct. 29	at Wisconsin
Nov. 5	ILLINOIS
Nov. 12	at Nebraska
Nov. 19	IOWA
Nov. 26	at Ohio State
Dec. 3	Big Ten Championship Game

Future schedule bullets:
• Obviously the first thing that jumps off the page is opening the B1G slate each year with Michigan State. I don't mind the move. No issues with it at all.
• There was talk about starting the B1G schedule earlier (i.e. in September). This is clearly not happening.
• Going to miss Indiana on the schedule both years. Penn State goes away after a two-year stint in 2013-14.
• After this season, we won't play Purdue again until 2017 at the earliest (unless in the B1G title game).
• B1G rules state you must have 4 home and 4 road games in-conference, so no surprises here. Opening 2015 with a road game at Sparty and back home the next week against Wisconsin is interesting. Finishing 2016 at Nebraska, Iowa and then at Ohio State is going to be tough.
• Unless the league lifts the "no night games in November" rule, Wisconsin is my odds on favorite for the 2015 night game. If no November rule exists, then I think it should be Nebraska.
• For 2016, it seems pretty obvious the Michigan State game would be at night. But you could make that argument for 2012 as well. Although Dave Brandon could be long gone by 2015.
• I'm assuming Notre Dame is off the schedule by 2015. And I also assume the B1G/Pac-12 agreement is still happening, so tough to predict total number of home games each year. Expect 7 for each, I suppose.
• 2015 bye week is Halloween weekend. Celebrate accordingly.