Big Ten 2011 Marquee Non Conference Games

Last year the Big Ten finished (38-14) in non conferences games including bowl games. Ohio State finally got a win over a SEC school in a bowl game when they beat Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl 31-26. Ohio State also beat Miami, Fl in a key non conference matchup in the regular season last season 36-24. Michigan and Michigan State both defeated Notre Dame last season in key non conference games that matters. Wisconsin squeaked past Arizona State in week 3 by one point (20-19). The Big Ten has gotten a bad rep in non conference play lately.  Ohio State got beat by Florida in 2006 national championship and lost to LSU the following year.  Wisconsin lost to TCU in last year's Rose Bowl and also the Buckeyes lost to USC in 2008 & 2009. The Big Ten haven't won a national championship since 2002 when Ohio State defeated Miami, Fl in overtime in the Fiesta Bowl. Now they will welcome newcomer Nebraska to there conference pushing it to twelve teams and now they will have a Big Ten conference championship game. We all know about the matchups that will be going on with in the conference. But there are some non conference games that are just as important especially if you want to win a national title or get to a good bowl game. I have picked out some of the best non conference games of the 2011 Big Ten season.

 1) 9/10/11 Alabama at Penn State

2) 9/17/11 Ohio State at Miami(FL)

3) 9/10/11 Oregon State at Wisconsin

4) 9/17/11 Michigan State at Notre Dame

5) 9/10/11 Notre Dame at Michigan

6) 9/17/11 Washington at Nebraska

7) 9/3/11 Minnesota at USC

8) 9/17/11 Arizona State at Illinois

9) 9/3/11 Northwestern at Boston College

10) 9/17/11 Pittsburgh at Iowa

11) 10/1/11 Notre Dame at Purdue

12) 9/10/11 Iowa at Iowa State

13) 9/17/11 Miami (OH) at Minnesota

14) 9/10/11 Fresno State at Nebraska

15) 9/17/11 Wisconsin vs Northern Illinois (Solider Field)

16) Virginia at Indiana