Hey, it’s the Big Ten schedule — Take 3

OK. Let’s try this again.

For the third time this year, we have a Big Ten schedule that may or may not be played as designed. The conference released the latest revision to its 2020 slate on Saturday morning, dealing a punishing blow to Nebraska in the process. You hate to see it.

In Indiana’s case, the Hoosiers seemed to get a pretty reasonable deal. The schedule is as tough as you might expect, but not ridiculously so. IU gets its divisional games up front, followed by scheduled crossover contests with Wisconsin and Purdue. A ninth opponent — a team from the West — will be determined by the mid-December standings. The way it lines up, there doesn’t appear to be a backbreaking stretch here. Week-to-week, it feels tractable.

Of course, this is all subject to change, so we’ll see.

Here’s how it all looks:

Oct. 24: vs. Penn State

Oct. 31: at Rutgers

Nov. 7: vs. Michigan

Nov. 14: at Michigan State

Nov. 21: at Ohio State

Nov. 28: vs. Maryland

Dec. 5: at Wisconsin

Dec. 12: vs. Purdue

Dec. 19: Crossover

To recap, the division games are up front, the crossovers are on the back end, and Minnesota and Illinois are out. For now. Honestly, this feels like the most favorable version of the three schedules IU has been handed this year.

Meanwhile, folks in Nebraska are not happy about the schedule! Again.