Thanks to my mad Sudoku skills, I think I have figured out the crossover games for Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Ohio State, Indiana and Illinois for 2013/2014. This is based on information that is beginning to come out about the schedules for those years. Thanks to Adam Rittenberg for providing the sources.
Big Ten senior associate commissioner Mark Rudner corrected an earlier statement to The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette and confirmed that the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes will meet in 2013 and 2014 rather than take a four-year hiatus. Although the 2013-14 schedules haven't been released yet, Iowa's division crossover games will be Ohio State, Wisconsin and Purdue (protected), Rudner said.
Is this good news for the Hawkeyes? Depends. Ohio State has won 12 of the teams' previous 13 meetings. Then again, if Iowa wants to take the next step, it must take down the Buckeyes and the only way to do so is by playing them.
Since Ohio State returns to Iowa's schedule in 2013, the Hawkeyes will go two more seasons without facing Illinois. The two teams haven't met since 2008 and won't meet until 2015.
The schedules will be released soon and I'll have much more information for you at that time. As long as the eight-game Big Ten schedule remains, some teams will go four years without playing, but the league hopes to limit these whenever possible.
This also leads me to believe that there will be no 9-game conference schedule in 2013/14 otherwise Iowa would pick up Illinois. It was also reported that Nebraska will play Purdue in 2013/14.
Although dates haven't been finalized, Nebraska's first appearance in Ross-Ade Stadium as a member of the Big Ten Conference will be in 2013.
Mark Rudner, Big Ten Senior Associate Commissioner and Television Administrator, said Friday the 2013 and 2014 schedules are nearly complete.
How do we get Illinois and not Indiana? Well, in 2011/2012, Illinois will play Northwestern (protected), Minnesota, and Michigan, so they won't play either UM in 2013/14. Iowa's 2013/14 schedule appears to be set so that leaves only Michigan State and Nebraska for Illinois.
Now, if we assume that the Big Ten will do there very best to get schools to play as much as possible then we can look at which schools were "missed" in the 2009/2010 cycle. Minnesota missed Indiana in 2009/2010 and won't see them in 2011/12 so let's assume the Big Ten will place those two together in 2013/2014. Also, Ohio State was off of Northwestern's schedule in 2009/2010 and in 2011/2012, so let's give the Buckeyes to the Wildcats. This would finish off Ohio State's cross-over games for 2013/2014 (Michigan, Iowa, Northwestern) and leave only Penn State left available for Minnesota (since Ohio State is not available). Michigan gets Indiana because it's the only place left the Hoosiers to go. At this point we can't finish the schedules out for the other six schools. Maybe the Land Grant trophy becomes the trump card or perhaps the Northwestern/Wisconsin game gets it on again. Based on the info we have this is what we know:
Nebraska will get Illinois, Purdue.
Iowa will get Ohio State and Wisconsin.
Minnesota will get Penn State and (should get) Indiana.
Ohio State will get Iowa and (should get) Northwestern.
Indiana will get Minnesota and Michigan.
Illinois will get Michigan State and Nebraska.
Michigan will get Indiana and either Penn State, Wisconsin.
Michigan State will get Illinois and either Purdue or Penn State.
Northwestern should get Ohio State and either Wisconsin or Purdue.
Penn State will get Minnesota and either Michigan State or Michigan.
Purdue will get Nebraska and either Michigan State or Northwestern.
Wisconsin will get Iowa and either Michigan or Northwestern.
Of course, Mark Rudner might be lying, too.