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The Big Ten Conference and Nebraska announced the 2018 and 2019 conference schedules for the current membership today. Of course, whether these will be the actual slates in 2018 or 2019 is anyone's guess, as the odds are that by the time the Big Ten negotiates their next TV contract in 2015, the conference will expand again.
But until then, let's take a gander at Nebraska's schedules for those two seasons:
2018
One non-conference opponent TBD
Sept. 8 Colorado
Sept. 15 Troy
Sept. 22 at Michigan
Sept. 29 Purdue
Oct. 6 at Wisconsin
Oct. 13 at Northwestern
Oct. 20 Minnesota
Oct. 27 BYE
Nov. 3 at Ohio State
Nov. 10 Illinois
Nov. 17 Michigan State
Nov. 23 at Iowa
Yes, you're reading that right: Nebraska gets the pleasure of going on the road to Michigan, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Ohio State and Iowa. Even at five years out, that's pretty daunting. As our own James Stevenson pointed out on Twitter, this is a slate that could lead a coach to being fired. (Scott Frost?)
Since this schedule makes our 2011 slate look like a bro hug, I'd expect Nebraska's last non-conference signing to be a powderpuff from the MAC or Sun Belt conference, perhaps even the C-USA. Does Southern Miss need another bailout?
2019
Aug. 31 South Alabama
Sept. 7 at Colorado
Sept. 14 Northern Illinois
Sept. 21 at Illinois
Sept. 28 Ohio State
Oct. 5 Northwestern
Oct. 12 at Minnesota
Oct. 19 BYE
Oct. 26 Indiana
Nov. 2 at Purdue
Nov. 9 BYE
Nov. 16 Wisconsin
Nov. 23 at Maryland
Nov. 29 Iowa
In 2019, things are a little less horrid. Not a bad schedule if Nebraska is breaking in another new coach after the last one disappeared following a loss to Iowa.
Speaking of Iowa, it looks like the Hawkeyes will continue to play for the Heroes Trophy on Black Friday. So that's nice. (We play Wisconsin annually starting next year, so you'll still get your rivalry.) Also we play Indiana in 2019, thanks to priority scheduling. This will be our second game since we joined the conference eight years prior.
If we're lucky, we'll even the series.
What say you? Who should Nebraska sign for the unfilled game in 2018? How excited are you for that 2018 schedule?