The Big Ten released football schedules for the 2013 and 2014 seasons today, and you know how Michigan State got Wisconsin and Ohio State in 2011-12, aka the Joan Collins Special? 2013-2014 is the opposite of that, with MSU playing Purdue and Illinois in those seasons. Without further ado, I present the MSU football schedules for 2013-2014:
| 2013 | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Western Michigan | Jacksonville State |
| Week 2 | South Florida | TBA |
| Week 3 | Youngstown State | at West Virginia |
| Week 4 | at Notre Dame | Eastern Michigan |
| Week 5 | Bye | Bye |
| Week 6 | at Iowa | Illinois |
| Week 7 | Indiana | at Michigan |
| Week 8 | Purdue | Bye |
| Week 9 | at Illinois | at Indiana |
| Week 10 | Michigan | Northwestern |
| Week 11 | Bye | at Purdue |
| Week 12 | at Nebraska | Nebraska |
| Week 13 | at Northwestern | Iowa |
| Week 14 | Minnesota | at Minnesota |
Some thoughts after the jump:
- 2013 doesn't look like the best year to have season tickets. The second best game could be South Florida, which could be the most depressing thing I've typed since basketball ended. A lot can happen between now and then (Rob Henry could still be at Purdue; Minnesota, resurgent possibly?), but as of April 6, 2011 it doesn't look promising.
- The 2014 home slate appears better, but still isn't as good as 2012 will be. Nebraska and Iowa are nice games to close the home schedule. I doubt Michigan State will play TBA given one family's failed attempt to beat it. While I'm hoping for a marquee opponent in this slot, it will most likely be (INSERT MAC SCHOOL WITH OPEN DATE ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2014 HERE).
- The byes are nicely distributed in 2013, and it's also a boon that they come before what might be the two toughest games in that season. In 2014 the byes could've been spaced farther apart, and even though I don't know how good Illinois and Indiana will be in 2014, I doubt they'll be world beaters.
Any other thoughts?