A 2012 Big Ten football schedule without Penn State? Iowa would move … lots

Iowa's Christian Kirksey (partially obscured at left) grabs the face mask of Nebraska's Rex Burkhead as Burkhead is brought down by Kirksey and Steve Bigach during the third quarter of their NCAA football game at Memorial Stadium on Friday, Nov. 25, 2011, in Lincoln, Neb. (SourceMedia Group News/Jim Slosiarek)

If the NCAA decides to sanction Penn State swiftly and force the school to abandon its football program for the 2012 season, the Big Ten would be in a world of scheduling hurt.

Scheduling football games isn’t like plotting out dates for any other sport. The games are dedicated for Saturdays and players need time to recover. Travel plans are scheduled months, if not years, in advance. That’s why if the NCAA shut down Penn State football this fall, Big Ten officials would be in full-time scramble mode. That’s eight league games taken out of circulation. Trying to shift around the schedule without imploding it would be like playing Jenga after a few too many alcoholic beverages (Responsibility counts, remember?).

It wouldn’t be impossible for Commissioner Jim Delany and league officials to reformat the Big Ten schedule, but it would be very, very difficult. Iowa and Nebraska would take the brunt of change, if this fantastical scenario takes place. So … here’s a wild hypothesis as to what would happen if Penn State’s football program got whacked by the NCAA before the fall season and how the Big Ten would handle it.

SEPT. 15

Current schedule: Arkansas State at Nebraska; Idaho State idle
Revised schedule: Idaho State at Nebraska
How it works: Arkansas State is idle on Nov. 23/24 for game shift

SEPT. 22

Current schedule: Idaho State at Nebraska, Indiana idle
Revised schedule: Indiana at Nebraska; Idaho State idle
How it works: Idaho State is idle on Sept. 15; Nebraska hosts Penn State Nov. 10; Indiana plays at Penn State Nov. 17

SEPT. 29

Current schedule: Ohio State at Michigan State; Minnesota at Iowa; Penn State at Illinois
Revised schedule: Iowa at Michigan State; Ohio State at Illinois; Minnesota idle
How it works: Iowa-Michigan State shifts from Oct. 13; Iowa-Minnesota shifts to Oct. 6; Ohio State-Michigan State shifts to Nov. 10; Ohio State-Illinois would meet twice on different campuses because Penn State played 5 Leaders opponents, 3 Legends opponents

OCT. 6

Current schedule: Iowa, Minnesota idle; Northwestern at Penn State
Revised schedule: Minnesota at Iowa; Northwestern idle
How it works: Minnesota-Iowa shifts from Sept. 29 (easier said that done on homecoming weekend); Northwestern schedules Purdue on current idle week (Nov. 3)

OCT. 13

Current schedule: Iowa at Michigan State; Penn State, Nebraska idle
Revised schedule: Nebraska at Iowa, Michigan State idle
How it works: Nebraska-Iowa shifts from Nov. 23; Michigan State’s idle week shifts from Nov. 10

OCT. 20

Current schedule: Penn State at Iowa
Revised schedule: Iowa idle
How it works: Iowa’s idle week shifts from Oct. 6

OCT. 27

Current schedule: Ohio State at Penn State
Revised schedule: Ohio State idle
How it works: Ohio State’s idle week shifts from Nov. 10

NOV. 3

Current schedule: Penn State at Purdue; Northwestern, Wisconsin idle
Revised schedule: Northwestern at Purdue
How it works: Northwestern’s idle week shifts to Oct. 6

NOV. 10

Current schedule: Penn State at Nebraska; Ohio State, Michigan State idle
Revised schedule: Ohio State at Michigan State; Nebraska idle
How it works: Nebraska idle week shifts from Oct. 13

NOV. 17

Current schedule: Indiana at Penn State
Revised schedule: Indiana idle
How it works: Indiana’s idle week shifts from Sept. 22

NOV. 23/24

Current schedule: Nebraska at Iowa (Nov. 23); Wisconsin at Penn State (Nov. 24); Arkansas State idle
Revised schedule: Arkansas State at Nebraska (2:30 p.m., Nov. 23 ESPN); Wisconsin at Iowa (11 a.m., Nov. 23 ABC)
How it works: Nebraska-Iowa shifts to Oct. 13; Arkansas State-Nebraska shifts from Sept. 15

A 2012 Big Ten football schedule without Penn State? Iowa would move … lots

steve davis said: On July 19, 2012
as I’ve stated before I hope the NCAA puts the hammer down on Pervert State U and I hope the BIG TEN tosses them out. I don’t know about your revised scheduling but I do like the Iowa/Wisc game!
Eric Heneghan said: On July 19, 2012
That made my head hurt. I had to stop reading it not even 1/2 way through.
- Scott Dochterman said: On July 20, 2012
  You know, I was wondering why I needed Alleve tonight without drinking anything of value. Going through this matrix was probably the reason why.
Travis Krundle said: On July 19, 2012
I’m impressed you took the time to work out a schedule. It looks like you have another job lined up in case this one falls through.
Paul Davis said: On July 20, 2012
Will this bloodlust never stop? The ripples from any rash action the NCAA or the league takes from now on goes way beyond Penn State and will last for years.
I have an idea. Punish them, sure, but kill their program starting in 2016, and play the schedules as they exist for the next four years. That way, the PSU players who want to can go elsewhere or, if they come in later, understand that after a couple of years there, they will have to transfer to Pitt or WVU, or somewhere else, just like any junior college transfer, and without penalty. That way, the rest of the league does not have to jump through hoops over the schedule, and if the Lions are depleted and weak by the last year because of attrition, then so be it. That’s part of the punishment, and any player who decided to stay to the last will have made that decision for himself.
Maybe the painful and onerous process of working out how they will arrange to wind up the affairs of their dying team will make the Penn State powers-that-be thoughtful as to their future behavior.
If this runaway vengeance train gets up a big enough head of steam, the Law of Unintended Consequences is going to kick in and have everyone, not just the guilty at PSU, paying for this for a long time, and in ways we cannot yet anticipate. Slow down!