Big Ten bye weeks...

[SlabHawk]

I see that both Indiana and Nebraska have bye weeks prior to playing the Hawks. Other West schools:

Illinois - No one has a bye week prior to playing them
Purdue - No one has a bye week prior to playing them
Nebraska - Michigan State has a bye week prior to playing them
Northwestern - Wisconsin has a bye week prior to playing them
Wisconsin - Illinois has a bye week prior to playing them
Minnesota - Ohio State and Michigan both have bye weeks prior to playing the Gophs (ouch).

Not a conspiracy theorist at all as there are really no stats that a bye week definitively helps or hurts you (although it definitely helps you heal up in the case of the Hawks this year). On the East, no one has a bye week prior to playing Ohio State or Rutgers this year. Michigan and Penn State face two opponents each that have bye weeks prior to playing against them.

Scheduling is difficult with 14 teams but some years this will flip (and other years we will be playing a schedule like Minnesota's with two or three difficult crossovers when the B1G switches to nine games...).

 

[MepoDawg#]

It depends on the team, injuries, momentum, next opponent. i think it'll help with Iowa as far as the iowa team is concerned due to injuries and i think they are more focused this year.

 

[ichawk24]

Last time this was mentioned, someone posted a link to an analysis that showed that teams have slightly worse records after a bye.

 

[BubsFinn]

Didn't we play something like 11 teams coming off a bye a few years ago? Okay, maybe not 11, but I recall it being unusually high.

 

[millah_22]

Sure they get an extra week of rest and prep, but will they execute on game day?

 

[ichawk24]

Didn't we play something like 11 teams coming off a bye a few years ago? Okay, maybe not 11, but I recall it being unusually high.

Last year or the year before, I think the number was four. Which seems pretty darn high.