Recently the Big Ten released this conference opponent breakdown for the upcoming 2017-18 men's basketball season.

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Each school only plays five of the other 13 teams twice in league play. That lends itself to "imbalance" versus full round-robin play. And that leads to all sorts of speculation as to which schools got the better luck of the draw.

While you truly don't know the answer until you're well into a season and know which teams are really good or not, we can now put together some analysis on the imbalance using the preseason rankings.

Last week Peegs.com took this stab at a power ranking based on how rosters shook out: Big Ten Hoop 2017-18: Preseason power ranking

If we simply multiply the number of times a school plays a team by its ranking there, you can come up with a weighted average of ranking of your league opponents. We took that step in a spreadsheet and came up with an order on easiest to hardest schedule.

The overall average ranking for opponent in the 14-game league is 8.14. So the theory is if your school's number is above that, you have an easier than average schedule. Below that, your team's schedule is harder than average --- assuming the preseason ranking order isn't well out of whack.

Here's the easiest to toughest with a comment or two on what influenced the average.

1) Ohio State: 8.83 (Avoid double plays against all of the top six teams)

1) Minnesota: 8.83 (Gophers get double plays with only two of the top six teams)

3) Michigan State: 8.56 (League favorites only have to play one of top five teams twice)

3) Penn State: 8.56 (Lions only get two of the top eight twice)

5) Indiana: 8.39 (Hoosiers get top two twice but other three double plays are against bottom six teams)

6) Michigan: 8.22 (Wolverines avoid doubles against MSU and Minnesota)

AVERAGE: 8.14

7) Illinois: 8.00 (three top seven teams on the doubles)

7) Nebraska: 8.00 (average schedule)

9) Purdue: 7.89 (Rutgers only break on the doubles)

9) Rutgers: 7.89 (okay number for last place team as Scarlet Knights get doubles against beatables like Nebraska, Ohio State and Illinois)

9) Wisconsin: 7.89 (doubles against three of top five)

12) Maryland: 7.72 (Get both Michigan schools, Purdue and Northwestern twice)

12) Northwestern: 7.72 (four of five doubles are against top half type teams)

14) Iowa: 7.50 (Ohio State only real double play break)



Comments

There's an inherit bias to this measure based on a team's preseason ranking. Lower ranked teams will have tougher schedule numbers and the opposite of the higher ranking numbers. But this does show that potential contenders like Maryland, Northwestern and possibly Purdue have a tougher road ahead than favorites like Minnesota and Michigan State. And potential bubble type teams like Indiana and Michigan won't have a tough schedule holding them back in the conference race and pursuit of an at-large NCAA bid.

Full opponent detail

ILLINOIS

Home: Iowa, Maryland, Penn State, Purdue

Away: Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State

Home/Away: Indiana, Michigan State, Nebraska, Rutgers, Wisconsin

INDIANA

Home: Maryland, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue

Away: Michigan, Nebraska, Rutgers, Wisconsin

Home/Away: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State

IOWA

Home: Michigan State, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin

Away: Illinois, Maryland, Nebraska, Rutgers

Home/Away: Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State

MARYLAND

Home: Iowa, Minnesota, Rutgers, Wisconsin

Away: Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio State

Home/Away: Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue

MICHIGAN

Home: Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Rutgers

Away: Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State, Wisconsin

Home/Away: Iowa, Maryland, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue

MICHIGAN STATE

Home: Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State, Purdue

Away: Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State

Home/Away: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Rutgers, Wisconsin

MINNESOTA

Home: Illinois, Michigan State, Ohio State, Rutgers

Away: Maryland, Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin

Home/Away: Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue

NEBRASKA

Home: Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan

Away: Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue

Home/Away: Illinois, Minnesota, Penn State, Rutgers, Wisconsin



NORTHWESTERN

Home: Illinois, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State

Away: Indiana, Iowa, Purdue, Rutgers

Home/Away: Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Penn State, Wisconsin

OHIO STATE

Home: Illinois, Maryland, Michigan State, Nebraska

Away: Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin

Home/Away: Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Penn State, Rutgers

PENN STATE

Home: Michigan, Minnesota, Rutgers, Wisconsin

Away: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Purdue

Home/Away: Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State

PURDUE

Home: Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State

Away: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State

Home/Away: Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Rutgers, Wisconsin

RUTGERS

Home: Indiana, Iowa, Northwestern, Wisconsin

Away: Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Penn State

Home/Away: Illinois, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Purdue

WISCONSIN

Home: Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State

Away: Iowa, Maryland, Penn State, Rutgers

Home/Away: Illinois, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue