Conference record book

Big Ten Conference Top 25 Games of the 2020s

The best games involving a Big Ten member at the time of kickoff, ranked without favoring either side.

Games: 25
Top score: 83/100
Overtime: 3

National ranking

The conference's top 25

25 of these games include at least one AP-ranked team at kickoff. Open a supported game for its box score and statistics.

2023CFP Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game Pres. by PrudentialNeutral site1OT
Alabama vs. Michigan
Alabama 20, Michigan 27
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 1 Michigan · 7-point margin
Ranking 46/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 9/15
83
Game score
Highlight · 2023 Michigan vs. Alabama (Bowl Full Game)
2025Week 52OT
Oregon at Penn State
Oregon 30, Penn State 24
Conference game
No. 6 Oregon vs. No. 3 Penn State · 6-point margin
Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 11/15
83
Game score
Full Game · 2025 Penn State vs. Oregon (Regular Season Full Game)
2025Week 15Neutral site
Indiana vs. Ohio State
Indiana 13, Ohio State 10
Nonconference · Neutral site
No. 2 Indiana vs. No. 1 Ohio State · 3-point margin
Ranking 49/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
81
Game score
Full Game · 2025 Ohio State vs. Indiana (Regular Season Full Game)
2024Week 7
Ohio State at Oregon
Ohio State 31, Oregon 32
Conference game
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Oregon · 1-point margin
Ranking 47/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
81
Game score
Highlight · 2024 Oregon vs. Ohio State (Regular Season Full Game)
2022CFP Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach BowlNeutral site
Ohio State vs. Georgia
Ohio State 41, Georgia 42
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Georgia · 1-point margin
Ranking 47/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
81
Game score
Highlight · 2022 Georgia vs. Ohio State (Bowl Full Game)
2021Week 6
Penn State at Iowa
Penn State 20, Iowa 23
Conference game
No. 4 Penn State vs. No. 3 Iowa · 3-point margin
Ranking 45/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
77
Game score
Highlight · 2021 Iowa vs. Penn State (Regular Season Full Game)
2023Week 13
Ohio State at Michigan
Ohio State 24, Michigan 30
Conference game
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Michigan · 6-point margin
Ranking 47/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 0/15
76
Game score
Highlight · 2023 Michigan vs. Ohio State (Regular Season Full Game)
2022CFP Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta BowlNeutral site
TCU vs. Michigan
TCU 51, Michigan 45
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 3 TCU vs. No. 2 Michigan · 6-point margin
Ranking 47/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 0/15
76
Game score
Highlight · 2022 Michigan vs. TCU (Bowl Full Game)
2024College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange BowlNeutral site
Notre Dame vs. Penn State
Notre Dame 27, Penn State 24
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 5 Penn State · 3-point margin
Ranking 44/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
76
Game score
Highlight · 2024 Penn State vs. Notre Dame (CFP Semifinal Full Game)
2024Week 15Neutral site
Penn State vs. Oregon
Penn State 37, Oregon 45
Conference game · Neutral site
No. 3 Penn State vs. No. 1 Oregon · 8-point margin
Ranking 48/50 · Closeness 27/35 · Overtime 0/15
75
Game score
Full Game · 2024 Oregon vs. Penn State (Regular Season Full Game)
2024Week 10
Ohio State at Penn State
Ohio State 20, Penn State 13
Conference game
No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Penn State · 7-point margin
Ranking 45/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
73
Game score
Highlight · 2024 Penn State vs. Ohio State (Regular Season Full Game)
2025College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&TNeutral site
Miami vs. Indiana
Miami 21, Indiana 27
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 10 Miami vs. No. 1 Indiana · 6-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 0/15
70
Game score
Highlight · 2025 Indiana vs. Miami (National Championship Full Game)
2023Week 8
Penn State at Ohio State
Penn State 12, Ohio State 20
Conference game
No. 7 Penn State vs. No. 3 Ohio State · 8-point margin
Ranking 42/50 · Closeness 27/35 · Overtime 0/15
69
Game score
Highlight · 2023 Ohio State vs. Penn State (Regular Season Full Game)
2021Week 9
Michigan at Michigan State
Michigan 33, Michigan State 37
Conference game
No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 8 Michigan State · 4-point margin
Ranking 38/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
69
Game score
Highlight · 2021 Michigan State vs. Michigan (Regular Season Full Game)
2023Week 4
Ohio State at Notre Dame
Ohio State 17, Notre Dame 14
Nonconference
No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Notre Dame · 3-point margin
Ranking 37/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
69
Game score
Full Game · 2023 Notre Dame vs. Ohio State (Regular Season Full Game)
2020Week 12
Indiana at Ohio State
Indiana 35, Ohio State 42
Conference game
No. 9 Indiana vs. No. 3 Ohio State · 7-point margin
Ranking 40/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
68
Game score
Full Game · 2020 Ohio State vs. Indiana (Regular Season Full Game)
2024College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&TNeutral site
Ohio State vs. Notre Dame
Ohio State 34, Notre Dame 23
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Notre Dame · 11-point margin
Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 24/35 · Overtime 0/15
67
Game score
Highlight · 2024 Notre Dame vs. Ohio State (National Championship Full Game)
2025Week 7
Indiana at Oregon
Indiana 30, Oregon 20
Conference game
No. 7 Indiana vs. No. 3 Oregon · 10-point margin
Ranking 42/50 · Closeness 25/35 · Overtime 0/15
67
Game score
Highlight · 2025 Oregon vs. Indiana (Regular Season Full Game)
2023Week 11
Michigan at Penn State
Michigan 24, Penn State 15
Conference game
No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 9 Penn State · 9-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 26/35 · Overtime 0/15
67
Game score
Highlight · 2023 Penn State vs. Michigan (Regular Season Full Game)
2021Rose Bowl Game Pres. by Capital One Venture XNeutral site
Utah vs. Ohio State
Utah 45, Ohio State 48
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 10 Utah vs. No. 7 Ohio State · 3-point margin
Ranking 35/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
67
Game score
Highlight · 2021 Ohio State vs. Utah (Bowl Full Game)
2021Week 89OT
Illinois at Penn State
Illinois 20, Penn State 18
Conference game
Unranked Illinois vs. No. 7 Penn State · 2-point margin
Ranking 19/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 15/15
67
Game score
2024College Football Playoff First Round Game Presented by Allstate
Indiana at Notre Dame
Indiana 17, Notre Dame 27
Postseason
No. 9 Indiana vs. No. 3 Notre Dame · 10-point margin
Ranking 40/50 · Closeness 25/35 · Overtime 0/15
65
Game score
Highlight · 2024 Notre Dame vs. Indiana (CFP First Round Full Game)
2021Week 2
Oregon at Ohio State
Oregon 35, Ohio State 28
Nonconference
No. 12 Oregon vs. No. 3 Ohio State · 7-point margin
Ranking 37/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
65
Game score
2021Week 13
Ohio State at Michigan
Ohio State 27, Michigan 42
Conference game
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Michigan · 15-point margin
Ranking 44/50 · Closeness 20/35 · Overtime 0/15
64
Game score
Highlight · 2021 Michigan vs. Ohio State (Regular Season Full Game)
2025College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl ClassicNeutral site
Miami vs. Ohio State
Miami 24, Ohio State 14
Postseason · Neutral site
No. 10 Miami vs. No. 3 Ohio State · 10-point margin
Ranking 39/50 · Closeness 25/35 · Overtime 0/15
64
Game score
Highlight · 2025 Ohio State vs. Miami (CFP Quarterfinal Full Game)

Methodology

How each game earns up to 100 points

AP ranking, 50 points: each team earns 26 minus its game-time AP rank. Unranked teams receive zero.

Closeness, 35 points: the final margin is subtracted from 35, with margins of 35 or more receiving zero.

Overtime, 15 points: overtime starts at nine points and rises by two per additional period, capped at 15.

Conference inclusion comes from each team's conference ID stored on the game row, so later realignment never rewrites history. Regular-season AP ranks come from the game's week; postseason ranks use the final regular-season poll before bowl and playoff results.