Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti has pounded the strength-of-schedule drum throughout the summer, much like his SEC counterpart, Greg Sankey. When it comes to college football's toughest slates, the Big Ten's nine-game league format -- along with a 10th contest against a Power Four opponent -- should result in additional automatic bids in future playoff expansion.

Iowa makes a Week 2 road trip to Ames to take on the rival Iowa State Cyclones in a game that is an early-season test for both programs. It also happens to be the game that CBS Sports predicts will be the Hawkeyes' first loss of the 2025 season.

With last year's expansion and the last two national champions coming out of the conference, there are no Saturdays off in the Big Ten — or at least that's the argument the B1G has been making in its arms race with the SEC.