Crummy games dominate college football's September again this year, with Big Ten no exception

The 9-game Big Ten football season, which is on the horizon, can't get here soon enough.

Wednesday was Rhabdo Roundup in Iowa City, and deservedly so. But this is Thursday, and I actually started leafing through Iowa's spring football media guide. Nothing too exciting, but then I made the mistake of looking at the Big Ten composite schedule.

Iowa's home games against I-AA (FCS) Tennessee Tech and I-A (FBS) Louisiana-Monroe are two examples of Woody Allen once said. Namely, 80 percent of success is showing up. If you're the Hawkeyes doing the showing up those two days, that is.

But closer review showed Iowa was one of just two Big Ten teams to play two of its four nonconference games against either Notre Dame or teams from BCS conferences. That's unfortunate.

Here are the Big Ten-vs.-BCS games in 2011. It won't take you that long to scan the list.

Illinois: Arizona State

Indiana: None

Iowa: at Iowa State, Pittsburgh

Michigan: Notre Dame

Michigan State: at Notre Dame

Minnesota: at USC

Nebraska: Washington

Northwestern: at Boston College

Ohio State: at Miami, Colorado

Penn State: Alabama

Purdue: Notre Dame

Wisconsin: Oregon State

Other games I give Big Ten teams credit for scheduling: None, really. I mean, I guess Purdue at Rice,  Northwestern at Army, Penn State at Temple, Nebraska at Wyoming, Indiana at North Texas, and Wisconsin vs. Northern Illinois in Chicago take Big Ten teams out of their comfort zones somewhat, but ... meh.

What clutters September yet again are a big batch of mismatches, uninteresting automatic wins for the home teams unless they play dreadfully. Here are my Bottom 10, in no particular order:

1. Tennessee Tech at Iowa (The Golden Eagles played two FBS teams last year, Arkansas and TCU. Combined score: Big boys 106, TTU 10. Later in the year, Murray State beat Tech, 44-13.)

2. Indiana State at Penn State

3. Chattanooga at Nebraska

4. South Dakota at Illinois

5. South Dakota at Wisconsin

6. South Carolina State at Indiana

7. SE Missouri State at Purdue

8. Youngstown State at Michigan State

9. Louisiana-Monroe at Iowa (Yes, I know ULM beat Alabama in 2007, before Nick Saban showed up to rebuild the 'Bama beast. But the Warhawks - Warhawks? - were 5-7 last year and lost to Arkansas, Auburn and LSU by a combined score of 134-10.)

10. The combination of both Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan having games at Michigan. One courtesy game per year to a smaller state school is nice. Two is excessive.

That list doesn't include such stalwart Big Ten foes as Akron, Arkansas State, New Mexico State, Florida Atlantic and Eastern Illinois.

Notes: Illinois and Michigan are playing all four of their nonconference games at home.  ... Indiana has the weirdest road schedule for a Big Ten team that I can remember with a game at North Texas, and a game in Indianapolis against Ball State. ... The league's divisions are still called Legends and Leaders.