Sure, every Big Ten fanbase wants to see their team start the new season off by getting several comfortable wins under its belt, and may even prefer each contest to end by as wide a winning margin as possible.

But let's be honest, nothing gets the blood pumping more than a matchup with an opponent that you know will not simply roll over; a game in which a victorious result may be in doubt even before kickoff.

We've polled every Rivals.com site in the Big Ten to get their thoughts on which upcoming game in the 2021 season could give their team the most trouble during the new year, as we continue our multi-part offseason update series across the conference.

Given Ohio State’s quarter-century-long win streak over the Hoosiers, this answer may seem blasphemous, but the Hoosier pass attack gave the Buckeyes more issues than any team other than Alabama last season, and who’s to say that won’t happen again this year?

Ty Fryfogle is back at wide receiver for the Hoosiers, and if Michael Penix Jr. stays healthy at quarterback, last year’s recipe for success remains more-than viable against the Buckeyes until they prove otherwise.

With the game seeming to widen between the Buckeyes and regular Big Ten East foes like Michigan and Penn State, Indiana may just be the stiffest task on Ohio State’s regular season schedule.

– BuckeyeGrove team writer Griffin Strom

Indiana has dates at Penn State, at Michigan and at Maryland on the schedule, but the toughest game on the schedule has to be the season opener at Iowa for many reasons.

First, many Indiana fans blame Iowa’s athletic director Gary Barta for keeping the Hoosiers out of a New Year Six Bowl game and head coach Tom Allen said there would be a time and a place to sound off his feelings about it. That has to be ignored.

Second, it is a game on the road against a team that many expect to win the Big Ten West and contend for a Big Ten championship.

Third, it is the season opener and Indiana has got to get off on the right foot, as a game against Cincinnati waits two weeks later. Yes, it is one game, but for Indiana, it can be the game that gives the Hoosiers momentum or puts them behind the eight ball for the rest of the season.

If there was a 1b on most difficult game, as odd as it sounds it will be the road contest at Western Kentucky. It is a night game in Bowling Green, but more important, it comes a week before the Hoosiers travel to Penn State. The Hilltoppers are a decent football team that cannot be overlooked, especially on their home field.

– TheHoosier staff writer Paul Gable

If there is a season any year in the immediate future in which “Ohio State” isn’t the default and obvious answer to this question, I’d be surprised.

So to that end, the Buckeyes’ dominance in the league continues to make them the obvious pick for next season’s most difficult game. That it’s in Columbus, in what will surely be a packed house, makes the task that much more difficult for Penn State.

– BlueWhiteIllustrated senior editor Nate Bauer

Ohio State. The Buckeyes are loaded with talent all over the field. They have size, speed, elite talent at the skill positions and depth in the trenches. Plus the Terps have to travel to the Horseshoe this year.

– TerrapinSportsReport publisher Scott Greene

Just about the same as any other year, expect the game against Ohio State to be the toughest one of the season for the Scarlet Knights.

Yes the program has been doing a great job recruiting and adding talent via the portal, but there is still a major talent gap between the two thus causing the Buckeyes to always have a near guaranteed win.

However with Rutgers recruiting with the best of the best recently, that gap is starting to close ever so slightly.

– TheKnightReport publisher Richard Schnyderite

Ohio State. Coming off a College Football Playoff appearance, the Buckeyes lose significant production — especially at quarterback and on defense — but are set to reload and be a top-10 club once again.

'The Game' Nov. 27 in Ann Arbor is one fans wait all year long for, so the excitement is there too.

– TheWolverine staff writer Clayton Sayfie

Michigan State has some tough games on the schedule this season beginning with a road game against a Northwestern team that has lost two games in a row to the Spartans and will be looking for revenge.

The toughest game of the year, however, is probably going to be Michigan State’s Nov. 20 game at Ohio State. The Buckeyes are the class of the Big Ten until proven otherwise and playing in Columbus is never easy.

– SpartanMag associate editor Paul Konyndyk

At Michigan on Oct. 23. Northwestern is 2-6 in Ann Arbor since 1995. That doesn’t sound too bad until you consider that the Wildcats lost 15 in a row at the Big House between their wins in 1959 and 1995.

Michigan hasn’t been “Michigan” in quite some time, but beating a ranked Wolverines team on the road will be a big ask for this Northwestern team.

– WildcatReport publisher/managing editor Louie Vaccher

Normally the answer would be a conference game and probably the trip to Madison would jump out since that’s the path to a Big Ten West title.

However, this year Iowa and Iowa State will be nationally ranked when the Hawkeyes travel to Ames. ISU head coach Matt Campbell gets plenty of national love, but he’s 0-5 against Kirk Ferentz, so this will be a huge contest.

– HawkeyeReport publisher Tom Kakert

I think right now it could be Notre Dame.

Opening up the season at home against Penn State will be a challenge, especially in the first game of 2021, but facing Brian Kelly’s program will be intriguing to say the least.

The biggest storyline could be Fighting Irish quarterback Jack Coan taking on his former teammates (if he wins that program’s positional battle). That, and the Badgers are taking on a team that made it to the College Football Playoff just a year ago.

If Wisconsin pulls off the win in this non-conference matchup, it would go a long way to help any hopes of College Football Playoff talk. Michigan and Penn State both I would say are currently the toughest conference games on the schedule for Paul Chryst’s program.

– BadgerBlitz senior writer Jake Kocorowski

Ohio State because, well, they are Ohio State.

They may have the best wide receiver room in the country versus a team that struggles against the pass in the first game of the season. That could be a long game for the Gophers.

Wisconsin in the last game of the season has always been an Achilles heel for the Gophers as that game can have West division implications. Minnesota did beat Wisconsin a few years ago in Camp Randall, however lost the past two seasons. The Gophers still must show they can get over the hump and beat Wisconsin consistently with pressure on the line.

– TheGopherReport staff member Alex Carlson

Take your pick between a Sept. 18 date at Notre Dame and a Nov. 13 game at Ohio State. Purdue hasn’t won in South Bend since 2004 or in Columbus since 1988.

– GoldandBlack associate editor Tom Dienhart

Where do you go on this one? Nebraska plays at Oklahoma and at Wisconsin and they have Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa and Northwestern in Lincoln.

Today on paper, I would say the OU game in Norman will be their most difficult. The Sooners return just about everybody from a team that boat raced a very good Florida squad in the Sugar Bowl.

– HuskerOnline publisher Sean Callahan

A tough conference road game on October 23 at Penn State is probably the most challenging on the schedule.

The Illini also host Wisconsin two weeks prior to making the trip to Happy Valley. The preseason prognosticators like Wisconsin a bit better than Penn State, but playing in Beaver Stadium is always tough for Illinois.

The Nittany Lions are 19-5 all-time against Illinois, including a 9-1 mark at home. WR Jahan Dotson had a huge game against Illinois in a 56-21 romp of the Illini in December.

– OrangeandBlueNews publisher Doug Bucshon