Buckeyes to get early bye in 2016 Big Ten season

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio State will get a break almost in the middle of the Big Ten season in 2015, but will only have one conference game under its belt when its bye week rolls around in 2016.

The Big Ten released conference schedules for those two seasons on Monday.

Purdue is the Buckeyes' first opponent each year, on the road on Oct. 3, 2015, and at Ohio Stadium in the conference opener on Oct. 1, 2016.

In 2015, the Ohio State schedule is: at Purdue, Penn State, Michigan State, bye, at Minnesota, Wisconsin, at Illinois, Indiana and at Michigan. The Buckeyes open with non-conference games at home against North Carolina on Sept. 5 and Northern Illinois before traveling to Virginia Tech on Sept. 19.

The following year it is: Purdue, bye, at Michigan State, Illinois, at Penn State, Minnesota, at Wisconsin, at Indiana and Michigan. The earlier non-league games include Bowling Green at home on Sept. 3 and at Oklahoma on Sept. 17, with one more date yet to be filled.

Due to the Big Ten's rotating schedule, some teams don't play another for years while the schedulemakers try to preserve longstanding rivalries. For example, Ohio State plays its final regular-season game each year against Michigan, alternating between home sites, but does not play new conference member Nebraska from 2013 through the 2016 (unless they play in the conference title game). That is also true for Michigan State and Wisconsin, over the same span.

Ohio State also does not play Iowa or Northwestern in those two seasons.

Both of Ohio State's bye weeks in the schedules released give them an extra week of preparation for road games. In 2015, the Buckeyes go to Minnesota and the following year to Michigan State after their respite.

Over the two seasons in question, Ohio State plays back-to-back Big Ten road games just once. It goes to Wisconsin and to Indiana late in the 2016 season.

The Big Ten championship game, played for the first time last season, will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis through 2015.