The big ten/fourteen is trying to decide between a 9 game and 10 game conference slate, which could mean only half as many non-conference games. Since some of the remaining ones will be TV attraction games, like Michigan-ND, that may mean a lot less "money" games for the MAC. The Big Ten/fourteen have tough choices now. They can use their 2-3 games for playing MAC teams, and get an extra home game (and extra revenue), but at the cost of hurting strength of schedule, just as they want stronger schedules for the new playoff system. Perhaps they will still opt for a MAC foe, but have a preference for a top-of-the-MAC one, so that they don't hurt the SoS.

It's possible that the teams that will be hurt the most will be teams like a Kansas, or a U.Conn, that would be looking for a home-home deal. Using one of their precious OOC slots for such a home-home deal does nothing for the Big Ten. It doesn't help their SoS, and it doesn't give them that 7th home game. Therefore a fringe benefit to the MAC may be a new opportunity to pick up home-home games with lower tier BCS teams.

Exactly - with a ten game conference schedule there will be only 28 opportunities for the conference to create a baseline, and with a few losses, like the Penn State loss to Ohio last year, it will really hurt the whole conference because there won't be as many other games that can offset it.

. Article says after 2016 for everybody in the league, some will stop before.

     The only thing weaker than osu inc.'s non-league schedule from last year is osu inc.'s non-league schedule for this upcoming season. Having said that, however, osu inc. is improving it's non-league schedule in the future to improve its chances of making the title game playoffs. It will be interesting to see how the changes to the big 10 scheduling will affect the teams' non-league scheduling.