Wisconsin
Ranking the five toughest games on Wisconsin’s 2023 schedule
Oct 22, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; The Wisconsin Badgers line up for a play during the first quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Wisconsin has not lost to Purdue since 2003. So this game being ranked No. 5 should show enough about how the Badgers’ schedule lines up.
The Boilermakers enter 2023 with a new head coach in Ryan Walters after Jeff Brohm left for the Louisville opening. Walters was the former defensive coordinator under Bret Bielema at Illinois and brings an impressive defensive pedigree to the table.
With Brohm’s highly-successful offense now gone, along with QB Aidan O’Connell and top WR Charlie Jones, what does the new version of Purdue look like?
It’s an interesting question with the program bringing in former Texas QB Hudson Card from the portal this offseason.
This game ranks No. 5 on this list because, in all honesty, the rest of Wisconsin’s schedule is a cupcake-fest.
Purdue is currently ranked by ESPN SP+ as the No. 48 team in the nation with the No. 45 offense and No. 52 defense. The challenge here likely rests on traveling to West Lafayette, Indiana to play the game. Aside from that, this Boilermaker team likely won’t be the caliber of last year’s Big Ten West-winning group.