Can Purdue handle success?

It's a question that looms as the Boilermakers come off a momentous 24-7 win at No. 2 Iowa and prepare to play host to Wisconsin (3-3 overall; 1-2 Big Ten).

The victory in Iowa City was Purdue's first road win over a top-five team since 1974. The last time the Boilermakers knocked off a No. 2 team--2018 vs. Ohio State in Ross-Ade Stadium--they subsequently lost 23-13 to an unranked Michigan State team led by a backup quarterback in Spartan Stadium.

"Well, you bring up what has happened in the past, and some of our guys that are on our team now were on the team then, and you realize that you've got to continue to grind, and you've got to wipe that feeling away after 24 hours and get back to work. In all reality, in my opinion, that's some of it," said Jeff Brohm of handling the success of a big victory.

"The other part of it is, you know what, we're going to play good teams every week from here on out. Going on the road to Michigan State isn't an easy place to go to win. Playing at home is better, but playing Wisconsin, who we haven't beat in a long time, we have a tall task."

Even more "success" came Purdue's way on Sunday when it found out it had cracked the AP poll at No. 25. It is Purdue's (4-2 overall; 2-1 Big Ten) first ranking since 2007. But, Brohm knows his team still has a lot to prove with the Badgers rolling into town.

"Well, as you guys know, that's great for our program and great for our fans," said Brohm of Purdue's ranking. ...

"There's plenty of challenges ahead because we know we have a great schedule, and for us, it's really just Wisconsin right now."

No doubt, Wisconsin has been a big challenge. Purdue has lost 14 in a row to the Badgers. The last Boilermaker victory vs. Wisconsin was in 2003 in Madison. Purdue hasn’t beaten the Badgers in West Lafayette since 1997, Joe Tiller’s first season.

Purdue's losing skid to Wisconsin is the second-longest active streak between schools in the Big Ten, surpassed by Indiana's 25 losses in a row to Ohio State which dates to 1988. In the modern era, the Boilermakers never have had a longer losing streak to an opponent (see chart).

Brohm has played Wisconsin well in his three meetings—last year’s was cancelled due to COVID. In fact, the last time the Badgers visited Purdue in 2018, they escaped with a 47-44 3 OT win. Brohm has lost in Madison in 2017 (17-9) and 2019 (45-24).

"This is a team that we haven't beaten in a while, and deservedly so," said Brohm. "They deserve all the credit. They're a very good football team and well-coached and have been good for a long time, and we'll have our hands full.

"Those things, where you're ranked, really don't matter for us until the end of the season. It's about trying to gain a victory and beat a really good team."

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Purdue came out of the Iowa game in relatively good health. Could the offense see No. 1 running back Zander Horvath return? He has missed the last four games after suffering a broken left fibula at UConn on Sept. 11.

"Zander, I'm not optimistic," said Brohm. "We'll continue to work through that for this week. Garrett (Miller) did get nicked up. He's going through some tests today. We'll see how that goes. Payne Durham was a little nicked up. We're optimistic he'll be back. Jack Sullivan got a little nicked up but came back in the game, and then DaMarcus Mitchell, I think he played one play, wasn't able to play, so hopefully we'll try to get him back this week."

Plenty of opportunity looms for the Boilermakers in the back-half of the schedule. Purdue sits atop the Big Ten West standings with Iowa and Minnesota. But first, it must take care of the Badgers.

"We have a lot of work to do this week, and we're looking forward to figuring out ways to get better and trying to come up with a win on Saturday," said Brohm.

"We understand that it's a tough challenge for us, and we're facing a really good football team that we have to find a way to beat."

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