A schedule can make or break a season. Ask any coach.
Purdue's 2022 slate is filled with challenges and opportunities. This series is a breakdown of what's ahead for the Boilermakers this fall.
• Toughest non-conference game: Sept. 17 at Syracuse
• Toughest conference game
• Who they don't play
• Easiest game
• Toughest stretch
• Best chance to be upset
• Best chance to pull an upset
We've already looked at Purdue's toughest non-conference game. Next up: Toughest conference game.
At Wisconsin, Oct. 22
The logic: No opponent has ever tormented Purdue more. Not Ohio State, Michigan or Notre Dame. And if the Boilermakers are going to enjoy a breakthrough and push for the Big Ten West title, they likely will need to win in Madison. The last time Purdue won in Camp Randall? It was 2003, when Joe Tiller beat Barry Alvarez. That also is the Boilermakers' last win ever vs. the Badgers.
The history: It's ugly. The Boilermakers' current 15-game losing streak is the longest they ever have endured vs. an opponent. (The 2020 meeting didn't occur due to COVID.) But Jeff Brohm has come oh-so-close to beating Wisconsin. Purdue lost in triple OT in 2018 in Ross-Ade Stadium. It was 17-9 in 2017 in Madison. The current 15-game skid began in 2004 in Ross-Ade Stadium in one of the most painful losses in program history in a contest known as the "Orton Fumble Game."
The low down: Is Wisconsin slipping under Paul Chryst? The Badgers won the West three of the first four years of the East-West alignment. In the four years since, Wisconsin has won the division just once: 2019. Perhaps the Badgers are vulnerable.
The bottom line: When Purdue shows up in Madison, it may be sporting a good record (6-1? 5-2?) and national ranking, making it potentially a huge game in shaping the West race. The Boilermakers have an off week following the trip to Wisconsin, a chance to reset for what could be a memorable and meaningful November.
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