Purdue tasked with hardest schedule among Big Ten teams this year

Tommy Spaletto

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Purdue tasked with hardest schedule among Big Ten teams this year image

It’ll undoubtedly be a challenge for second-year head coach Ryan Walters to rebound from a 4-8 season in his first year. ESPN FPI ranks the Boilermakers’ schedule as the 11th hardest among FBS teams this year, and for good reason.

After a week one game against Indiana State, Purdue will host in-state rival Notre Dame at Ross-Ade Stadium before traveling to Corvallis to take on Oregon State in Week 3. This two-week stretch will give us a great indicator of how travel will impact these Big Ten teams.

In Big Ten play, the Boilermakers open up against Nebraska, followed by consecutive road trips to Wisconsin and Illinois. It also marks Walters’ first time back in Champaign, as he was previously a defensive coordinator for the Fighting Illini.

And then, the gauntlet. Purdue faces Oregon, Penn State, Ohio State, and Michigan State in the span of five games. Luckily, two of those games will be at home, with Penn State and Oregon traveling to West Lafayette, a trap for highly-ranked teams in the past. The Boilermakers will finish their season against archrival Indiana in Bloomington.

Purdue’s roster has some intriguing pieces to it. Defensive back Dillon Theineman returns for his sophomore season after winning multiple conference and national honors. It will also be interesting to see what senior quarterback Hudson Card looks like after losing his favorite wideout Deion Burks.

This schedule is ranked the hardest among Big Ten teams this year. UCLA, Washington, and Illinois are other conference teams that ESPN FPI ranked inside the top 15 for toughest schedules this season.

Tommy Spaletto

Tommy Spaletto Photo

Tommy Spaletto is a recent graduate of Indiana University with a degree in Media and a concentration in Sports Media.  In his time at Indiana University, he wrote columns, features, and game reports for The Hoosier Network covering football, men’s/women’s basketball, and women’s soccer. As a college basketball fanatic, he is patiently waiting for the Hoosiers to return to glory. Tommy currently serves as a contributing writer covering Big Ten football news, rumors, and developing stories.