USA Today reporter Paul Myerberg ranked the 10 most difficult schedules in college football Tuesday, with one Big Ten program topping the list — Luke Fickell’s Wisconsin Badgers.
The Badgers are slated to spend half of their season battling opponents ranked in the AP Preseason Poll. Myerberg highlighted away matchups against No. 8 Alabama (Week 3) and No. 14 Michigan (Week 5), and a home game against No. 3 Ohio State (Week 7) as Wisconsin’s three toughest games.
“After getting started with Miami (Ohio) and Middle Tennessee, the Badgers cap non-conference play with a trip to Tuscaloosa before taking on an absolutely brutal run in the Big Ten,” Myerberg wrote. “In addition to the Wolverines and Buckeyes, Wisconsin takes on Maryland, Iowa, Washington and No. 12 Illinois at home, and No. 7 Oregon, No. 19 Indiana and Minnesota on the road. Luke Fickell’s program has to show progress in his third season; this schedule won’t help the Badgers turn the corner in the standings.”
Analysts haven’t exactly been kind to Fickell this offseason. On3’s Ari Wasserman ranked him 10th among college football head coaches facing the most pressure this year and Fickell received 11 hot seat votes in Cleveland.com’s Big Ten Preseason Rankings.
Entering his third full season in Madison, Fickell is embracing the difficult road ahead despite all the opinions.
“We understand what being part of the Big Ten, what being part of this conference, [is] and in order to be at the top and be at the best, you've got to compete and you've got to beat the best,” Fickell said last month at Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas. “It gives us a challenge and an incredible opportunity in front of us as well.”
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