Wisconsin's 2020 Schedule

[MNVCGUY]

All the talk about the Iowa game moving to Friday got me looking at some other Big Ten schedules and a few things about Wisconsin's 2020 schedule caught my eye.

Their first game is at home against an improving Indiana team. First games can be dicey and without doing a deep dive into returning players and what not, I could see Indiana giving them a battle. They follow Indiana with a cupcake but then their schedule gets interesting.

Home vs. Appalachian State (totally would have failed if I got Appalachian in a spelling bee). App State finished #20 in both polls so could be a challenge.

Away at Michigan - Tough to say what they will be next year but they played much better late in the season last year

vs. Notre Dame at Lambeau Field - Assume this will be a prime time showcase game of some kind

Home vs. a talented Minnesota team looking to prove last year was a fluke.

They only leave the state of Wisconsin once in that 6 game stretch but there is potential there for a rough start to the year considering they face one fringe top 25 team in Indiana and 4 that finished in the top 20. After the game with us the degree of difficulty drops a lot leading up an end of the year date with Iowa at Kinnick.

Will be interesting to see how they fare over that 6 game stretch.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

You're not wrong.

But I feel like we're still the kind of team that can't afford to peek at everyone else's schedule.

Wisc could stumble around ... we could fall on our face too.

 

[MNVCGUY]

You're not wrong.

But I feel like we're still the kind of team that can't afford to peek at everyone else's schedule.

Wisc could stumble around ... we could fall on our face too.

History says Wisconsin will find their way through things, and I have never been one to predict their demise like some always want to. Just thought that looked like a sneaky dangerous stretch of games to start the year for them.

Intention wasn't to view this as any sort of prediction for next year just killing time with something I had not noticed prior to today that seemed kind of interesting

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

History says Wisconsin will find their way through things, and I have never been one to predict their demise like some always want to. Just thought that looked like a sneaky dangerous stretch of games to start the year for them.

Intention wasn't to view this as any sort of prediction for next year just killing time with something I had not noticed prior to today that seemed kind of interesting

Agreed

 

[MaxyJR1]

MN schedule is front loaded as well, so the perception of the division race should be much different next year. Likely won't have any national perspective games in November. Still think the division will come down to the final week however.

 

[Sports_Realist]

The Notre Dame-Wisconsin game at Lambeau Field is part of an effective home and home series between the two teams. When they meet in 2021, the Fighting Irish will be the home team, but the game will take place at Soldier Field in Chicago instead of in South Bend. There is no guarantee these games will kickoff in prime, but it's virtually certain that will be the case.

The Badgers had something of a similar series with LSU a few years ago. The 2014 game was an effective home game for LSU, although technically a neutral site match up, at NRG Stadium in Houston. Wisconsin hosted the 2016 rematch at Lambeau Field. Another big series for the Badgers is in 2024 and 2025. Alabama will make the trip to Madison with the Badgers going the following year to Tuscaloosa.

 

[Plato]

When will MN or NE schedule games like that? They are magnets for recruits to appear in the lime lights.

 

[Denver_Gopher]

When will MN or NE schedule games like that? They are magnets for recruits to appear in the lime lights.

If Nebraska did something similar where would they do their home game? Arrowhead and US Bank are the closest, but can't see it in either, especially US Bank

 

[Livingat45north]

Wisconsin plays Alabama in 2024 and 2025.

 

[RememberMurray]

All the talk about the Iowa game moving to Friday got me looking at some other Big Ten schedules and a few things about Wisconsin's 2020 schedule caught my eye.

Their first game is at home against an improving Indiana team. First games can be dicey and without doing a deep dive into returning players and what not, I could see Indiana giving them a battle. They follow Indiana with a cupcake but then their schedule gets interesting.

Home vs. Appalachian State (totally would have failed if I got Appalachian in a spelling bee). App State finished #20 in both polls so could be a challenge.

Away at Michigan - Tough to say what they will be next year but they played much better late in the season last year

vs. Notre Dame at Lambeau Field - Assume this will be a prime time showcase game of some kind

Home vs. a talented Minnesota team looking to prove last year was a fluke.

They only leave the state of Wisconsin once in that 6 game stretch but there is potential there for a rough start to the year considering they face one fringe top 25 team in Indiana and 4 that finished in the top 20. After the game with us the degree of difficulty drops a lot leading up an end of the year date with Iowa at Kinnick.

Will be interesting to see how they fare over that 6 game stretch.

That's a tough schedule, no doubt.

But two of the 4 games against top 20 teams are non-conference (Notre Dame and Appalachian State) so they'll have no bearing on the B1G West title chase.

In conference crossover games, the Badgers play Maryland, Michigan and Indiana.

The Gophers crossovers are Maryland, Michigan and Michigan State.

The two teams have pretty comparable conference schedules. Wisconsin plays Michigan and Iowa at Ann Arbor and Iowa City. Minnesota plays those two teams at TCF, so that's nice for us. But... we play the Sconnies in Madison, unfortunately.

By the way, Iowa's crossover games are @Ohio State, @Penn State and Michigan State at Kinnick.

 

[MplsGopher]

The Notre Dame-Wisconsin game at Lambeau Field is part of an effective home and home series between the two teams. When they meet in 2021, the Fighting Irish will be the home team, but the game will take place at Soldier Field in Chicago instead of in South Bend. There is no guarantee these games will kickoff in prime, but it's virtually certain that will be the case.

The Badgers had something of a similar series with LSU a few years ago. The 2014 game was an effective home game for LSU, although technically a neutral site match up, at NRG Stadium in Houston. Wisconsin hosted the 2016 rematch at Lambeau Field. Another big series for the Badgers is in 2024 and 2025. Alabama will make the trip to Madison with the Badgers going the following year to Tuscaloosa.

If the Gophers were able to do this type of major non-conference home-and-home in NFL stadiums thing with a major P5 program, effectively being our 10th P5 game, with our home game being at US Bank Stadium, I'd be OK with it.

Have to make sure the away game is when we have five Big Ten home games though.

 

[MNVCGUY]

By the way, Iowa's crossover games are @Ohio State, @Penn State and Michigan State at Kinnick.

For Iowa - @Ohio State and @ Penn State back to back is brutal. Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa all have very front loaded schedules in 2020. Nebraska on the other hand has a lighter early schedule but ends with one of the toughest 5 game stretches I have ever seen.

@ Ohio State
vs. Penn State
@ Iowa
@ Wisconsin
vs. Minnesota

There is a very good chance that by the time they get to that game against us to close the year they could be very beat up coming off that brutal stretch of 3 tough road games over a 4 week period. Those 5 teams combined to go 52-10 this year. Nebraska better pile up wins early if they want to get to a bowl game for the first time in 3 years.

 

[NotAFanOfBecky]

MN schedule is front loaded as well, so the perception of the division race should be much different next year. Likely won't have any national perspective games in November. Still think the division will come down to the final week however.

Anyone know why in the heck they moved such a huge rivalry game from the last game? I mean everyone that last week had their rivalry game...iron bowl, apple cup, old oaken bucket and on and on. Why in the heck did this happen?

 

[Spoofin]

Wisconsin is on the downturn.

 

[upnorthkid]

I’d imagine the non con schedule will mean relatively nothing given I don’t expect either team to be contending for a national championship. So while app st and fau might be good, it won’t matter

 

[Go Gophers Rah]

Here are the nonconference games of all seven BT West teams (in order of difficulty). I have highlighted those teams that should be in (or near) the AP Top 25 at the end of the year (i.e. FAU is currently 29, but won in convincing fashion and might come in at #25)

1) Wisconsin: Notre Dame, App State, Southern Ill
2) Purdue: Memphis, Air Force, Boston College
3 tie) Nebraska: Cincinnati, Cent Mich, South Dakota State
3 tie) Gophers: Florida Atlantic, BYU, Tenn Tech
5) Iowa: Iowa State, Northern Ill, Northern Iowa
6) Northwestern: Tulane, Cent Mich, Morgan St.
7) Illinois: UConn, Bowling Green, Ill St.

 

[PMWinSTP]

Here are the nonconference games of all seven BT West teams (in order of difficulty). I have highlighted those teams that should be in (or near) the AP Top 25 at the end of the year (i.e. FAU is currently 29, but won in convincing fashion and might come in at #25)

1) Wisconsin: Notre Dame, App State, Southern Ill
2) Purdue: Memphis, Air Force, Boston College
3 tie) Nebraska: Cincinnati, Cent Mich, South Dakota State
3 tie) Gophers: Florida Atlantic, BYU, Tenn Tech
5) Iowa: Iowa State, Northern Ill, Northern Iowa
6) Northwestern: Tulane, Cent Mich, Morgan St.
7) Illinois: UConn, Bowling Green, Ill St.

Does Nebby even win a non-con game?

 

[BeenHazy]

Try to predict the West standings through the games of October 17 without looking at a schedule, and you're guaranteed to be wrong.

Minnesota - Iowa, @Maryland, @Wisconsin, Michigan
Wisconsin - Indiana, @Michigan, Minnesota
Iowa - @Minnesota, MSU, @OSU, @PSU
Illinois - @Rutgers, @Nebraska, Purdue
Purdue - @Nebraska, Rutgers, @Illinois
Nebraska - Purdue, @NW, Illinois
NW - @MSU, @PSU, Nebraska, Maryland

2019's top three all have three games each against opponents with winning conference records. Meanwhile, the bottom four has one such game among them. Who knows what it will look like when that stretch is completed.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Try to predict the West standings through the games of October 17 without looking at a schedule, and you're guaranteed to be wrong.

Minnesota - Iowa, @Maryland, @Wisconsin, Michigan
Wisconsin - Indiana, @Michigan, Minnesota
Iowa - @Minnesota, MSU, @OSU, @PSU
Illinois - @Rutgers, @Nebraska, Purdue
Purdue - @Nebraska, Rutgers, @Illinois
Nebraska - Purdue, @NW, Illinois
NW - @MSU, @PSU, Nebraska, Maryland

2019's top three all have three games each against opponents with winning conference records. Meanwhile, the bottom four has one such game among them. Who knows what it will look like when that stretch is completed.

Of course the huge unknown at this point is how teams will change from one season to the next. Reasonable assumptions would be that Wisconsin and Iowa will still be good. Northwestern is a good bet to rebound but question will be how far. Illinois started playing better later in the year, and Purdue and Nebraska have highly touted coaches but have both failed to produce. As for us, we know the offense is going to be loaded, with lots of new starters on defense.

Like last year it is going to be tough to predict the West and it could probably go any number of ways. But the one thing I feel confident in saying is that we should be in the mix of the top teams in the division when it is all said and done given the amount of talent we have coming back.

 

[RememberMurray]

Wisconsin is on the downturn.

Ha! Good one.

I will say: if Minnesota beats Wisconsin in 2020, as we did in 2018, we'll definitely hear that we "caught them in a down year."

Seriously, though; the Gophers obviously can't count on our opponents to falter. Seems more than likely that Wisconsin will be Wisconsin — and that means they'll be quite good. Definitely not "on the downturn".

But... it appears Minnesota is on an "upturn". A pretty big "upturn". And that gives me hope.

 

[MplsGopher]

Does Nebby even win a non-con game?

Hope not!

If Nebraska opens the year with four straight losses at Memorial Stadium ... I might piss my pants with glee. And Frost might be fired.

Too much to hope for, I'm afraid.

 

[Spoofin]

Nebby has

Ha! Good one.

I will say: if Minnesota beats Wisconsin in 2020, as we did in 2018, we'll definitely hear that we "caught them in a down year."

Seriously, though; the Gophers obviously can't count on our opponents to falter. Seems more than likely that Wisconsin will be Wisconsin — and that means they'll be quite good. Definitely not "on the downturn".

But... it appears Minnesota is on an "upturn". A pretty big "upturn". And that gives me hope.

OK. I think you missed the point of my post, but you are still fairly new around here.

 

[ajmadison]

Ha! Good one.

I will say: if Minnesota beats Wisconsin in 2020, as we did in 2018, we'll definitely hear that we "caught them in a down year."

Seriously, though; the Gophers obviously can't count on our opponents to falter. Seems more than likely that Wisconsin will be Wisconsin — and that means they'll be quite good. Definitely not "on the downturn".

But... it appears Minnesota is on an "upturn". A pretty big "upturn". And that gives me hope.

Should be a great game, yes, we believe 2018 was an unusual occurrence from a somewhat dysfunctional Badger team however things are back to where they were before that season and NO, I do not think Wisconsin will have an off year next year.

Our underrated QB, Jack Coan returns but will be pushed by Graham Mertz who is itching to play also.

There are a lot of OL waiting their turn, so I would doubt there is a major fall off there, though Biadasz is a loss at center when he leaves early.

RB will be a fall off because Jonathon Taylor is in a class by himself but the cupboard there isn't bare either and we return a lot at TE and WR.

Entire DL returns, we lose two good Backers but there are plenty lined up to take their place.
D'Backfield returns intact.

Should be a great game, Gophers OL should be very good next season and you return your QB, however having it in Madison early on helps.

 

[OldBob53]

I can't recall when Wisconsin has played Notre Dame before, not in the last 80 years or so. Maybe back in leather-helmet days.

 

[WinLoseOrTy]

I can't recall when Wisconsin has played Notre Dame before, not in the last 80 years or so. Maybe back in leather-helmet days.

1964 - Notre Dame won 31-7 in Madison. Irish lead all time series 8-6-2.

If you're curious, Notre Dame also leads Gophers series 4-0-1, with last game being played in 1938.

 

[RememberMurray]

Nebby has

OK. I think you missed the point of my post, but you are still fairly new around here.

Really? Hmmm... I thought the point of your post was to poke a little fun at the people who annually insist that Wisconsin is on the downswing, only to be proved wrong in that prediction.

Are you certain you didn't miss the point of my post?

 

[Spoofin]

Really? Hmmm... I thought the point of your post was to poke a little fun at the people who annually insist that Wisconsin is on the downswing, only to be proved wrong in that prediction.

Are you certain you didn't miss the point of my post?

Not anymore.