Wisconsin is readying to take back the Big Ten West title in 2022, but will their schedule allow them to do so?
The Badger calendar is a mixed bag next season. You draw Ohio State out of the Big Ten East, but the three non-conference matchups aren’t expected to give Wisconsin serious trouble. Last season, the Buckeyes were nowhere to be found on the schedule, but Notre Dame handed the Badgers a non-conference loss at Soldier Field.
In 2022, the Badgers can ease into things in a different way. 2021 brought the challenge of opening the year with a premier Big Ten opponent in Penn State. Neither offense looked sharp in a close, sloppy game that Wisconsin ultimately dropped. This time around, the Badgers will see Illinois State in the comfort of Camp Randall to begin the campaign.
While a road matchup at Ohio State is clearly the toughest battle on the schedule, where do Wisconsin’s other opponents line up? Here is a look at our BadgersWire rankings of the Badgers’ 2022 games, going from easiest to hardest: