The Wisconsin Badgers and their fans would love to forget 2018, though the 2019 team’s 8-2 record has represented a concrete attempt to move past that difficult season. Yet, as the Badgers prepare for their home finale this upcoming weekend, their opponent has made it hard to forget the 2018 season. You see, the Purdue Boilermakers have followed a path Wisconsin fans know well, based largely on the 2018 season. In a very real way, 2018 Wisconsin can strongly relate to 2019 Purdue.
One part of the 2018 season which was hard to forget for Wisconsin fans — like it or not — was the tidal wave of injuries which swamped the team during the season. In early October, the Badgers were already dealing with injuries to, among many others, Travian Blaylock, Deron Harrell, Caeser Williams, Faion Hicks, and D’Cota Dixon. They had to go far deeper into their depth chart than any team or coaching staff can reasonably expect in a given season. That was one piece of a frustrating and uneven football season — not the only one, but a core component which explained why Wisconsin fell off the pace in the Big Ten.
One fundamental challenge for the Badgers this season was to take all of the snaps played by younger players in 2018 and translate those added reps into a stronger, more complete defense. That challenge was met in the first half of this season, and it helps explain why Wisconsin has bounced back to a degree in 2019. UW’s opponent this Saturday hopes this same dynamic will pay off next year.
Purdue’s injuries to centerpiece players on offense have been devastating. The Boilermakers have beaten Nebraska and Northwestern in spite of these injuries, but they won’t make a bowl game as a direct result of attrition and the erosion of their roster. Quarterback Elijah Sindelar was knocked out early in the season. Purdue likely would have been able to beat Illinois with Sindelar, and it would have a very good chance of beating Indiana with him as well. More than that, Purdue lost star receiver Rondale Moore. Backup quarterbacks and receivers have had to play a lot. The short-term pain has been considerable, but the Boilermakers hope it will become a blessing when the 2020 season starts.
The 2018 Wisconsin Badgers and the 2019 Purdue Boilermakers are staring at each other across the sands of time. These two schools will meet on Saturday, knowing where the other one stands. Paul Chryst can tell Jeff Brohm before Saturday’s game, “Hey, man. I know what you’re going through. Good luck next year… well, except against us!”