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Wisconsin Football: Grading the difficulty of the Badgers’ 2017 schedule

By Trevor Jossart

Oct 1, 2016; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Wilton Speight (3) drops back to pass in the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Michigan Stadium. Michigan won 14-7. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2016; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Wilton Speight (3) drops back to pass in the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Michigan Stadium. Michigan won 14-7. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Saturday, November 25: at Minnesota Golden Gophers

Difficulty: 9

Before we get into this, let’s guess what you are thinking. How can a team whom the Badgers have defeated 13 straight times be the toughest game on the schedule this upcoming season?

For about half (maybe more) of the games a part of the Badgers’ 13-game winning streak against the Gophers, the Minnesota program was a bottom-of-the-league team. In recent years, the Gophers have been a contending squad and have had a couple showdowns with the Badgers with division title implications on the line.

Nov 26, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; The Wisconsin Badgers celebrate with the Paul Bunyan Football Trophy following the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; The Wisconsin Badgers celebrate with the Paul Bunyan Football Trophy following the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

Minnesota has finished over the .500 mark in three out of the last four seasons and has slowly made a name for themselves in the Big Ten. ESPN’s Kirk Hebrstreit even had the Gophers winning the West last season. Even if they aren’t getting the hardware or winning the games, they are now able to compete with the high-level teams in the conference.

So, what makes this game so difficult? It is a rather safe assumption to say that Minnesota is hungrier than ever to break this losing streak vs. Wisconsin, and what better way to do it with first-year head coach P.J. Fleck, who the Badgers just beat in the Cotton Bowl, at home in the regular season finale.

This game could potentially be for a trip to go to the Big Ten championship. A road game with a lot at stake, against your biggest rival- it does not get much more difficult than that.

Wisconsin and Minnesota each have 59 wins in their all-time series, which runs as the oldest rivalry in college football, having met 126 times (Eight ties).