Ranking Purdue Football's 2026 Opponents From Easiest to Toughest
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Barry Odom faced a grueling schedule in his first season at Purdue. The Boilermakers' 2026 slate isn't quite as grueling this year, but it will still present plenty of challenges.
Purdue will play 11 power conference opponents, seven of which won at least eight games last year. The Boilers miss Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan and USC, but will have games against national champion Indiana and a Notre Dame squad that went 10-2 last year.
What are the most winnable games on Purdue's schedule? Which teams will be the most difficult to defeat? Here's the rundown from easiest to toughest opponents.
12. Indiana State Sycamores (Sept. 4)
The Boilermakers open the 2026 campaign with their easiest opponent on the schedule. Not only does Indiana State compete at the FCS level, but it's also coming off a 3-9 season in 2025 and finished just 1-7 in conference play. Purdue should have no trouble getting off to a 1-0 start this season, before playing Power Four opponents the rest of the way.
11. Maryland Terrapins (Nov. 7)
If not for Purdue's struggles over the last two seasons, Maryland would be the worst team in the Big Ten. The Terrapins have won just two Big Ten games over the past two years and have posted a pair of 4-8 seasons. Head coach Mike Locksley has yet to produce a winning season when Taulia Tagovailoa wasn't the starting quarterback and there isn't much reason to believe things will be different for the Terrapins this year.
10. at UCLA Bruins (Sept. 19)
UCLA is a tough team to judge because of the coaching change following the 2025 season. Bob Chesney went 21-6 in his two seasons at James Madison and is dedicated to changing the culture in Los Angeles. But how quickly can he find success with the Bruins? UCLA assembled a top-25 transfer portal class after the coaching change, so it could see quite a bit better than it was the previous two seasons. Plus, Nico Iamaleava has the potential for a breakout season in the right offense. Still, this is one of the milder games on Purdue's schedule.
9. Wisconsin Badgers (Nov. 21)
There's no question that Luke Fickell has fallen well short of expectations since taking over at Wisconsin in 2023. The Badgers have taken a step back in each of Fickell's first three years, finishing with a 4-8 record last fall. It has put Fickell on the hot seat entering 2026. There is plenty of hype surrounding new quarterback Colton Joseph, a transfer from Old Dominion and the 2025 Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year. Purdue hasn't defeated Wisconsin since 2003, but this may be as good an opportunity as any to end that 18-game losing streak.
8. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (Sept. 21)
Wake Forest is another team that has several questions to answer in the 2026 season, but head coach Jake Dickert did an excellent job in his first season, leading the Demon Deacons to a 9-4 season. The Deacs landed quarterback Gio Lopez from North Carolina and are bringing in five new offensive linemen. Wake Forest ran the ball efficiently last season, averaging more than 150 yards per game. Stopping the rushing attack will be a top priority for the Boilers in this non-conference clash.
7. Minnesota Golden Gophers (Oct. 10)
The Golden Gophers have been a consistent Big Ten team, hitting the eight-win mark four times in the last five seasons. But Minnesota remains one of the tougher teams to gauge, simply because they struggle against random opponents. Last year, Purdue should have defeated the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis, but turnovers proved costly. Drake Lindsey is a difference-maker at quarterback and can make life difficult for defenses. Plus, the Gophers always have a solid defense. This won't be the most difficult game on Purdue's schedule, but it's also not the easiest.
6. at Illinois Fighting Illini (Oct. 3)
A rivalry game on the road is never an easy matchup. Purdue will travel to Champaign in October to play a program that has won nine games in each of the last two seasons. The Fighting Illini return their top three running backs from last year, but have lost starting quarterback Luke Altmyer and star receiver Hank Beatty. How much can Illinois depend on the offensive line and its rushing attack to move the ball offensively? Will the defense continue to play to Bret Bielema's standard? This Illini may not have the same explosivity as they did a year ago, but they'll be a tough, physical group.
5. Washington Huskies (Oct. 16)
If there's one Big Ten coach who hasn't received the credit he deserves, it's Jedd Fisch. He turned a depleted Washington roster into a pair of bowl teams in each of the past two seasons. Now, the Huskies have the potential to have their best season yet under Fisch. Washington has one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten in Demond Williams Jr., a player who threw for over 3,000 yards and rushed for more than 600 in 2025. Plus, defensive coordinator Ryan Walters will want to prove something in his return to West Lafayette.
4. at Penn State Nittany Lions (Oct. 31)
Admittedly, this might be a little high for Penn State, considering the change in leadership. However, Matt Campbell proved himself to be one of the top coaches in the country at Iowa State and he brought several of his Cyclone players to State College, including starting quarterback Rocco Becht. Playing at Beaver Stadium is an intimidating environment, and the game is late enough in the season that the Nittany Lions will have developed their team chemistry. This won't be the most dominant Penn State team Purdue has played, but this is a tough road game for the Boilers.
3. at Iowa Hawkeyes (Nov. 14)
What makes Iowa such a difficult challenge, especially at Kinnick Stadium, is that the Hawkeyes never beat themselves. Purdue is coming off a season in which it regularly shot itself in the foot. Iowa forces its opponents to make mistakes. It thrives on creating turnovers, winning the special teams battle and grinding out offensive possessions to shorten games. Iowa's style is going to create a lot of problems for a Boilermaker squad that is trying to eliminate mistakes in 2026.
2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Sept. 26)
Purdue's offense actually put up a good fight against Notre Dame last season, but the defense was exposed in multiple ways. The Fighting Irish don't have Jeremiyah Love or Jadarian Price in the backfield this year, which will hurt Marcus Freeman's rushing attack in 2026. Notre Dame did reload, though, bringing in a top-five recruiting class and a transfer group of seven players that ranked No. 7 nationally. CJ Carr will be back under center to lead the Fighting Irish offense. This could arguably be the most talented team the Boilermakers face in 2026.
1. at Indiana Hoosiers (Nov. 28)
In Curt Cignett's first two seasons in Bloomington, Indiana has dominated Purdue. The Hoosiers have outscored the Boilermakers 122-3 in the last two seasons. IU is also coming off an undefeated season and a national championship run. Many of those key contributors departed for the NFL, but Cignetti and his staff still managed to bring in top transfers such as quarterback Josh Hoover, wide receiver Nick Marsh and running back Turbo Richard. The Hoosiers also bolstered their defensive line and secondary. This is the most challenging game on Purdue's schedule.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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