ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Here's what Danny Hope has to look forward to in his first season as Purdue's head coach.

NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Sept. 5 Toledo

Sept. 12 at Oregon

Sept. 19 Northern Illinois

Sept. 26 Notre Dame

My take: After playing arguably the Big Ten's toughest non-league slate last fall, Purdue once again gets a few difficult draws. Oregon should be a preseason top-15 team with a dynamic offense to test the Boilers, who did a decent job containing the Ducks last year at Ross-Ade Stadium. A win in Eugene will be a long shot, and then Purdue returns home to face an improving Northern Illinois team and Notre Dame, which should also be better on both sides of the ball. Given the head coaching change, two new coordinators (Gary Nord and Donn Landholm) and a lot of new personnel on both sides of the ball, Purdue should be pleased with a 2-2 split in non-league play.

BIG TEN SCHEDULE

Oct. 3 Northwestern

Oct. 10 at Minnesota

Oct. 17 Ohio State

Oct. 24 Illinois

Oct. 31 at Wisconsin

Nov. 7 at Michigan

Nov. 14 Michigan State

Nov. 21 at Indiana

Byes: Penn State, Iowa

My take: A young Boilers team benefits from getting three of the first four league games at home (six of the first eight overall) and not playing league title contenders Penn State and Iowa. If Purdue can build confidence and start establishing its identity in non-league play, it could pull a surprise or two early in the Big Ten slate. The road schedule isn't too difficult, though both Wisconsin and Michigan could be on stable footing once the Boilers come to town. A slow start to league play could equal a very long season for Hope and his crew.