MADISON, Wis. -- When Barry Alvarez first examined Wisconsin's 2016 Big Ten schedule, he couldn't help but offer a double-take at so many talented opponents stacked on top of one another.
"You look at it and you say, 'Whoa,'" Alvarez said. "All those games, those traditionally are good, strong programs. And they've held up to it."
If Alvarez -- the school's athletics director and Hall of Fame former coach -- has reason to pause, that's saying something.
During Alvarez's 16-year tenure as coach, his teams played five ranked Big Ten teams in a season on three separate occasions: in 1990, 1999 and 2003.