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Wisconsin Football is matched with SEC in bowl projections

By Tanner Nestle

MIAMI GARDENS, FL - DECEMBER 30: Alex Hornibrook #12 of the Wisconsin Badgers celebrates after winning the MVP trophy of the 2017 Capital One Orange Bowl against the Miami Hurricanes against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
MIAMI GARDENS, FL - DECEMBER 30: Alex Hornibrook #12 of the Wisconsin Badgers celebrates after winning the MVP trophy of the 2017 Capital One Orange Bowl against the Miami Hurricanes against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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PALO ALTO, CA – OCTOBER 06: Tyler Huntley #1 of the Utah Utes throws a pass against the Stanford Cardinal during the first quarter of their NCAA football game at Stanford Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

San Diego Credit Union Holiday Bowl vs. Utah

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl vs. South Carolina

In the fourth projection, a fourth different SEC team shows up. ESPN offered two projections from two experts, Kyle Bonagura and Mitch Sherman, with Bonagura bucking the SEC trend and picking the Badgers to go out west to play Utah.

Wisconsin lost to South Carolina in the 2014 Capitol One Bowl in Gary Andersen’s first year in Madison, so this opponent is somewhat familiar. Due to that, I don’t think this is the most likely SEC opponent given the other scenarios we’ve seen. South Carolina is also only 3-3 with two games against Florida and Clemson that are essentially locked in as losses. The Gamecocks will probably end up in a lower-tiered bowl than Wisconsin.

The Utah projection is a fun one though. The last time Wisconsin was in the Holiday Bowl was in 2015, which makes it less likely they’ll go again so soon, against USC in Paul Chryst’s first season. Wisconsin and Utah have played three times with the most recent meeting being in 1996. Since then, Utah has become a Power 5 member of the Pac-12 and is one of the more consistent programs in the country. The Utes are 5-2 with only one more real test coming against Oregon in a few weeks.

Utah has a chance to win the Pac-12 and could be in a bigger bowl than Wisconsin because of that. If these two programs do end up facing off against each other, Utah would be a great opponent and a quality win, if the Badgers could pull it off. Kyle Whittingham is an underrated coach out west and would have Utah ready to go.

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Any of these bowl opponents would be quality opponents/wins for Wisconsin football should they face them. There’s still a long way to go before the season is over and Wisconsin could do things of its own to end up in a bigger bowl game.