After going 2-1 in the non-conference, the quest to go 4-5 in Big Ten play is so beyond paramount for the Wisconsin Badgers. While there is a chance Luke Fickell may get the benefit of the doubt with a 5-7 mark overall, can he really afford to go 3-6 in conference play and still keep his job? It goes without saying Fickell and the Badgers might not want to leave anything to chance, so four Big Ten wins it is!
The problem with that notion is Wisconsin has one of the toughest schedules in the Big Ten. A lot can change between now and when the Badgers face them, but five of their nine conference opponents are ranked entering the middle part of September. Keep in mind that a team like Washington Huskies are still undefeated and rarely lose games at home... They too could be a ranked team by November.
For those who need a refresher of who is coming down the track for Wisconsin, here is the schedule.
Date | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|
Sept. 20 | Maryland Terrapins | Madison, WI |
Sept. 27 | Bye | |
Oct. 4 | at Michigan Wolverines | Ann Arbor, MI |
Oct. 11 | Iowa Hawkeyes | Madison, WI |
Oct. 18 | Ohio State Buckeyes | Madison, WI |
Oct. 25 | at Oregon Ducks | Eugene, OR |
Nov. 1 | Bye | |
Nov. 8 | Washington Huskies | Madison, WI |
Nov. 15 | at Indiana Hoosiers | Bloomington, IN |
Nov. 22 | Illinois Fighting Illini | Madison, WI |
Nov. 29 | at Minnesota Golden Gophers | Minneapolis, MN |
Getting the bye after this week's game vs. Maryland could help propel the Badgers to a strong 4-1 start, should they clip the Terrapins and have that momentum carry into the Michigan game. There is a chance Maryland could win its first three conference games over Maryland, Michigan and Iowa before dropping its next three vs. Ohio State, at Oregon and home vs. Washington after another bye.
Looking ahead, here is the overall likelihood of Wisconsin winning each of its games left on the slate.
Wisconsin winning any of these games means a better year than 6-6 (4-5)
At this juncture, getting wins over any of these three teams signifies that Wisconsin might be good.
9. Oct. 25: at Oregon Ducks
Without question, the toughest remaining game on the schedule for the Badgers is at the Oregon Ducks on Oct. 25. Dan Lanning's team feels like a playoff team once again. They are so tough to beat on the road. Furthermore, this game comes right after another brutal one on Wisconsin's schedule at home vs. Ohio State on Oct. 18. The extra travel to Eugene makes this feel like a loss for the Badgers.
8. Oct. 18: vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
If all goes according to plan, Wisconsin could conceivably be 5-1 (3-0) heading into a huge home game vs. Ohio State with league wins over Maryland, at Michigan and home vs. Iowa. The problem is we might be putting the cart in front of the horse here. Ohio State is college football's reigning national champions. The Buckeyes have a way with absolutely pummeling an inferior opponent...
7. Nov. 15: at Indiana Hoosiers
Although the road date at Indiana on Nov. 15 is not an impossible spot for the Badgers to pick up a win, the Hoosiers are well-coached under Curt Cignetti. They may not ever play anyone of note in the non-conference, but he had IU in the playoff a season ago, navigating the softest schedule known to mankind. To put it bluntly, his team exerts all its energy to beat up on middle-tier and bottom-feeders.
The best part about this exercise is Wisconsin does not have to win those games, just one of these...
Wisconsin needs to steal one of these games to go 6-6 (4-5) this season
A win by Wisconsin over any of these teams might indicate that this team is ready to go bowling.
6. Oct. 4: at Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan game coming up in a few weeks is a bit more winnable than expected. It remains to be seen how good of a head coach Sherrone Moore really is. The Wolverines already have one loss on the season. While they could look the part vs. Nebraska coming up, the Cornhuskers do have the schedule to potentially go around 9-3. If Michigan is only a 7-5 team, maybe Wisconsin can get them?
5. Nov. 22: vs. Illinois Fighting Illini
To have the Illinois Fighting Illini as the ultimate either-or game for the Badgers this season is quite telling. This is all about where the Illini fall on the schedule. They may look like a playoff contender right now, but a lot can change over the course of two months. Bret Bielema is a great coach, but Illinois is not exactly dripping with talent. If they come into Madison cocky, they could get got there.
4. Nov. 29: at Minnesota Golden Gophers
To be quite frank, if Wisconsin wants a realistic opportunity at going to a bowl game, it requires beating arch rival Minnesota on the road. While the road loss to Cal has the Gophers feeling a bit vulnerable, there is a chance that this could be P.J. Fleck's last game in Minneapolis. This is not to say that the Gophers will fire him, but he could be a candidate to take on a much bigger job come 2026.
And if for any reason Wisconsin fails to win any of these next three games, they may have a problem...
Wisconsin must win these three games to have any real shot at 6-6 (4-5)
Should Wisconsin lose to any of these teams, the chances of the making a bowl game are rather slim.
3. Nov. 8: vs. Washington Huskies
This may seem like a bit of a reach, but if Wisconsin wants to go to a bowl game this year, then the Badgers need to protect their home turf vs. decent adversaries they can beat. Washington could be a great team by the time Huskies come to town on Nov. 8, but if they play like they did last year away from Seattle, then Wisconsin has no choice but to win this. Not to say that they will, but they need to.
2. Oct. 11: vs. Iowa Hawkeyes
Wisconsin needs to take advantage of facing rival Iowa at home early during Big Ten play. As the season goes along, Kirk Ferentz's team starts to play with more confidence. With Mark Gronowski only just beginning his time under center in Iowa City, it is only a matter of time before he gets into rhythm offensively like he did when he starred at FCS South Dakota State. Wisconsin has to win this.
1. Sept. 20: vs. Maryland Terrapins
There is no way around it, the Maryland game is a must-win for the Badgers. It comes in first here for a reason. Malik Washington may offer a ton of promise at quarterback for the Terrapins, but the Badgers are a sizable favorite at home. While they may be able to win easier if Billy Edwards Jr. can play, the Badgers could eke one out again with Danny O'Neil filling in for him for yet another week.
While there are wins to be had on Wisconsin's schedule, it is up to the team to go out and grab them.