The College Football Playoff committee got around to their first big reveal of the season, ranking the top 25 teams. It's no surprise that Wisconsin wasn't included after the big ol' stinker they put up against Iowa and are now sitting with three losses total. The surprise came in another way: how much the rankings actually reveal about Wisconsin and, arguably, their eventual case for inclusion in the rankings, even if not in the top-12.
Wisconsin has played 4 of the CFP Top-25 teams
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What is telling for Wisconsin is the number of teams they've played in these rankings. The Badgers have played four teams in the top-25: UCLA, Notre Dame, Iowa, and USC. That alone already says something about this Wisconsin team. That out of eight games in the season, the Badgers have played half against elite competition.
The Badgers are 1-3 against this field, but even that reveals a little bit about who the Badgers are in the committee's minds. Wisconsin only has three losses, and all are against top-25 teams, and two of them are against teams in the CFP 12-team playoff.
Wisconsin has lost to No. 8 UCLA, No. 11 Notre Dame, and No. 19 Iowa. None of those games were particularly close when you look at the box score, and two of them actually weren't close at all. Wisconsin hung with No. 8 UCLA in Pasadena, though, and the garbage time and some reffing decisions led to the box score being 17-7 (a two-score loss). It was 10-7 until the final score from UCLA in the final 12 minutes.
However, Wisconsin having a win over a CFP Top-25 team is also on this list. Wisconsin beating USC may end up being looked at as an important win down the stretch. Or even as part of the Trojans' dialogue when it comes to their own ranking.
Wisconsin's resume is sealed, and there's a very small percentage of any sort of CFP Top-12
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This also means their resume is sealed. Even if the Badgers win out and end up with a 9-3 record, the CFP teams have come and gone. Wisconsin will set with these four teams determining their resume. One win, three losses (if all of them stay in the discussion). Nine wins is special, but there's no one left to beat that would help in any way.
Minnesota could theoretically get into that top-25 due to the fact that they play No. 8 UCLA this week.. If they can win there, that may give them another chance at a ranked team. However, there's no one rooting for that.
So, the CFP committee had a lot to say about Wisconsin, whether they realized it or not. Wisconsin doesn't have much of a chance to get into that top-12 field without a ton of help and the whole winning-out part of it.
However, nine wins would be fantastic, and unless you are rooting for Fickell to be fired, that's the ultimate goal...win out.
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