Let's not get too hasty and start lying awake at night and dreaming about Wisconsin in the College Football Playoff. Actually, that's literally what being a fan is, so let's do just that. What would it take for the Badgers to find their way into the 12-team College Football Playoff? After a 4-1 start and a 2-0 beginning to conference play, there's a real pathway. What is it?
Wisconsin's path to the College Football Playoff
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The Big Ten has some decent chaos already happening this season. Wisconsin is currently fourth in the Big Ten standings, and that's only because they've played one less game than the 3-0 teams above them. The Big Ten will send a few teams to the 12-team playoff this year, so hanging out toward the top of the standings is one of the first steps.
Wisconsin also has to prove that they are legit. Northwestern is already getting included not only in Top 25 consideration but also in projections for the CFP.And yet, their resume is very similar to Wisconsin's. They have one loss against No. 5 Indiana. Wisconsin also has a loss against No. 2 Notre Dame. They've both beaten Penn State, and that's about it. The rest of the resume for each team is ho-hum.
Wisconsin has three ranked games coming up. If the Badgers truly want to have a pathway into the CFP, winning two of three of those would go a long way. Whether that's No. 12 UCLA this week, or No. 19 USC, or finally No. 17 Iowa. Win two of these three, and you are definitely sitting inside the Bubble. Win all three, and we are getting crazy.
The schedule then immediately lightens up for Wisconsin with Rutgers, Maryland, and Purdue. With a final rivalry game against Minnesota.
Winning two against UCLA, USC, or Iowa would go a long way for the committee at the end of the year
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It's really the next three games that matter the most, if Wisconsin doesn't trip up during that four-game stretch. Especially with the number of teams that make the CFP. Wisconsin doesn't need ten wins; nine would probably get them included, depending on where those nine came from.
A resume with nine wins against Western Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Penn State, Michigan State, UCLA, Rutgers, Maryland, Purdue, and Minnesota is pretty solid. But I feel like another win from either Iowa or USC would really seal the deal. That's 10 wins and a 10-win Big Ten team; it wouldn't be left out of the College Football Playoff.
This is asking a lot from a team that won four games last season, but after a 4-1 start with not many landmines left, it feels definitely doable. There's some excitement that it's even a realistic possibility. The odds are even climbing that Wisconsin makes the College Football Playoff. They still aren't great, but they were +100,000 before the season. The Badgers have clearly already made a statement.
Find the win against UCLA this week, and the pipe dream gets a ton closer.
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