Where is Wisconsin projected to finish in the Big Ten in 2025?
It’s no secret that the Wisconsin Badgers have a tough schedule in 2025, with games against the Alabama Crimson Tide, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Oregon Ducks leading the way.
It’s been tough sledding for the Badgers over the past two seasons, as they’ve gone 12-13 to kick off the Luke Fickell era, including missing the postseason for the first time in 22 years in 2024.
Wisconsin is hoping to flip the page in 2025, bringing in quite the transfer portal haul, but significant turnover and one of the worst schedules in the country stand in their way.
Where do the Badgers rank in the Big Ten heading into fall camp?
College Football Analyst Phil Steele recently broke down his Big Ten rankings, predicting what the conference standings will look like in 2025. Here’s the full list:
1. Penn State
2. Ohio State
3. Oregon
4. Michigan
5. Illinois
6. Indiana
7. USC
8. Nebraska
9. Iowa
10. Minnesota
11. Washington
12. Wisconsin
13. Rutgers
14. Michigan State
15. UCLA
16. Northwestern
17. Maryland
18. Purdue
The Badgers came in at No. 12 on the list, narrowly missing out on the bottom-third of the rankings.
More importantly, they’re listed behind each of their rivals, who were in the three spots above them. Steele has the Nebraska Cornhuskers at No. 8, the Iowa Hawkeyes at No. 9, and the Minnesota Golden Gophers at No. 10.
Wisconsin had one of its worst years ever in rivalry games in 2024, losing 44-25 to Nebraska, 42-10 to Iowa, and 24-7 to Minnesota in one of their more demoralizing finishes to the season in recent years.
The Badgers look better on paper in 2025 with a revamped roster, but that also comes with the fourth-toughest schedule in the country, according to ESPN’s analytics.
Wisconsin will almost certainly be underdogs in matchups against Alabama, Ohio State, and Oregon. They have to play Michigan and Indiana on the road. Washington is set for improvement behind four-star quarterback Demond Williams Jr. Illinois just went 9-3. And Iowa and Minnesota are still on the schedule.
Realistically, Wisconsin is expected to be a certain favorite in probably three games: Miami (OH), Middle Tennessee, and Maryland. The rest are toss-ups, leaving a lot of questions to be answered this season.
Where do you see Wisconsin finishing the season in the Big Ten standings? Are they a bottom-third team as currently advertised? Or can they shock some people with growth?