2025 is not going to be kind to the Badgers.
It’s no secret that the Wisconsin Badgers have a tough schedule for the 2025 season.
They have a road game against the Alabama Crimson Tide. That alone could be enough for a challenging schedule. But, then come matchups against Michigan, Iowa, Ohio State, and Oregon in a four-week stretch.
If that wasn’t enough, the Badgers play the Indiana Hoosiers (and potential 2026 first-round quarterback Fernando Mendoza) on the road, take on the cruising Illinois Fighting Illini on the road, and have their annual rivalry game against Minnesota on the road to end the year.
Just how hard is the Badgers schedule? Is it the worst in the Big Ten?
Sporting News ranked the Big Ten schedules from top to bottom, and the Badgers were evidently in the “toughest” category.
“Luke Fickell is 13-13 at Wisconsin, and the Badgers are the only Big Ten team with five ranked opponents on the schedule, and they are one of three teams that face the Buckeyes and Wolverines,” Sporting News’s Bill Bender wrote.
“The return game at Alabama on Sept. 13 precedes a brutal October where the Badgers will play Michigan, Iowa, Ohio State and Oregon. Indiana and Illinois are on the November portion of the schedule. Wisconsin is 1-9 as an underdog under Fickell. Will they pull a few upsets against this schedule?”
Other schools that were involved in the “toughest” category include Rutgers and USC.
Why Rutgers: “The Scarlet Knights had the easiest schedule in the Big Ten by our metrics last season – and they were a trendy pick to make the playoff run that Indiana did in 2024,” Bender wrote. “A Friday night game on Sept. 19 at Iowa kick-starts a schedule that includes four top-10 teams in Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon and Illinois. The Scarlet Knights are 0-20 against the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions since joining the Big Ten. It’s going to be difficult for Greg Schiano to lead Rutgers to a third straight winning season.”
Why USC: “The Trojans have one of the top three most difficult schedules in the Big Ten for the second straight season, and that includes two-time-zone-travel games at Notre Dame and Illinois. USC was 0-3 in games where they had to travel two time zones or more last year. A road trip to Oregon and a home game against Michigan are part of yet another demanding schedule for coach Lincoln Riley. This is part of the reason why the annual rivalry with the Irish faces uncertainty moving forward.”
Of course, if certain schools have some of the hardest schedules, others should have easier ones. Bender believes the top schedules in the Big Ten go to Illinois, Michigan State, and Oregon.
“The Illini are coming off a 10-win season, and Ohio State is the only ranked team on the schedule. This is the opportunity for Bret Bielema to make a CFP run, but the road schedule is a little deceptive. Illinois travels to Duke and Indiana in September and also has road trips to Washington and Wisconsin. Illinois is just 5-5 on the road the last two seasons. That will be the test.”
“The Spartans should have a bounce-back season under second-year coach Jonathan Smith knowing the only two ranked opponents on the schedule – Penn State and Michigan – have to come to Spartan Stadium. Michigan State is the only Big Ten team that does not have a road game against a ranked opponent. The Spartans have lost three straight games to the Wolverines and four of the last five to the Nittany Lions. Michigan State does have road trips to USC, Indiana and Nebraska. Will any of those teams be ranked at the time?”
“The Ducks were in a three-way tie for the third easiest schedule, but they have just one ranked opponent in Penn State. That is a two-time-zone-travel game for the Ducks on Sept. 27, and Oregon will have to go to Iowa on Nov. 8. The Hawkeyes could be ranked at that point. Unlike USC, Oregon was 3-0 when traveling two time zones last season. The Ducks should be in position to make another CFP run under Dan Lanning.”
Here were the final rankings for schedule based on toughness from worst to best:
1. Wisconsin
2. Rutgers
3. USC
4. Ohio State
5. Purdue
6. Washington
7. Northwestern
8. Indiana
9. Minnesota
10. UCLA
11. Penn State
12. Iowa
13. Nebraska
14 (tied). Michigan
14 (tied). Maryland
14 (tied). Oregon
17. Michigan State
18. Illinois