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Wisconsin Badgers saved their season with shocking upset win over No. 2 Michigan

The Badgers silenced the doubters with a massive win in Ann Arbor
Cam Wilhorn|
Wisconsin forward Aleksas Bieliauskas (32) celebrates a 3-pointer against Michigan during the first half at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026.
Wisconsin forward Aleksas Bieliauskas (32) celebrates a 3-pointer against Michigan during the first half at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

Bracketologists have had the Wisconsin Badgers out of the NCAA Tournament for weeks.

Greg Gard's squad had played themselves out of the hypothetical field of 68, getting battered by teams like BYU, TCU and Nebraska and failing to accumulate a strong non-conference victory.

That left little room for error when the calendar flipped to 2026. Saturday's 91-88 win over No. 2 Michigan in Ann Arbor allowed the Badgers to take a sigh of relief.

They know they'll have one of the best wins of any team in the country when selection Sunday rolls around, and they have time to keep building their resume.

Wisconsin Badgers erase non-conference woes with signature win

Michigan came into Saturday's game undefeated, with a sparkling 14-0 record and an average margin of victory of 28.1 points.

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They have obliterated every ranked team they've played, downing Auburn by 30, Gonzaga by 40 and USC by 30. They've won every home game by 25 or more points.

All of that makes Wisconsin's two-point win one of the best by any team in the country and one that differentiates their resume from other possible bubble teams.

Past that, the victory breaks the Badgers' concerning performances against elite opponents as they started the season 0-6 in Quad 1 games.

Badgers building momentum for soft portion of schedule

Wisconsin's three-game stretch against Purdue, UCLA and Michigan was critical, in part due to the opportunities for quality wins but also for confidence and momentum.

After Michigan, the Badgers have a significantly lighter schedule for the rest of January.

Their upcoming games, in order, are: at Minnesota, vs Rutgers, at Penn State, vs Minnesota, vs Ohio State.

Rutgers, Penn State and Minnesota are a combined 4-10 in Big Ten games, and most of Ohio State's games have come down to the wire.

While that may spark a win streak, they don't present many quality wins, meaning Wisconsin needed to capitalize on its tough three-game stretch to start 2026.

But with wins over the Bruins and Wolverines, the Badgers could enter February on as much as an eight-game win streak with a 17-5 record.

That would position them to be firmly in the March Madness field. And even if they drop a game in January, it wouldn't have as severe NCAA Tournament ramifications.

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Cam Wilhorn
CAM WILHORN

Cam Wilhorn is a University of Wisconsin School of Journalism Graduate and Wisconsin native. He's been covering Wisconsin sports since 2023 for outlets like BadgerBlitz.com, Badger of Honor and The Badger Herald.

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