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Wisconsin Badgers jump past Illinois, Iowa in ESPN's updated FPI ranking after Week 1

The Wisconsin Badgers' shutout victory over Miami (OH) earned them some points in ESPN's predictive rating system, moving them past two Big Ten rivals.
Lorin Cox|
Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell is shown during the first quarter of their game against Miami (Ohio) Thursday, August 28, 2025 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell is shown during the first quarter of their game against Miami (Ohio) Thursday, August 28, 2025 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers' shutout victory over Miami (OH) earned them some points in ESPN's predictive rating system.

They updated the FPI rankings after the Week 1 slate of games, and the Badgers moved up four spots to No. 36.

More importantly, they jumped past Big Ten rivals Illinois and Iowa, who both moved down despite winning their season-opening games.

The Hawkeyes had a slow start against an FCS opponent, leading them to drop nine spots in the ranking.

Illinois blew out Western Illinois but still ranked one spot lower than the previous week as other teams like Wisconsin moved past them.

The Illini sit at No. 38 while Iowa is at 39. The Badgers were previously at 40 before the Week 1 win.

The FPI now projects Wisconsin and Iowa to finish with nearly identical 6-6 records, but the model gives the Badgers better odds of making the College Football Playoff than either of the two rivals.

The analytic method received a lot of criticism on social media this week for leaving Texas at No. 1 despite losing to No. 3 Ohio State.

It aims to be predictive of future success, rather than measure past outcomes.

For the Badgers, it signals that they should be able to hold their own in Big Ten play against the other teams that aren't at the top of the national rankings.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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