From Death Row to Cakewalk — Wisconsin Football Could Have the Big Ten's Easiest Schedule in 2026

From murderers' row to a cakewalk?

Wisconsin football had arguably the toughest schedule in the nation last season. It faced four teams that competed in the College Football Playoff, all on the road.

Two of those teams made it to the National Semifinals, and one won the National Title (Oregon and Indiana, respectively). It also faced six teams that finished the season ranked inside the top-25.

Now, in a make-or-break year for head coach Luke Fickell and company, the Badgers finally have some schedule luck. One quick glance at the 2026 slate will tell you that:

our 2026 schedule is officially locked in 🔒

🎟️: https://t.co/WZGTXhCix3 pic.twitter.com/1Mqq2l5LZh
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) January 27, 2026

Opening the season against Notre Dame at Lambeau Field is obviously an incredibly daunting tilt to kick things off. But it'll be a semi-home environment in a raucous, pro-Wisconsin stadium. And for what it's worth, the Irish have faltered early in the season under head coach Marcus Freeman.

But take a glance at the rest of the slate, and Badger fans can finally exhale. Yes, this team was awful last season, but it also was forced to face juggernaut after juggernaut.

Saying Wisconsin has an easier schedule doesn't imply the Badgers are better than some of the middling Big Ten teams they'll face, but you at least give them a good chance against teams like Michigan State, UCLA and Rutgers. Last fall, when this team had to play in Autzen or Bryant-Denny, the writing was on the wall.

But it isn't just the eye test that tells you Wisconsin has it easier in 2026. According to numbers complied by Phil Steele, the Badgers have the easiest schedule in the Big Ten — and one of the easiest schedules in the entire country. Here's how Steele ranked the Big Ten's schedules based on opponent win percentage:

Team	Opponent Win %	Opponents with winning record in '25
Ohio State	64.5	9
Nebraska	64.2	8
Michigan	62.3	8
Northwestern	62.3	8
Indiana	60.6	9
Purdue	59.1	8
Washington	58.9	8
USC	58.0	6
Michigan State	57.5	8
Iowa	53.3	6
UCLA	52.9	7
Illinois	52.6	7
Oregon	51.9	8
Minnesota	51.3	6
Rutgers	48.4	6
Penn State	48.3	5
Maryland	47.4	6
Wisconsin	46.6	5

Ohio State has the second-toughest schedule by opponent win percentage in 2026 in the entire country, and eight Big Ten teams fall into the top-25. But the Badgers are dead last in the conference, and only three Power Four teams in the nation have a lower opponent win percentage (Virginia, Texas Tech and Houston). Only 14 of 138 total FBS teams have an lower opponent win percentage than Wisconsin.

The Badgers also play just five teams with a winning record last season, tied for the fewest in the Big Ten and one of the lower numbers nationally as well.

No more excuses for Fickell

Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell. | Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images

The stars have aligned in 2026 for Wisconsin football to take a step towards relevance once again. They don't need to run the table and earn a College Football Playoff bid for the season to be successful, but they do need to get back to a bowl game at the very least, and a winning record doesn't look like an extraordinary ask either.

Fickell approached the Wisconsin job all wrong, philosophically and schematically. But he's been given a long leash by the athletic director (Chris McIntosh) who hired him, who of course is no longer with the university.

But in year four, things have to change. With a revamped roster/coaching staff, increased financial investment and on paper one of the easiest schedules in the country, 2026 is sink or swim for Fickell.

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