Preseason Coaches Poll a Reminder That Plenty of Tough Games Await Wisconsin

Wisconsin will face four teams ranked in the initial preseason coaches poll top-25.

The Penn State Nittany Lions line up for a play during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Badgers' 2026 football schedule looks like a gift from the football gods considering what Wisconsin has had to contend with in recent seasons.

Just take last fall. The worst football team the Badgers' have trotted out in decades aside, head coach Luke Fickell's squad still had to face four teams that made the College Football Playoff — a third of the entire field — as well as six total teams that finished the season ranked inside the final top-25. Two of those teams were national semifinalists, and one (Indiana) orchestrated a perfect 16-0 national title season.

Looking ahead to 2026, Wisconsin's slate is significantly easier. The Badgers avoid the three teams clearly at the top of the conference (Indiana, Oregon and Ohio State) while drawing a handful of the Big Ten's projected bottom-feeders (Maryland, Purdue, Rutgers, Michigan State).

So while the 2026 schedule is a big reason for optimism in and outside of Madison, it's worth noting that despite what's inarguably a lighter slate, Wisconsin will still face plenty of formidable opponents this fall.

USA Today released its preseason coaches poll on Tuesday, and four of the Badgers' 2026 opponents made the top-25: Notre Dame (5), USC (14), Penn State (17) and Iowa (22).

BREAKING: College Football Preseason Coaches Poll👀https://t.co/gnEe967fmH pic.twitter.com/W2xBYGZWYe

— On3 (@On3) August 4, 2026

Now, any preseason top-25 list is guaranteed to fall apart mere weeks into the season. This ranking is simply a prediction. But it's still worth noting that despite what's considered the easiest schedule in the Big Ten, Wisconsin still has to play four teams considered worth of a preseason top-25 ranking.

Initial reactions to coaches poll

If you take a glance at the Badgers' schedule, four ranked teams certainly feels like the maximum. That is to say, a team like Iowa is likely a fringe top-25 team when the initial AP poll drops and the season kicks off.

Notre Dame at five feels a little low. It wouldn't surprise me if coaches are still a little perturbed at how the Fighting Irish handled their exclusion from the College Football Playoff last fall, taking their ball and going home (refusing to play in a bowl game).

USC at No. 14 feels accurate. This should be one of the best offenses in the nation and the defense finally looks ready to reach championship-contending caliber under new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson (although we've certainly heard that before in SoCal).

Penn State at No. 17 makes sense. I'm not convinced this is a top-20 team, but based on the Nittany Lions' experience and production on the roster, I understand the ranking. Of course, much of that experience and production came at Iowa State, and you're not in Ames anymore, Matt Campbell.

Iowa at No. 22 is the most questionable. This is a team that's won at least eight games in 10 straight seasons (not counting the 2020 Covid season when the Hawkeyes went 6-2). Iowa is the model of consistency, but on paper, their offense still leaves a lot to be desired in 2026. Their recent consistent winning ways make them derserving of this ranking, but it might not prove accurate when all is said and done.