Staff Predictions: Can the Badgers Knock off No. 12 UCLA at the Rose Bowl?

Wisconsin is fresh off a bye week and once again slated for a huge game, heading out West to face No. 12 UCLA at the Rose Bowl in a massive showdown.

The Badgers have won four in a row, including their first two Big Ten games. After a stunning takedown of then-No. 13 Penn State in Happy Valley, Wisconsin followed that up with a shellacking of Michigan State at homecoming.

It's safe to say the Badgers are riding just about as high as they have in the Luke Fickell era. In that same vein, this is arguably Fickell's biggest game since he took the Wisconsin job. A win would almost certainly jettison his team back into the AP Top 25 for the first time since the beginning of the 2023 season, when he first took over the program.

Below, Badgers On SI offers roundtable predictions for the Week 7 primetime showdown:

Seamus Rohrer, Editor

The Badgers have had several turning points this season, each one happening in quick succession.

The truly dominant 54-10 win over Eastern Michigan was the first. After a less-than-satisfying win over FCS Western Illinois the week prior, Wisconsin finally did something it hadn't done under Fickell: thoroughly dominate an inferior non-conference foe.

The Badgers followed that up by notching Fickell's first signature win at Wisconsin, a 17-point road comeback at Beaver Stadium against Penn State. Regardless of how overrated the Nittany Lions were this season, that kind of comeback in that kind of environment signaled that this team is different.

The next week, Wisconsin needed to follow that up with a strong performance to prove that Happy Valley wasn't just a fluke. That's exactly what the Badgers did, dominating the Spartans from wire-to-wire in a 31-3 win.

A win over No. 12 UCLA at the Rose Bowl would be another turning point. It would push Wisconsin into the AP Top 25 and the College Football Playoff conversation, neither of which they've sniffed in years.

The Bruins' remarkable turnaround has been extraordinary, and this is a tough, physical team after Wisconsin's own heart, winning with a stout defense and a run game. But I think this is a great matchup for the Badgers, who boast their own stout defense and an offense that's continuing to improve and could get two key playmakers back in Abu Sama and Jaylon Domingeaux. Give me Wisconsin.

Prediction: Wisconsin 23, UCLA 20

Jeremy Schneider, Staff Writer

Much has been made about Nico Iamaleava’s injury, but his unavailability doesn’t significantly change my outlook on this matchup. Trench warfare will dictate this game, as UCLA boasts one of the nation’s most potent rushing attacks behind James Madison transfer Wayne Knight, while Wisconsin has been particularly stout defensively outside of the second half against Notre Dame.

The turnover battle also figures to be pivotal, with Bob Chesney’s squad tied for the national lead with 19 takeaways. Oklahoma transfer linebacker Sammy Omosigho is a bona fide game-wrecker whose impact the Badgers must minimize.

Wisconsin won’t win if Colton Joseph replicates the inaccuracy and poor decision-making he displayed for much of the Penn State game, when he threw three interceptions. However, his big-play ability, demonstrated with his legs against Michigan State and through the air down the stretch at Penn State, provides plenty of upside and reason for optimism.

The Bruins have been fantastic against the run, but despite their opportunistic nature, their pass defense isn’t impenetrable. Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne’s 378-yard, three-touchdown performance against UCLA in Week 4 stands out as evidence. Continuing to target Jacob Harris and utilizing Malachi Coleman as a downfield threat would serve Wisconsin well, with the potential addition of Jaylon Domingeaux adding another wrinkle to the receiving corps.

This tilt has all the makings of a dogfight to the bitter end, potentially the most competitive matchup of the season for the Badgers. But coming off a bye week, I’ll roll with Luke Fickell and Wisconsin to earn another monumental road victory.

Prediction: Wisconsin 17, UCLA 16

Christian Borman, Staff Writer

This is a matchup of two teams that are exceeding preseason expectations. Bob Chesney seems like the real deal and a home run hire for the Bruins so far, especially after the upset victory over Oregon last weekend.

Unfortunately for UCLA, they lost their star quarterback, Nico Imaleava, last week in the big win. So look for the Bruins to lean heavily on running back Wayne Knight, who has 10 rushing touchdowns already this season, the third-most in the country. His 7.7 yards per carry ranks among the best in the country, too.

The Wisconsin run defense will be tested, but fortunately for the Badgers, run defense is among the many strengths on the defense. If they can shut down the UCLA running attack, or at least limit it's effectiveness and force backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach to beat them through the air, I think the Badgers have a good shot at winning.

Coming off a bye and riding the hot start in conference play, I think Wisconsin sneaks one out in Pasadena, beating UCLA for the fourth-straight time and the first time as conference foes.

Prediction: Wisconsin 20, UCLA 17

Drew Gentile, Staff Writer

As Jeremy mentioned earlier, I'm not under the impression that Iamaleava's absence completely turns this game on its side. It was going to be the Knight show whether or not the Bruins' starting quarterback was able to go in this one.

With Dieffenbach having esentially no power conference experience — outside of his relief appearance last week at Oregon — I imagine it will be a point of emphasis for Wisconsin to get after him, and a point of emphasis for UCLA to simplify the game.

Whether or not Dieffenbach takes care of the ball, I think Mike Tressel's defense has proven it won't be easy to put a ton of points on the board with a backup quarterback. I think Knight gets his regardless, but if it comes on a high volume, rather than a high average carry, the Badgers will be in a good spot.

Offensively, the primary objective is take care of the ball. Even when drives don't end in scores, flipping the field and making Dieffenbach orchestrate long drives for UCLA to score even a field goal is a major win.

Overall, I like this matchup for Wisconsin. Fickell is in the fourth year of his rebuild, Chensey is in his first. I wouldn't put this in must-win territory, but when you've had the quarterback plague for three seasons and have a chance to take advantage of your opponent facing the same issue for a major road win, there must be a sense of urgency.

For the first time this season, I'm picking the upset. If Wisconsin can limit itself to just one turnover — as long as it doesn't go for a score — I think it grabs a signature win at the Rose Bowl.

Prediction: Wisconsin 23, UCLA 16

Benjamin Worgull, Staff Writer

One of the biggest reasons for UCLA's surprise start was the quarterback play of Nico Iamaleava, whose arm and ability to extend plays kept defenses off balanced and led to some decent production (72-for-116 with 982 yards, four TDS, four interceptions, 144 rushing yards, and one touchdown). How a UCLA offense that ranks 19th in scoring and 26th in total offense will function under senior backup Ty Dieffenbach will be a big key to this game.

Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano have been delivering, as expected, with Catalano leading the conference in tackles per game (9.0) and Posa having consecutive games with eight solo tackles. UW can almost afford to slant toward the run with how good UW's remade secondary has been. The Badgers have 27 pass breakups this season (three more than all last season) to rank third in the Big Ten.

In a matchup of two teams who are surpassing expectations, I'll lean toward the healthier Badgers, who are finally starting to see their offense and Colton Joseph click.

Prediction: Wisconsin 28, UCLA 24

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