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Way-too-early record predictions for newly released Wisconsin Badgers football schedule

The Wisconsin Badgers football schedule is officially set for 2026, giving us the opportunity to make some way-too-early predictions for their wins and losses.
Lorin Cox|
Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell enters the field against the Southern California Trojans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell enters the field against the Southern California Trojans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

We already knew who the Wisconsin Badgers opponents would be for the 2026, but now we know when, where and in what order.

The Big Ten officially released its conference schedules for next season, and Luke Fickell will have a much easier path on paper than the daunting slate the Badgers faced in 2025.

That doesn't mean they don't have some significant challenges still on the docket, but it will be hard not to improve on the 4-8 record from this past fall.

Wisconsin still has to determine its starters at a number of positions through competitions at spring and fall camp, but that doesn't mean we can't take a stab at some way-too-early predictions for the 2026 record.

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Week 1 vs Notre Dame - Loss

The Badgers toughest game of the season will be its first one. As improved as Wisconsin will be this fall, it won't be enough to unseat a Fighting Irish team that probably belonged in the College Football Playoff this year.

Week 2 vs Western Illinois - Win

Week 3 vs Eastern Michigan - Win

Anything less than impressive blowouts over these directional midwestern schools will be a disappointment for Fickell in Year 4.

Week 4 at Penn State - Loss

The Nittany Lions will be adjusting to new head coach Matt Campbell, but he brought enough of his Iowa State players with him to hit the ground running. It's a winnable game for Wisconsin, but they haven't earned the benefit of the doubt yet.

Related: Wisconsin linebacker Mason Posa sees Badgers as College Football Playoff team in 2026

Week 5 vs Michigan State - Win

Week 6 - BYE

Week 7 at UCLA - Win

UCLA and Michigan State both have to do some rebuilding under new head coaches, and they won't be able to make as quick of a turnaround as Penn State. If the Badgers are as improved as expected, they should take care of business.

Wisconsin Badgers running back Darrion Dupree (13) carries the ball against the Southern California Trojans
Wisconsin Badgers running back Darrion Dupree (13) carries the ball against Southern California Trojans cornerback Greedy Vance Jr. (21) in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Week 8 vs USC - Loss

The Trojans lost plenty in the transfer portal, but they retained the most important pieces of their offense while revamping their defense with a respected coach. They'll still be too much for Wisconsin to handle.

Week 9 at Iowa - Loss

The Badgers have been embarrassed by Iowa in their recent matchups. It should be a lot closer as Wisconsin finally has a healthy quarterback, but it might not be enough to put them over the top just yet.

Week 10 vs Rutgers - Win

Week 11 at Maryland - Win

Week 12 at Purdue - Win

Rutgers, Maryland and Purdue should all be in a tier below Wisconsin in the Big Ten, if the Badgers can stay relatively healthy and perform to expectations. On paper, this is an "easy" stretch of victories.

Week 13 vs Minnesota - Win

The battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe is never an easy one, but Minnesota didn't do anything special in the transfer portal and doesn't looked primed for a step forward. UW kept it close last year with a true freshman QB. This time, the trophy is coming home.

Final Record: 8-4 Overall, 6-3 Big Ten

This would be a significant step forward for Fickell to bring the Badgers back into contention in the Big Ten. It's not a CFP run or anything too crazy, but it's a validation of their extensive work in the transfer portal.

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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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