Wisconsin Can't Afford to Let the Iowa Loss Follow It Home Against Rutgers

Wisconsin looked like it was turning a corner after beating USC. After a 30-0 loss at Iowa, the Badgers need to show something against Rutgers.

Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker Landyn van Kekerix (23) tackles Wisconsin Badgers tight end Jacob Harris (89) Oct. 31, 2026 during a Big Ten football game at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

I was feeling a lot better about Wisconsin a week ago than I am right now. Beating USC will do that. I didn't expect the Badgers to win that game the way they did, and for the first time in a while I was interested to see where this thing might go.

Well, Iowa changed that in a hurry. I figured Wisconsin would have its hands full at Kinnick. I didn't figure they'd leave without scoring a point. That's two straight years the Hawkeyes have shut them out, which is pretty hard to believe.

So now it's Rutgers. A week ago I probably would've looked right past this game. After Saturday, I'm not doing that anymore.

I Want to See What Wisconsin Looks Like After This

Oct 31, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Ryan Hopkins (10) is tackled by Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker Jayden Montgomery (36) and defensive lineman Kahmari Brown (43) during the fourth quarterat Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I'm probably going to know pretty early Saturday what kind of Wisconsin team showed up. That's what I'm watching more than anything. They don't have to come out and score right away. I just don't want to watch three-and-out after three-and-out again.

That's what got old against Iowa. It felt like every time the defense got a stop, they were going to be back on the field before long. We just wrote about that, and it's something Wisconsin has to get away from. Rutgers is 2-6. If the Badgers are going to get this offense going, this seems like a pretty good week to do it.

I don't need 40 or 50 points to feel better about them. Give me some decent drives. I'd like to see them run it better than they did at Iowa and actually finish when they get close. At this point, I'll take that.

There's Still Time to Make Something Out of This

The good thing for Wisconsin is Saturday didn't end the season. They're 5-3 with four games left, and I don't look at what's coming and see anything they can't handle. Rutgers is first, then Maryland and Purdue on the road before Minnesota comes to Madison.

That doesn't mean I'm expecting them to win all four. I stopped trying to figure out what to expect from this team a while ago. But there's still a chance to finish this thing with a pretty good record, which would've sounded just fine to me a few weeks ago.

That's why I don't want to make Iowa more than it was. It was a terrible game. Take it for what it was and move on. Beat Rutgers, get to 6-3 and then we'll see what happens from there.

I thought Wisconsin had turned a corner after USC. I was wrong about that, or at least I was too early. Rutgers gives them another chance to show me something. Right now, that's all I'm looking for.