Wisconsin Football Skunked from Bowl Game Projections

The Badgers are left out of bowl game projections from national news outlet.

Sep 12, 2026; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sitting at 1-1 early in the season, the Wisconsin football team has yet to play in a conference game, but college bowl game projections are still alive and well. And what isn't alive and well according to those projections? The Wisconsin Badgers.

Brett McMurphy, a national journalist for On3, released his weekly bowl game projections and the Badgers were left out completely.

In his projections, he has 11 Big Ten teams making a bowl game. Indiana and Ohio State are the lone representatives in the College Football Playoff, but UCLA, Illinois, Iowa, USC, Oregon, Nebraska, Michigan, Washington, and Penn State all made the cut.

Michigan State, Rutgers, Minnesota, Maryland, Northwestern, and Purdue were also left off the list.

Are the Badgers really going to miss a bowl game yet again?

Sep 6, 2026; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Leonard Moore. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With a retooled roster built by an infusion of cash into the program, Luke Fickell and his staff built this team to win now. They spent heavily in the transfer portal to bring in players with plenty of playing experience, so they wouldn't have to rely solely on the roster's youthful talent.

I was, and still am to an extent, adamant that this team can win enough games this season to become bowl-eligible for the first time in three years. I'll also admit that after watching them play two games, I'm not quite as high on them as I was heading into the season. However, with the revamped roster and the manageable schedule ahead, I still don't think it's out of the question for the Badgers to finish with five or six conference wins.

Going 5-4 in the Big Ten would make them bowl-eligible. With games against Michigan State, UCLA, Rutgers, Purdue, Maryland, and Minnesota, getting at least five wins is entirely possible, especially if they can play the way they did in the first half of the Notre Dame game in Week 1.

But then again, this team could do what they've done the past three seasons and disappoint everyone.

The national media hasn't shown much confidence in this program lately, and the Badgers haven't really given anyone a reason to be. The pressure is on once again to stack some wins this season, or we may be setting up some hot boards for coaching candidates by January.