Wisconsin's Ups and Downs Have Exposed 3 Questions It Still Must Answer

Wisconsin has four games remaining in the regular season. This team is clearly very inconsistent, as evidenced by its win over ranked USC and its shutout loss to Iowa the following week.

The Badgers are 5-3 on the season and 3-2 in the Big Ten. Wisconsin is right on the edge of becoming bowl eligible, but there are a few things that Wisconsin and head coach Luke Fickell need to work out in the final four games of the season.

Can Wisconsin Find Any Consistency on Offense?

COlton Joseph — Oct 31, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph (1) looks to throw a pass against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The offense has shown flashes of being able to score points this year, but there have been many times when the offense disappears completely. The Badgers put up 24 points in their win over USC, but then failed to score any points in their loss to Iowa the following week.

What makes the Iowa game so bad is how poorly the Badgers played on offense. The Badgers only gained 235 yards of total offense, including only 52 on the ground, and turned the ball over 3 times.

Wisconsin QB Colton Joseph has made several solid plays throughout the season, but as a whole, the offense has struggled to find consistency. Through the first seven games of the season, Joseph has thrown for 1,256 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The Badgers are averaging 23.6 points per game this season. Wisconsin scored 54 points against Eastern Michigan and 36 points against Western Illinois. But those two games were against non-conference opponents.

With four games remaining in the regular season, Wisconsin has four more opportunities to figure out how to move the football on offense. Rutgers, Maryland, Purdue and Minnesota all remain on the Badgers’ schedule.

The pivot to Ryan Hopkins at gunslinger absolutely must yeild results.

Has Wisconsin's Defense Finally Turned the Corner?

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The Badgers defense has had some very good moments. In Wisconsin’s win over USC, the Trojans entered the game with one of the most potent offenses in the country. They managed to score only 7 points against the Badgers defense.

The Wisconsin defense can create turnovers, and against USC, they came up with two interceptions of USC quarterback Jayden Maiava. In the end, the Badgers held the Trojans to minus-17 rushing yards on the day.

Wisconsin has held opposing offenses to an average of 17.1 points per game this season. The Badgers held Michigan State to 3 points in a win and limited UCLA to 17 points in a loss.

In the Iowa game the Hawkeyes gained 362 yards, scored 30 points and were able to run out the clock on several possessions. The Badgers defense wasn’t able to get enough stops on third down to allow their struggling offense to get on the field.

These are four games the Badger defense can use to show it can play consistently against opposing offenses. Yes, the USC game was a very positive step in that direction, but one good game doesn't mean the defense has figured everything out.

Can Wisconsin Finish the Season With Some Momentum?

At 5-3, the Badgers only need to win one of their remaining games to be eligible for a bowl game. That is significantly better than where they were a year ago, but Wisconsin can do so much better than simply being bowl eligible in 2026.

After the Iowa game the Badgers host Rutgers on November 7. They then travel to Maryland on November 14 and Purdue on November 21, with the last game of the year taking place at Camp Randall against Minnesota on November 27.

However, how Wisconsin responds to the loss against Iowa is also important. It was a very disappointing performance against a conference opponent, but the Badgers can’t let that affect the rest of their season.

Fickell needs his team to play well enough in the final four games of the season to show that the USC game was not a fluke. The Badgers have already beaten two ranked opponents this season, including a win over then-No. 13 Penn State on the road.

The question now for the Badgers is can they finish the season with some momentum and end on a positive note.

The Badgers don’t have to win out the rest of the season to show some progress. They just need to play better football, especially on offense, and have something positive to build on for 2027.

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