The Wisconsin Badgers are heating up at just the right time-and after Saturday’s 92-71 dismantling of No. 10 Michigan State, it’s time to start asking a serious question: could this team make a late push for the Big Ten title?
That win over the Spartans wasn’t just impressive-it capped off a week in which Wisconsin knocked off two Top 10 opponents. Add that to a six-week stretch where they’ve gone 9-2, and you’ve got a team that’s quietly climbed to 18-7 overall and 10-4 in Big Ten play. That puts them in a tie for fourth in the conference, and very much in the thick of things.
And it’s not just the win total that stands out-it’s who they’ve beaten. Wisconsin now holds victories over No.
2 Michigan, No. 8 Illinois, and No.
10 Michigan State. That’s three Quad 1 wins in a stretch where they’ve looked like a completely different team than the one we saw earlier in the season.
Because let’s be honest-two months ago, this wasn’t the same Wisconsin team.
Back in December, the Badgers were struggling. They got blown out in non-conference play by BYU (98-70) and Nebraska (90-60), and rolled into January without a single Quad 1 win. A lopsided loss to Purdue didn’t help matters, and the season was veering toward disappointment.
Then came the turning point: a gritty, high-scoring 91-88 road win over Michigan. That game flipped the script. Since then, the Badgers have found their rhythm-on both ends of the floor-and they’re playing with a confidence that wasn’t there earlier in the year.
So, where does that leave them in the Big Ten race?
Here’s how the top of the conference stacks up right now:
- Michigan (13-1)
- Illinois (11-3)
- Nebraska (10-3)
- Wisconsin (10-4)
- Michigan State (10-4)
- UCLA (9-4)
Wisconsin sits three games behind Michigan in the standings, but they do hold the tiebreaker over the Wolverines thanks to that head-to-head win. And with five games left before a season-ending showdown at Purdue, there’s still a path-albeit a narrow one-to the top.
The next stretch will be critical. Wisconsin hits the road to face Ohio State before returning home to host Iowa-both of which would count as Quad 1 wins. After that, the schedule lightens up: a West Coast trip to face struggling Oregon (1-12 in Big Ten play) and Washington (4-10), followed by a home game against 3-10 Maryland.
Then comes the finale at Purdue-a game that could have major implications, depending on how the standings shake out.
Let’s say Wisconsin splits the next two. If they take care of business against Oregon, Washington, and Maryland, that’s a 4-1 run heading into Purdue, putting them at 14-5 in the Big Ten.
If they catch fire and win all five? Suddenly, they’re sitting at 15-4, with a real shot at the title depending on what happens elsewhere.
Of course, Michigan is still the team to beat. At 23-1 overall and 13-1 in conference play, they’ve been dominant all season.
But their schedule down the stretch is no cakewalk. The Wolverines still have to play Purdue at Mackey Arena, face Duke in a neutral-site game in Washington D.C., and take on UCLA, Illinois, Iowa (both on the road), and Michigan State to close things out.
That’s a brutal final stretch.
Illinois has a few hurdles of their own, including Indiana at home, and road games at USC and UCLA before hosting Michigan.
Nebraska, meanwhile, may have the softest landing. Despite dropping three of their last four, they’ve got two games against Iowa and road trips to USC and UCLA. Manageable, but not automatic.
And then there’s Purdue, who still has to navigate matchups with Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. That’s a gauntlet.
So yes, Wisconsin is still three games back. But with less than a month left in the regular season, the door to the Big Ten title race isn’t closed-it’s just cracked open. And the way the Badgers are playing, they might just be the team that kicks it wide open.