The Wisconsin Badgers are heading into the season with a national outlook that’s anything but rosy.
ESPN’s David Hale ranked all 138 FBS teams and split them into 20 tiers using production from last season, 2026 projections, and overall talent. Wisconsin landed in the 13th tier, “three months ’til basketball season,” a group that also includes Arkansas, Kentucky, UCF, UCLA, and West Virginia. Hale’s point was blunt: these are teams that don’t have a lot to feel good about entering the year.
That’s a tough label, but it’s not hard to see why Wisconsin ended up there after a 2025 season that went off the rails on offense. The Badgers’ quarterbacks averaged just 5.9 yards per pass attempt against zone coverage, and the unit threw seven interceptions without a touchdown in those situations. As a team, Wisconsin finished last in the Big Ten with 253.1 yards per game, nearly 40 yards fewer than the next closest program.
The numbers look even rougher when placed next to the rest of the FBS. UMass, Charlotte, and Oklahoma State all put up more offense through the air than Wisconsin, despite their own miserable records. And with only 12.8 points per game, the Badgers finished with the second-worst offense in the country.
There has been movement in Madison this offseason. Wisconsin has spent heavily in the portal and brought in new faces on the staff, all with the hope of giving the program a real reset.
The biggest question is whether that overhaul can click quickly enough. Colton Joseph is in line to take over as the starting quarterback after arriving via the portal, and the pressure is now on the Badgers to build a functional passing game in one offseason.
There is at least one area where the schedule gives Wisconsin a little breathing room. ESPN’s latest power index and strength of schedule ratings list the Badgers at 40 in SOS, which makes their slate the second easiest in the Big Ten behind Penn State’s 62.
Notre Dame is still a tough game on the schedule, but Wisconsin avoids Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, and Washington. That stands in stark contrast to last season, when the Badgers played the hardest schedule in the country.
Luke Fickell’s future also hangs over the season. Hale wrote that the coach “probably needs a hot start to 2026” if he wants to be back with Wisconsin for the 2027 season. The pressure has been building for a while after two straight years without a bowl game, which snapped a two-decade streak and pushed the seat hotter and hotter.
The 2025 season left Wisconsin with record-low marks in the wrong places, and the offseason changes were supposed to create a better footing. A renewed financial package was put in place to help Fickell rebuild, and the arrival of new athletic director Shawn Eichorst only adds to the expectation that the program has to move forward now.
Fickell’s overall record at Wisconsin stands at 16-21, including his lone bowl appearance against LSU, with the Badgers going 9-15 over the last two seasons and 5-? in conference play?
In Other News...
Former Badger Christian Alliegro Is Suddenly Facing Real Pressure At Ohio State
Christian Alliegros move from Wisconsin to Ohio State was always going to come with expectations, but fall camp has quickly turned it into a real test. The former Badgers linebacker is in the mix for a starting spot, and the Buckeyes are clearly treating him like someone who has to earn more than just a role on the field.
The pressure only grows when the conversation shifts to who he is being measured against, especially with a reported comparison to Rasheem Biles hanging over the situation. Ohio State also has Riley Pettijohn still pushing for the job, which keeps Alliegro from settling into anything comfortable as camp continues and the stakes around his fit with the defense keep rising. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Fall Camp Is Starting To Separate A Few Rising Badgers
With three practices left in fall camp, Wisconsin is starting to get a clearer picture of what some key roles could look like heading into the 2026 season. Wide receiver Hilton has been one of the more encouraging developments, showing steady improvement and putting himself in line to be among the top options in the passing game.
Up front, Wilkins has taken over at starting left tackle after a teammates injury opened the door, giving the Badgers some stability at a vital spot. The secondary still has a little sorting out to do, with cornerbacks Eric Fletcher and Jai'mier Scott both in the mix for playing time, and both expected to see snaps as camp winds down. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Linebackers Suddenly Have A Coach The Rest Of College Football Notices
Wisconsins linebacker room got a notable new look this offseason, and it comes with a coach whose rise has been hard to miss. Tuf Borland, a former Ohio State linebacker who joined the Badgers in 2023, has been promoted to inside linebackers coach after quickly climbing through the staff. The move gives Wisconsin a young voice working with a group that already has plenty of interest around it, including Mason Posa, Cooper Catalano, Jon Jon Kamara and Tommy Heiberger.
What has made Borland stand out is how fast his reputation has grown beyond Madison. CBS Sports recently singled him out as one of college footballs top young assistant coaches, a sign that the rest of the sport is starting to notice the work being done inside the program. For Wisconsin, it adds another layer of intrigue to a position group that figures to matter a lot this season, even if Borland is still in the earliest stages of what the Badgers hope will be a long run in the role. [Read more 🡒]