The Big Ten enters 2026 with the same heavyweight feel at the top, and Wisconsin is trying to claw its way back into the conversation after three rough seasons under Luke Fickell. Two of those years ended without a bowl trip, and the Badgers are coming off a stretch that has kept them well outside the league’s bright lights.
That’s what makes this offseason so important. Wisconsin has changed plenty, adding to both the roster and the coaching staff in hopes of resetting the program’s direction. At the same time, the conference around them keeps getting tougher and deeper, with Ohio State and Oregon sitting atop the AP Top 25 and Indiana, USC, Michigan, Washington, Penn State and Iowa also ranked.
At the top of the Big Ten title odds, Ohio State is the clear favorite at +185 on FanDuel Sportsbook. Oregon follows at +260, with Indiana next at +300. After that, there’s a noticeable drop-off: USC sits at +1400, Michigan at +1600, Penn State at +1800, Washington at +2700 and Iowa at +5000.
Wisconsin is way back from that tier at +8000, but still ahead of Illinois, UCLA, Minnesota and Nebraska, among others. That stands out considering how those teams finished relative to the Badgers in 2025.
If you’re looking for a team outside the top three that could shake up the league, Penn State makes the cleanest case. The Nittany Lions inherited a lot of roster talent from Iowa State and bring a schedule that gives them a real shot to stack wins. They don’t have to play Oregon, Indiana or Ohio State, and their key matchups include USC at home, plus road games at Michigan and Washington.
The rest of Penn State’s slate is a lot more manageable: Marshall, Temple, Buffalo, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Purdue, Minnesota, Rutgers and Maryland. There’s a real path there to a 9-0 run in those games, and even a 2-1 or 1-2 showing in the tougher three could be enough to land a playoff spot.
Maryland is the more adventurous pick, but not a wild one if you like upside. Mike Locksley’s team has gone 4-8 in back-to-back seasons, yet it posted seven, eight and eight wins in the three seasons before that.
The roster has some pieces worth watching, starting with the pass rush they kept intact and the addition of five-star Zion Elee. They also have Malik Washington, one of the top young quarterbacks in the country.
The schedule helps too. Maryland does not face Indiana, Oregon or Michigan, though Ohio State, USC and Penn State are on the slate. Even so, they should have a chance to be in the mix in most of their other games, and their 5.5 win total is currently leaning toward the under.
As for Wisconsin, the preseason Big Ten Media poll by Cleveland.com placed the Badgers at No. 12, behind Nebraska, Minnesota and Illinois, along with the league’s other ranked teams.
The path forward isn’t impossible. Wisconsin plays five of the six teams projected to finish at the bottom of the conference: UCLA, Maryland, Michigan State, Rutgers and Purdue. That gives the Badgers a chance to bank wins and build some momentum.
But the real swing games are Iowa and Minnesota. If Wisconsin is competitive in those rivalry matchups, and especially if it can win one, that points to a season that looks like a step forward and a top-half finish in the Big Ten. If not, the pressure only grows.
For now, Wisconsin sits in that middle band of the conference with Illinois, Nebraska and Minnesota - not among the elite, but not buried either.
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Wisconsin Just Made The Notre Dame Lineup Much Harder To Read
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Luke Fickell has already acknowledged that some spots remain unsettled, including backup quarterback, and injuries to key players have only added to the uncertainty. The Badgers will still provide injury reports during Big Ten play, but they are not required to do that for non-conference games, which makes this weeks lineup even tougher to handicap. [Read more 🡒]