Greg McElroy sees Wisconsin a lot higher than the AP poll does, and he’s backing it up with the kind of résumé talk that actually matters this early in the season.
The Badgers were left on the outside of the AP Top 25 when the poll dropped, sitting as the biggest vote-getter among the teams not included. That effectively makes Wisconsin the No. 26 team in the country by AP standards.
McElroy isn’t buying that placement. On his Always College Football podcast, the ESPN analyst said he was building his top 15 around “resume and control, who you’ve beaten, where you’ve beaten them.”
He added that efficiency numbers and other factors would matter too, but his approach was clearly centered on what teams have done on the field this season.
By that measure, McElroy slotted Wisconsin at No. 15, and his case is pretty straightforward. He pointed to the Badgers being seventh in strength of record, playing the sixth-toughest schedule in college football, and knocking off Penn State on the road. He also noted that their only loss came against the team he has ranked fourth.
“That's better than what a lot of teams have in college football.”
That’s the heart of McElroy’s argument, and it’s hard to poke many holes in it. Wisconsin’s best win stacks up with almost anyone’s right now, and there just aren’t many teams around the country that can match that kind of quality at the top of the résumé. Florida’s wins over Ole Miss and Oklahoma State over Oregon are among the few that can even enter the conversation.
Florida sits sixth on McElroy’s list, which fits the same logic. Oklahoma State doesn’t crack the rankings, though, because the loss to Tulsa drags the Cowboys down even with a notable win on the ledger.
For Wisconsin, the bigger issue isn’t whether the résumé belongs in the top 25 - it clearly does - but whether enough people are ready to see the Badgers as a top-15 team yet. They entered the season with a bad enough perception problem that one big win may not be enough to change the narrative overnight.
That’s why the Badgers can’t afford to coast. McElroy’s view gives them credit, but it also leaves them with a challenge: keep stacking wins and keep forcing the conversation.
One statement game helps. Another one would make the point impossible to ignore.
In Other News...
Luke Fickell Just Said What Wisconsin Fans Wanted To Hear
After Wisconsins 31-3 win over Michigan State, the Badgers headed into their bye week at 4-1 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play with a little more clarity than they had a few weeks ago. One of the biggest takeaways from the victory was the offensive line shuffle, and Luke Fickell pointed to Ryan Corys work at center in place of the injured Austin Kawecki as a promising sign for a group that has been trying to settle in and protect the offenses rhythm.
Fickell also made it clear the Badgers are treating the run of recent success as more than just a couple of good Saturdays. He talked about the teams focus, leadership and momentum, the kind of language fans want to hear in early October when the season starts to show who is ready to separate from the pack. With the bye week here, Wisconsin has a chance to build on that momentum, but the bigger question is how much of this sharpened identity carries forward once the games resume. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Fickells Bold O-Line Shakeup May Have Fixed Wisconsins Run Game
Luke Fickells decision to shake up the offensive line paid off in a way Wisconsin has been waiting to see. By moving Kevin Heywood into the starting left tackle spot and benching PJ Wilkins, the Badgers got their best five linemen on the field for a unit that looked far more settled against Michigan State, protecting the quarterback without allowing a sack and opening enough space for a rushing attack that finally found some rhythm.
The move was about more than one game, too. Fickell framed it as a push for Wilkins as much as a reward for Heywood, a reminder that competition still matters up front for a program built around physical football. If the new alignment can hold up, Wisconsin may have found a cleaner path to the kind of run game it wants, even if the long-term answer at left tackle still leaves one important question hanging. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Fickell Just Framed Wisconsins Fast Start The Way Fans Needed
Wisconsins 4-1 start has given the program some early breathing room, and Luke Fickell sounded like a coach who knows it. The Badgers have already flashed the kind of convincing performance that can steady a season, including a 31-3 win over Michigan State, but Fickell made clear he views the first month as more of a checkpoint than a destination. With a bye week in hand before UCLA, the timing gives Wisconsin a chance to reset while still carrying momentum into the Big Ten stretch ahead.
Fickell also pointed to the bigger picture inside the program, where the culture change he has been pushing remains a work in progress. Part of that next step involves continued growth from quarterback Colton Joseph, whose development matters as the schedule tightens and the stakes rise. The Badgers have reason to feel good about where they stand, but the message coming out of Madison is that the real test is still in front of them. [Read more 🡒]