Wisconsin’s push back into the AP Top 25 will have to wait at least one more week, even after the Badgers’ upset of No. 13 Penn State on Saturday.
The comeback win in Happy Valley had plenty of people wondering whether Wisconsin could ride that momentum straight into the rankings for Week 5. Instead, the AP poll came out Sunday with the Badgers still on the outside looking in.
That’s still a major shift from where Wisconsin stood entering the week. The Badgers had not received a single AP vote all season before this update, but now they sit at the top of the “received votes” group, right on the doorstep of the Top 25.
Wisconsin earned 102 points from AP voters, which left it just 16 points shy of Missouri for the No. 25 spot. David Jablonski of the Dayton Daily News had Wisconsin highest on his ballot, placing the Badgers at No.
- Four other voters put them at No. 19, and 20 more slotted them anywhere from No. 20 through No.
That leaves Wisconsin in position to make another move soon, and the schedule gives them a clear shot. The Badgers host Michigan State next, and the Spartans are coming off a 31-13 home loss to Nebraska in East Lansing last week.
If Wisconsin handles business against Michigan State and gets a little help from teams ahead of it taking losses, the Badgers could find themselves ranked again for the first time in three years.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Suddenly Has A Chance To Prove Penn State Was No Fluke
Wisconsins upset at Penn State did more than grab attention around the Big Ten. The Badgers walked out of Beaver Stadium with a 24-20 win, their first there since 2003, and suddenly the conversation around the program changed from surprise to scrutiny. Beating a ranked opponent on the road is one thing, but backing it up is where a team starts to earn real credibility.
Now Wisconsin gets a chance to show that performance was no one-off as it heads into a matchup with Michigan State as a double-digit favorite. The line reflects how much stock the market is putting into the Penn State result, and it puts the Badgers in a spot where expectations are no longer about hanging around. For Wisconsin, the next game is less about the upset itself and more about proving it says something real about where this team stands. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Faces A New Kind Of Pressure After Its Penn State Stunner
Wisconsins comeback at Penn State gave Luke Fickell the kind of road win that can change the feel of a season. Down 17-0 and staring at a tough afternoon in a hostile building, the Badgers rallied to knock off the No. 13 team in the country, a result that stands as one of the clearest markers yet of progress in this era. Even so, the reward has been more about momentum than recognition, with Wisconsin still sitting outside the AP Top 25 as it turns its attention to the next Big Ten test.
Michigan State comes to Madison for the conference home opener carrying its own concerns, including an injury to key player Cam Edwards and a recent stretch of uneven play. For Wisconsin, the new pressure is obvious: after a statement win, there is less room to treat anything as a stepping stone. The Badgers now have to show that the Penn State rally was not just an emotional peak, but the start of something sturdier as the schedule keeps tightening. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Enters Wisconsin Matchup With A Backfield Problem
Michigan State heads into its matchup with Wisconsin facing a significant shakeup in the backfield after Cam Edwards went down with a knee injury against Nebraska. Coach Pat Fitzgerald confirmed Edwards will miss the rest of the season, leaving the Spartans without a runner who had already piled up 304 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the early going.
Jaziun Patterson stepped in during the Nebraska game and is expected to carry the load moving forward, which adds another layer of uncertainty for a Wisconsin defense preparing for a different look. The Badgers will still have to sort through a Michigan State offense that now has to adjust on the fly, and the way that backfield settles in could shape the tone of the matchup. [Read more 🡒]