Wisconsin has already cleared the first hurdle, and now the bowl picture is starting to come into focus.
After beating Rutgers 31-10 on Saturday, the Badgers locked up bowl eligibility and moved to 6-3 with three regular-season games still left to play. That win didn’t settle where Luke Fickell’s team will land in December, but it did put Wisconsin in position to start seeing its name pop up across the bowl projections.
One of the more notable updated forecasts comes from Athlon Sports, which has Wisconsin headed to the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee, on Wednesday, December 30. In that projection, the Badgers would face Oklahoma at Nissan Stadium, with the matchup coming against an SEC opponent.
That would mark Wisconsin’s second trip to the Music City Bowl. The last time the Badgers played there was in 2003, when they fell to Auburn 28-14.
A meeting with Oklahoma would bring a different kind of challenge, even with the Sooners having had their struggles this season. It would also give Wisconsin a chance to close the year against a program that has long carried national name recognition.
Athlon had previously slotted the Badgers against Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
CBS Sports sees things differently. Its latest projection sends Wisconsin to New York City for the Pinstripe Bowl, where the Badgers would meet Pittsburgh on Saturday, December 26, at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
That would be a familiar stage for Wisconsin fans. The Badgers were there in 2018 and beat Miami 35-3.
CBS had earlier projected Wisconsin against North Carolina in the Pinstripe Bowl, but the latest version changes the opponent while keeping the destination the same. Compared with a trip to Nashville, it would be a very different setting and a different type of matchup, but one that would still put Wisconsin against a recognizable program.
Before Saturday’s win over Rutgers, other projections had Wisconsin in a few different spots. ESPN’s earlier bowl projections had the Badgers in the Music City Bowl against South Carolina or Ole Miss, while On3 had them in the Cactus Bowl against Baylor.
For now, Wisconsin has options on the table, and the next three games could help shape which one becomes reality. The Badgers still have Maryland, Purdue and Minnesota left on the schedule, and another win or two could matter when the invitations are finally handed out.
Wisconsin missed a postseason game in 2025, but this season’s bowl eligibility is secured. Where the Badgers end up in December is still up in the air.
In Other News...
Luke Fickell Just Put Wisconsins Biggest Offensive Frustration On Blast
After the Rutgers game, Luke Fickell sounded encouraged by what Wisconsin got from Ryan Hopkins at quarterback, but he made it just as clear that the offense still has a problem it has not solved. The Badgers have been trying to find a rhythm on the ground, and Fickell pointed directly to the need to create more space for the running backs and get them more involved.
That frustration has been hanging over the offense for a while, especially with the running game failing to live up to expectations. For Wisconsin, the issue is bigger than one game or one quarterback change, because the staff still has to figure out how to build a rushing attack that can actually carry the offense forward. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins Defensive Rotation Took A Notable Turn Against Rutgers
Wisconsins defense looked more like the version the Badgers have been chasing all fall in the Week 10 win over Rutgers, and the snap counts tell part of the story. The unit was far more disruptive, finishing with eight tackles-for-loss and five sacks while holding Rutgers to 161 passing yards and just 2.6 yards per carry, a strong outing that came with some noticeable shuffling in how the front and linebacker groups were deployed.
The rotation along the defensive line and at linebacker changed enough to stand out from previous weeks, and the participation data points to a staff that is still searching for the right mix as the season moves on. For Wisconsin, the encouraging part is not just the production against Rutgers, but the possibility that the defense may have found a formula worth leaning on again as bigger tests keep coming. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Just Got The Reset Fans Needed And Now One Debate Starts
A much-needed reset finally arrived for Wisconsin on Saturday, and it came with the kind of complete performance the Badgers had been searching for. The 31-10 win over Rutgers not only pushed Wisconsin to 6-2, it also secured bowl eligibility for the first time in three years, a milestone that had been hanging over the program as the season unfolded.
Ryan Hopkins first career start gave the day an added layer of intrigue, and the true freshman showed enough promise to make his development a real talking point going forward. The defense did its part too, piling up five sacks and making life miserable for Rutgers on third downs, which leaves Wisconsin with a familiar next question: how much can this win say about the teams ceiling if Hopkins keeps growing and the pass rush stays this disruptive? [Read more 🡒]