Wisconsin picked up an unexpected boost from Rutgers’ collapse against UMass, and it changes the feel of one date on the Badgers’ schedule.
Rutgers’ loss was as ugly as it gets. The Scarlet Knights dropped a buy game to a UMass team that went 0-12 last season, and the Minutemen had never beaten an FBS opponent since joining the level themselves. That streak ended with the upset, leaving Greg Schiano with plenty of explaining to do and Rutgers looking like the punchline of the Big Ten and the wider college football world.
For Wisconsin, though, the result brought real benefits. The Badgers have Rutgers coming to Camp Randall on November 7, and what had been viewed as a swing game on both teams’ calendars no longer carries that label. Rutgers paid over $1.5 million to lose to UMass, and that kind of result changes how people look at the matchup in Madison.
ESPN Analytics reacted quickly, too. Wisconsin was already the favorite at home, but the model moved the Badgers from a slight edge to a 72% chance to win after Rutgers’ loss.
That number could shift again before kickoff, especially with six games still left on Rutgers’ schedule, but the direction is clear. If the Scarlet Knights couldn’t handle UMass, plenty of people will wonder what they can do over the next stretch.
That gives Wisconsin a cleaner path in that game than it had before. It still has to be played, and overlooking anybody can get a team in trouble, but the Badgers’ outlook against Rutgers looks a lot better now.
There’s another ripple effect for Wisconsin, too. Luke Fickell is no longer the Big Ten coach under the most pressure.
That title now belongs to Schiano, who is squarely in the firing conversation after this embarrassment. Rutgers fans are already searching for “Greg Schiano buyout.”
Fickell won’t be judged right away, and probably not during Wisconsin’s next two buy games against Western Illinois and Eastern Michigan. The real test may come later against Penn State and Michigan State. For the moment, though, the spotlight has shifted away from Madison and onto Schiano.
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