Wisconsin’s resume is starting to read like a committee favorite.
Even though the Badgers have spent the past few weeks hanging just outside the top five in the AVCA poll, the first in-season NCAA selection committee ranking put them in a far better spot. Wisconsin landed at No. 4 in the committee’s top 16, behind Nebraska, Pitt and Kentucky, and that places the Badgers in the projected No. 1 seed conversation.
That’s a notable jump from the latest AVCA Top 25, where Wisconsin stayed at No. 6 on Monday after picking up two wins last week, including a four-set victory over Iowa behind a strong performance from Jaela Auguste.
The committee’s ranking gives Wisconsin a clearer picture of where it stands nationally. The Badgers are slotted ahead of Florida at No. 5 and Louisville at No.
- Florida sits at No. 5 in this week’s AVCA poll, while Louisville is No.
- SMU checks in at No. 6 in the committee rankings after coming in at No. 7 in the AVCA poll.
Wisconsin has built this position by embracing a brutal schedule. The Badgers have already faced Kentucky, Louisville, Stanford, Pitt, Florida and Texas in non-conference play. In Big Ten competition, they’ve taken on Nebraska, Oregon and Purdue, with UCLA, Penn State and Washington still on the schedule.
The early seed line suggests the committee is giving Wisconsin credit for going after elite opponents. The Badgers are 13-5 overall and 7-1 in the Big Ten, and their wins include a sweep of Louisville, a 3-2 win over Florida, a 3-1 win over Oregon and a sweep of Purdue.
Their losses have come against Pitt, Stanford, Texas, Kentucky and Nebraska, with Stanford being the only one of those teams not ranked in the top 12 of the committee’s group.
For now, Wisconsin looks to be in solid shape heading into the final month of the regular season. And those head-to-head wins over Florida and Louisville may wind up carrying real weight when the bracket gets decided.
In Other News...
Wisconsin May Have An Obvious Fix For Its Roster-Building Problem
Wisconsins new football front office already has a familiar connection to one of the NFLs more respected talent evaluators. The Badgers recently hired Morocco Brown as Football General Manager, and Brown comes from the Chris Ballard tree after working under the former Indianapolis Colts GM, who was relieved of his duties after a poor season in Indianapolis. For a program trying to sharpen how it builds and manages its roster, that link alone makes the situation worth watching.
Ballards availability has naturally raised a bigger question for Wisconsin: whether the Badgers could lean on his experience in some kind of consulting or temporary capacity to help modernize the way they evaluate and assemble talent. Nothing of that sort is confirmed, but the logic is easy to follow given Browns background and the programs stated need for better roster management. If Wisconsin is looking for an obvious way to accelerate that process, the answer may already be sitting in the same professional orbit. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Faces One Brutal Question With USC Coming To Camp Randall
Wisconsin came back from its trip to UCLA with a frustrating reminder that one sturdy part of the defense can still be undone by everything else around it. The Badgers held down the Bruins rushing game, but they were exposed through the air and never found enough on offense to make up for it, leaving a loss that felt more about missed answers than one isolated breakdown.
Now the conversation shifts to USC coming into Camp Randall, and the matchup only sharpens the concern. The Trojans bring a strong passing offense but a softer pass defense, which puts Wisconsin in a familiar spot: needing to clean up the secondary while also finding enough offense to keep pace. The line has USC favored by 2.5 points, a reflection of how much this game may hinge on which team can solve the passing game first. [Read more 🡒]
USC Faces A Road Test Fans Can't Ignore Before Ohio State
USC heads to Madison for its third road game of the season, and it arrives with enough spotlight attached to make this one feel bigger than a typical October trip. The No. 16 Trojans will face Wisconsin on NBC in primetime, with the setup already drawing attention because of how the Badgers can force an opponent into a different kind of game.
Todd Blackledge pointed to Wisconsins strong defense and the presence of mobile quarterback Colton Joseph as part of the challenge, and that combination is exactly the sort of test that can expose a team before it gets to the bigger stakes ahead. Scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, the matchup gives USC one more road measuring stick before Ohio State enters the conversation in earnest. [Read more 🡒]