Wisconsin’s bowl outlook looks a lot better than it did a couple of weeks ago.
The Badgers were left out of some projections after the loss to Notre Dame and a flat showing against Western Illinois in Week 2, but four straight wins have changed the picture. Entering their bye week at 4-1, Wisconsin is back in the bowl mix and showing up in some fairly appealing spots.
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach has the Badgers headed to the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl against Wake Forest. That game is played at Yankee Stadium, and it has matched a Big Ten team with an ACC team for more than a decade.
ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura has Wisconsin in an even stronger spot, sending the Badgers to the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year’s Eve against Florida. Wisconsin last appeared in that bowl three seasons ago, when it played LSU.
On3’s Brett McMurphy, who didn’t have Wisconsin in a bowl three weeks ago, now projects the Badgers to the Music City Bowl against Texas A&M. Wisconsin has not played in that game since 2003. McMurphy’s matchup would pair the Badgers with an A&M team that has struggled this season, especially at quarterback.
USA Today’s Erick Smith has Wisconsin going to the Cactus Bowl, formerly the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, against Baylor. The Badgers last played in that bowl in 2022 and beat Oklahoma State 24-17 for their most recent bowl victory.
CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford has Wisconsin in the Duke’s Maye Bowl against Duke on Dec. 26 in Charlotte, North Carolina, a game that would effectively function as a home date for the Blue Devils.
“These teams are a combined 8-1 this season and both have hopes of getting to their respective conference championship games with a few breaks over the next two months,” Crawford wrote. “Wisconsin doesn’t have to play Ohio State, Indiana or Oregon in the regular season, while the unbeaten Blue Devils go to Miami on Nov. 14 in what should be a season-defining showdown.”
In Other News...
Wisconsins Unbeaten Big Ten Start Faces Its Biggest Test Yet
Wisconsin kept rolling through Big Ten play with another clean result, handling No. 24 Illinois in straight sets to stretch its winning streak to seven matches. The Badgers controlled the first two frames and closed out the third, with Audrey Flanagan leading the way with 12 kills as Wisconsin moved to 11-4 overall and 5-0 in conference play.
Now comes the part that will tell a lot more about where this team really stands. The Badgers head on the road next for a matchup with No. 1 Nebraska, a chance to measure an unbeaten conference start against the standard-bearer in the league and a test that could shape the rest of Wisconsins Big Ten run. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin May Not Know One Key Guard's Status Until The Season Starts
Braeden Carringtons status for the 2026-27 season is still up in the air, with Wisconsin waiting on a court hearing scheduled for Oct. 20 before it gets a clearer answer. The guard was one of the Badgers key three-point shooters last season, so his situation carries real weight for a roster that values spacing, depth and reliable perimeter production.
Greg Gard said the program is prepared for whichever way it goes, a reflection of how roster building now often requires schools to live with uncertainty deep into the fall. For Wisconsin, the concern is less about the noise and more about timing, because Carringtons availability could shape the backcourt picture right as the season is beginning to take form. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins Surging WR Room Still Has One Big Thing To Prove
Wisconsins wide receiver room has quietly become one of the more interesting parts of the offense, not because one player has taken over, but because several have found ways to matter. Tyrell Henry has been the most productive of the group, leading the Badgers in receptions and receiving yards while also setting a single-game receptions record, but hes hardly been alone. Chris Brooks Jr., Malachi Coleman and Eugene Hilton Jr. have all chipped in, giving the passing game a more balanced feel than it had earlier in the year.
For the Badgers, that kind of depth is useful, but it also leaves one lingering question hanging over the room. The production has come by committee, and that can work as long as the group keeps growing together, yet Wisconsin still does not have a clearly established top target defenses must account for every week. Until one receiver separates himself from the pack, this remains a promising development more than a finished product. [Read more 🡒]