Wisconsin’s first two weeks have already pushed the Badgers out of one bowl projection.
After opening the 2026 season with a 41-13 loss to Notre Dame and a 36-9 win over Western Illinois, On3’s Brett McMurphy no longer has Wisconsin in his bowl field heading into Week 3. He had the Badgers slotted in the Birmingham Bowl against Auburn before Week 1, but dropped them from the projections ahead of Week 2 and left them out again this week.
The Badgers have shown some encouraging signs in both games, but they’ve also carried over plenty of the issues that have followed them in recent years under head coach Luke Fickell. Wisconsin now turns to Eastern Michigan in Week 3 to finish its non-conference schedule before opening Big Ten play on the road against Penn State in Week 4.
McMurphy’s updated Week 3 bowl picture added seven new teams: Duke, Florida International, Marshall, Mississippi State, North Texas, Oklahoma State and Wake Forest. Wisconsin was not among them.
The Badgers are one of six Big Ten teams outside McMurphy’s current bowl projections, along with Minnesota, Northwestern, Michigan State, Rutgers and Purdue.
If Wisconsin beats Eastern Michigan this weekend, it would still need four more wins over its final nine games to reach bowl eligibility. That would require at least a 4-5 mark in Big Ten play. The good news for Wisconsin is that four of the teams it faces later this season - Michigan State, Rutgers, Minnesota and Purdue - are also not projected for a bowl game right now.
In Other News...
Wisconsins 2027 Schedule Just Took An Unexpected Early-Season Turn
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The bigger picture still gives the Badgers a varied 2027 setup, starting with a season opener against Pittsburgh in Dublin and rolling into the familiar grind of Big Ten play. With the out-of-conference puzzle continuing to shift, Wisconsins upcoming itinerary is taking shape in a way that should give fans plenty to track long before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Johnny Davis May Finally Have A Path Back After NBA Setbacks
Johnny Davis is trying to rebuild his career far from the spotlight that once followed him into the NBA. The former top-10 draft pick never found much traction over his first three seasons, with modest production and little momentum, and after those struggles carried into short G League stops, he headed overseas in search of a fresh start.
His debut in Trkiye offered the kind of reset he needed, with a strong all-around performance that included 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. For Wisconsin fans who watched him rise into a lottery pick, the next chapter now feels more about proving he can steady himself long enough to create a real path back to the league. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Faces A Week 3 Threat Fans Should Not Overlook
Wisconsins early-season split has left the Badgers with room to clean things up before the schedule tightens, and Eastern Michigan offers a test that deserves more attention than a glance at the records. The Eagles come in at 1-2, but they have enough veteran pieces to make this a tricky Week 3 matchup, especially with quarterback Kim guiding the offense and a backfield that includes Blue and Bennett, two runners capable of creating problems if Wisconsin loses its discipline.
For the Badgers, the matchup is less about the standings than the specific stress points Eastern Michigan can create. Mowchan gives the Eagles a reliable presence on defense, and the mix of experience across the roster is what makes this one worth watching beyond the usual nonconference assumptions. Wisconsin should expect a physical game in which the details matter, and the danger is letting a seemingly manageable opponent turn the afternoon into something more complicated than it should be. [Read more 🡒]