Wisconsin’s Big Ten path has already gotten messier, and the two Los Angeles teams on the schedule are heading in wildly different directions.
The Badgers were never looking at an easy trip to Iowa on Halloween. That game was always going to be a grind, especially with the Hawkeyes having dominated Wisconsin lately - the previous two meetings finished with a combined score of 79-10 - and Kinnick Stadium waiting in the wings.
But now it looks even nastier. Iowa is 4-0, ranked No. 14 in the country, and opened Big Ten play with a road win over Michigan.
If the Hawkeyes knock off Ohio State this week, that matchup gets even heavier.
The more dramatic shift, though, is happening with Wisconsin’s two games against the Big Ten’s Los Angeles newcomers: UCLA and USC.
UCLA has gone from afterthought to problem in a hurry. Bringing in Bob Chesney from JMU has been a huge win for the Bruins, who are 4-0 with three victories over Power Four opponents and have already topped last season’s three-win total.
They’re back in the AP poll at No. 23 for the first time since 2023, and the numbers behind the start are loud. UCLA ranks No. 3 nationally in rushing yards per game at 281.5, with transfer Wayne Knight piling up 445 rushing yards, 9.1 yards per carry and nine touchdowns.
The Bruins’ offense is No. 11 in total offense, and the defense has been stout against the run, giving up just 91.3 rushing yards per game, good for No. 17 in the country. They’ve also produced nine sacks and eight interceptions.
Last week’s 52-3 rout of Maryland only strengthened the case that the Chesney turnaround is real. UCLA still has to prove more when it travels to Eugene to face No.
15 Oregon this week, and its schedule so far has included a disappointing California team, San Diego State and two Big Ten bottom feeders in Maryland and Purdue. Even so, the Bruins now look like one of the toughest remaining games on Wisconsin’s slate.
A week after that trip to California, the Badgers will come back home to face USC, and the Trojans are trending the other way. This was supposed to be the season Lincoln Riley finally got everything aligned. After going 7-6 in USC’s first Big Ten season and 9-4 last fall, then bringing back Heisman candidate quarterback Jayden Maiava, the expectation was clear: playoffs or bust.
Instead, USC has done little to inspire confidence. The Trojans were thumped by Oregon at home, and the defense has been a problem all season.
San Jose State, Louisiana-Lafayette and Rutgers scored 26, 30 and 35 points against them. The offense is still productive - USC has a top-10 total offense and a top-5 passing offense - but that hasn’t been enough to cover for what’s happening on the other side of the ball.
There’s also a bigger issue hanging over the program. USC’s local media has largely turned on Riley after he essentially refused to acknowledge the vicious dirty hit that linebacker Desman Stephens II delivered on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, a play that left Moore unconscious. Stephens later received a one-game suspension, but the damage to USC’s reputation was already done.
The Trojans still have Washington and Penn State before they reach Madison, and after Wisconsin they’ll have Ohio State and Indiana back-to-back. At this point, it’s fair to question whether Riley will make it through the season.
In Other News...
Luke Fickell Knows Wisconsin Cant Keep Winning Like This
Wisconsin came away with a huge win over Penn State, but the film gave Luke Fickell plenty to worry about afterward. The Badgers survived despite losing the turnover battle 3-1, with quarterback Colton Joseph throwing all three interceptions, and they also had to scrape by on the ground in a game where the rushing edge was razor-thin. Fickell made it clear the result mattered, but the formula did not look like one Wisconsin can lean on for long.
The bigger concern is sustainability. Wisconsin finished with only a one-yard edge in rushing yardage and was outperformed when the quarterback run game was stripped out, a sign the offense still has work to do if it wants to control games instead of just hang around in them. Fickell pointed to ball security and the rushing attack as the areas that have to improve moving forward, which is a fair reminder that even a win like this can feel more like a warning than a breakthrough. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Now Has A Chance Fans Have Been Waiting On
Wisconsins win over No. 13 Penn State gave the Badgers a resume-building result and pushed them to 3-1, but it still was not enough to get them into the AP Top 25. They landed at No. 26, just outside the poll, which leaves them right on the doorstep of the kind of national recognition fans have been waiting to see again.
Michigan State comes to Madison next, and Wisconsin is favored to handle the Spartans at home. A victory would give the Badgers another chance to strengthen their case and possibly crack the Top 25, turning last weeks breakthrough into something even bigger as the season starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Just Earned The Kind Of Respect Fans Will Notice
Wisconsins comeback win over No. 13 Penn State did more than just change the conversation around the Badgers for a week. It gave Luke Fickells group the kind of result that tends to travel, the sort of performance that reminds opponents this is still a physical team capable of responding when things get uncomfortable. After a stretch of frustration, the victory looked like more than a single upset - it looked like a sign of growth.
Pat Fitzgerald noticed, too, and his praise for Fickell and Wisconsin centered on the toughness and resilience the Badgers showed in turning that game around. With Michigan State and Wisconsin now heading toward each other after very different recent outcomes, the matchup carries a little extra weight. One side is trying to prove the Penn State win was a turning point, while the other is preparing for a Badgers team that has just earned some new respect. [Read more 🡒]