Does Wisconsin's projected win total go up under Shawn Eichorst?

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Coming off a 4-8 season, the Wisconsin Badgers know 2026 is a make-or-break year for struggling head coach Luke Fickell.

Now, a new athletic director is in town and is going to do everything in his power to help bring this football program back to prominence.

Fickell’s squad went 5-7 in 2024, but has missed bowl games in back-to-back seasons. That’s unlike this Badgers team, one that used to make the Rose Bowl time and time again.

Shawn Eichorst is a Wisconsin guy, through and through. He said he hasn’t had a ton of chances to talk to Fickell thus far, but he wants to sit back and observe as he settles into a new environment.

Wisconsin’s 2026 schedule is tailor-made for a winning season. The top teams in the Big Ten are all playing each other while the Badgers drew Penn State, Michigan State, UCLA, USC, Iowa, Rutgers, Maryland, Purdue, and Minnesota.

Their non-conference games against Western Illinois and Eastern Michigan are nearly a lock, but Notre Dame will give them quite a challenge in Week 1.

Either way, Eichorst is along for the ride, one that should see this season vastly improve on their 2025 campaign. If not, there’s something seriously wrong, and Eichorst will have a lot of questions coming his way regarding a coaching change.

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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Does Wisconsin’s projected win total go up under Shawn Eichorst?

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