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Iowa and Wisconsin have an interesting history with one another. 

The series has been intense for most of its existence and the Heartland Trophy's introduction in 2004 only added to it, but if you look at the modern history of the rivalry (when Hayden Fry arrived at Iowa in 1979), you'll see both teams trade lengthy periods of domination. 

Fry's Hawkeyes didn't lose to Wisconsin until 1997, but that's when Barry Alvarez's Badgers were well on their rise to Big Ten contention. Wisconsin won five straight from 1997-2001, but then Iowa regained control for the rest of the decade, highlighted by a dramatic win in 2004 that clinched a share of the Big Ten championship. 

The Badgers got revenge in the 2010s, though, and their wins over the Hawkeyes in the latter half of the decade often decided who would play in the Big Ten Championship Game. 

But everything changed in 2020 with Iowa's 28-7 victory. Wisconsin has won just once since (2021), and the Hawkeyes have beaten the Badgers by a combined score of 79-10 in the last two meetings. 

The 2026 battle will take place on Halloween Day at Kinnick Stadium. That's way too far in advance for a full preview, but we can give you an early look at these desperate Badgers. 

The Coach 

Luke Fickell is entering his fourth season as Wisconsin's head coach, and it's safe to say that things haven't gone as planned so far. Fickell went 57-18 and reached a College Football Playoff at Cincinnati, but it hasn't translated to success in Madison. 

The Badgers have missed a bowl game in each of the last two seasons (they went 23 straight years without missing one before Fickell's arrival), resulting in Fickell sitting on the hot seat. If Wisconsin has another losing season this year, then it could spell the end of Fickell's career. 

Key Returners 

Wisconsin's main struggles in 2025 were on the offensive side of the ball. The offense just couldn't find a way to move the football, scoring just 12.8 points per game. Fickell and Co. did some good things to address these problems in the transfer portal (more on that in a second), but when it comes to key returning players to watch, it's probably running back Darrion Dupree. 

The Badgers' putrid offense meant Dupree managed to collect just 363 rushing yards last season, but that was the best on the team, and Dupree tallied a season-best 131 yards in an upset win over then-No. 21 Illinois late in the season. 

Wisconsin is going to lean on its defense, though, which held opponents to 21. 6 points per game and kept the 2025 season from being an utter disaster. Linebackers Sebastian Cheeks (24 tackles, 3 sacks last year) and leading tackler Mason Posa (58 tackles, four sacks) are back. 

Key Newcomers 

The Badgers haven't had good quarterback play in the Fickell era. Injuries have been a major problem, but Wisconsin hopes that ends once and for all this year. Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph is set to take over at quarterback after throwing for over 2,600 yards and 21 touchdowns for the Monarchs last year. Not only that, he's also a major dual-threat option, having tallied 1,007 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground last year. 

Joseph is absolutely the name to watch on Jeff Grimes' offense, but Wisconsin also brought in Iowa State transfer Abu Sama III, who tallied 732 yards and five scores for Matt Campbell's final Cyclone squad.

Season Outlook 

Getting back to a bowl game is the goal for the Badgers this year, and while it does have a tough season opener against No. 4 Notre Dame at Lambeau Field, the rest of the schedule is manageable enough to get to six wins. 

Trips to Penn State and Iowa will be tough, too, but if the defense remains strong and the offense is average, the Badgers will be bowling. 

You Can Win FREE Tickets To Iowa's Season Opener! 

HawkeyeRoundtable is giving away TWO tickets to Iowa's season opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 5! 

This is easily the biggest giveaway we've ever done on this site, and it's a great opportunity for two lucky fans to experience the joy of attending a Hawkeye football game at Kinnick Stadium. 

Click here to automatically become a member to enter the contest! Additional contest details can be found in our community section, too! 

HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at bradschultz@roundtable.io

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