Ranking Wisconsin football's remaining opponents from best to worst

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

The Wisconsin Badgers are nearly halfway through their 2026 campaign, and as it stands, the Badgers have an outside chance of being able to compete for a Big Ten championship.

While it still looks unlikely, if they can get through Halloween unblemished, then they hold a real chance of being able to progress as far as they allow themselves to go.

No. 1 @ Iowa 10/31

While the Hawkeyes will never light up the scoreboard, they can turn nearly every game into a slugfest, and they will do the same at Kinnick against the Badgers. 

No. 2 @ UCLA 10/17 

The Bruins are clicking under Bob Chesney with an undefeated start. Seeing as the Badgers are going to have to travel across the country in what will be a weird environment and an explosive offense, it’s going to be a hard task to see them get over the hill 

No. 3 USC 10/24 

This game being at Camp Randall does water down USC’s strength a little bit, but if Jayden Maiava and a high-powered USC offense get clicking, it could provide a real headache for the Badgers. 

No. 4 Minnesota 11/27 

Fickell is 1-2 against the Gophers, and this is a prototypical PJ Fleck team that has already been launched to a 4-1 start. 

No. 5 @ Purdue 11/21

The Boilermakers are on the right track under coach Barry Odom, and while their record will not look fantastic, they will likely find themselves in a tightly contested game that can ground a team down or pick up the scoring at will. 

No. 6 @ Maryland 11/14

While Malik Washington is on track to become an elite quarterback, the pieces around him on both sides of the ball aren’t keeping up the same standard. 

No. 7 Rutgers 11/7

The Scarlett Knights are in the midst of a dreadful 1-4 start, and with this game being at Camp Randall, this should result in a Wisconsin win. 

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion. 

This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Ranking Wisconsin football's remaining opponents from best to worst

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos