Wisconsin Football Disrespected in Major Preseason Ranking
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Everyone around the Wisconsin football program is aware of the travesty of a season that unfolded in 2025.
But most around the program are also encouraged for the future, with a renewed investment in football from the school that led to exciting coaching hires and a promising transfer portal class.
Still, it's clear that the Badgers' national perception is still in the gutter. Need proof? Look no further than Bill Connelly's initial SP+ rankings for the 2026 season.
Wisconsin checks in at No. 61 nationally in the initial rankings, good for a measly 15th in the Big Ten.
Big Ten Teams in Initial SP+ Rankings
| Program (National SP+ Ranking) |
|---|
| Ohio State (1) |
| Oregon (2) |
| Indiana (5) |
| USC (13) |
| Michigan (14) |
| Penn State (17) |
| Washington (21) |
| Iowa (22) |
| Illinois (33) |
| Nebraska (37) |
| Minnesota (45) |
| UCLA (46) |
| Northwestern (49) |
| Maryland (55) |
| Wisconsin (61) |
| Rutgers (62) |
| Michigan State (67) |
| Purdue (82) |
According to Connelly, SP+ rankings are a predictive metric calculated using four primary factors, including returning production, recent history, recent recruiting and coaching change effects. They're meant to be a comprehensive power ranking.
After a abhorrent 4-8 campaign in which many of the Badgers' losses were completely non-competitive, it's fair for the national media – and their in-house ranking systems – to harbor low expectations for Wisconsin.
It also tracks that the Badgers are far from the national radar while eight other Big Ten teams populate the SP+ Top 25. Still, when you look at how these rankings position Wisconsin in its own conference, there's some eye-raising teams ahead of it.
Connelly is higher on Maryland, Northwestern, UCLA, among others
Maryland got off to a nice start last fall, including a dominant win over the Badgers in Camp Randall Stadium. But the Terps proceeded to finish with a worse record in the Big Ten and dropped their final eight games.
UCLA finished with three Big Ten wins to Wisconsin's two, but it also went 3-9 on the year and lost its final five games.
Again, SP+ isn't a resume-based metric. Still, it's pretty rich that teams like Maryland, UCLA, and even Northwestern, Minnesota and Nebraska are all ranked significantly higher than the Badgers. Wisconsin was only a game or two worse than these teams in the regular season, and are now faced with a significantly easier schedule and a clear upgrade at quarterback.
With all due respect to ESPN's self-proclaimed "professional nerd" Bill Connelly, Vegas' early win totals appear to paint a more accurate picture of where the Badgers should be positioned within the Big Ten.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/wisconsin as Wisconsin Football Disrespected in Major Preseason Ranking.
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