The University of Wisconsin-Madison Badgers returned to Camp Randall Friday to open the season as they took on Western Michigan University.
A lot has changed from last year: the Badgers have a new quarterback, plenty of transfers and a revamped Big Ten that includes four new programs. This year, they are looking for improvement after finishing the last two seasons with an identical 7-6 record.
In head coach Luke Fickell’s second season in charge, his team will be led by transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, who played three seasons for the University of Miami Hurricanes. The Badgers return two stars on defense, first team All-Big Ten safety Hunter Wohler and preseason All-American cornerback Ricardo Hallman.
With a mixture of returning talent and transfer portal pickups, the Badgers should be in a position to improve on last year’s mediocre record. But, they will have to contend with the new 18-team Big Ten that has two powerhouses on their schedule this year. Wisconsin started the season 1-0 with a 28-14 victory over Western Michigan. Still, they needed a fourth-quarter comeback to do it.
Let’s predict how the rest of the season might turn out:
Week 2: Vs. South Dakota
The University of South Dakota is a Football Championship Subdivision program that had a very solid season last year, finishing with a 10-3 record.
The Coyotes’ only FBS competition last season was against the University of Missouri that ended in a 35-10 loss. This is respectable considering Missouri finished the season as a top-ten team. Regardless, the Badgers should handle this game fairly easily.
Final Score: Wisconsin 41, South Dakota 17
Week 3: Vs. Alabama
The season heats up very quickly as one of the best programs in college football history comes to Madison for a non-conference clash. The University of Alabama dominated college football in the 2010s, winning four national championships and in 2020 added a fifth championship in nine years.
Last season, however, head coach Nick Saban retired, and former Washington coach Kalen Deboer will face the first big test of his tenure when the Tide arrive at Camp Randall.
Alabama returns several high quality talents including quarterback Jalen Milroe, who threw 23 touchdowns and ran for 12 more last season. But the Tide did lose some impact players to the draft and the transfer portal. They are still ranked as the number four team in college football.
Wisconsin needs Van Dyke to have his first signature moment and for the defense to limit Milroe’s explosiveness. While Alabama will get off to a slow start, their overall talent will power through and deliver a victory for the Crimson Tide.
Final Score: Alabama 31, Wisconsin 17
Week 4: Bye
Week 5: At USC
The expanded Big Ten forces the Badgers to make the long trip to Los Angeles to take on the University of Southern California.
USC had a disappointing season last year, and former Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams is off to the NFL. But USC returns a lot of skill position talent, and its new quarterback Miller Moss is expected to develop well under quarterback coach Lincoln Riley. After a disappointing campaign last year, USC hired defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn to revamp its defense.
Coming off the bye with a long flight will be tough for the Badgers. Ultimately, USC will use home field to their advantage and hand the Badgers their first loss of the season.
Final Score: Trojans 28, Badgers 24
Week 6: Vs. Purdue
Wisconsin won their last 17 matchups against Purdue University, including a 38-17 thumping in West Lafayette last season. Purdue made the Big Ten Championship in 2022 but lost their head coach Jeff Brohm to Louisville.
The Boilermakers struggled under first-year head coach Ryan Walters last season, finishing with a 4-8 record. This year, they return quarterback Hudson Card. Purdue will have to improve a defense that ranked last in the conference in points allowed last year. The Badgers will beat Purdue for an 18th straight time.
Final Score: Badgers 31, Boilermakers 21
Week 7: @ Rutgers
Rutgers is no joke. Coach Greg Schiano has the Scarlet Knights trending upwards. Rutgers returns 14 starters from last year's team that won the Pinstripe Bowl and added former Minnesota quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis.
Rutgers hung around against Wisconsin last year but was held back by subpar quarterback play. The Scarlet Knights will push Wisconsin to the brink, but the Badgers will pull it out just barely.
Final Score: Badgers 24, Scarlet Knights 21
Week 8: @ Northwestern
Northwestern University handed Wisconsin their most embarrassing loss of last season when they stormed into Camp Randall and won 24-10.
The Badgers will likely not forget the humiliation they faced on their home field last year. The Wildcats are to be taken seriously, though, as they finished with eight wins last year with now full-time head coach David Braun at the helm.
Northwestern will be led by Mississippi State transfer quarterback Mike Wright. They proved they should not be underestimated last year, but the Badgers will be hunting for revenge and will get it in Evanston.
Final Score: Badgers 34, Wildcats 24
Week 9: Vs. Penn State
Penn State finished 10-3 last season with a loss in the Peach Bowl to Ole Miss. They were ranked eighth in the preseason AP rankings, returning junior quarterback Drew Allar.
The Nittany Lions also had the third best defense in the conference last year. However, they play Ohio State right after they’re going to fall into the trap at Camp Randall.
Final Score: Badgers 20, Nittany Lions 17
Week 10: @ Iowa
Iowa is not the opponent you want to face after a signature win, especially at Kinnick Stadium.
Iowa’s defense has stifled Wisconsin in consecutive victories, including a 15-6 win last year. Clearly, the Badgers should be better, but Iowa should have a defense similar to the one that was the best in the Big Ten last year. Combine their defense with what should be an improved offense under new offensive coordinator Tim Lester, and the Badgers' good times stall out in Iowa City.
Final Score: Hawkeyes 21, Badgers 17
Week 11: Bye
Week 12: Vs. Oregon
The Ducks are the most dangerous addition to the Big Ten. They are ranked as the #3 team in the country and went 11-2 last year with both losses coming to Washington. Oregon finished last season with the best defense in the Pac-12. On the other side, they added Oklahoma transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who threw for over 3,500 yards and 30 touchdowns last season.
Head coach Dan Lanning is building a juggernaut at Oregon. The Badgers can put up a fight, the Ducks will be too much to handle.
Final Score: Ducks 31, Badgers 17
Week 13: @ Nebraska
The Badgers have won 10 straight games against Nebraska dating back to 2012. However, the last three matchups have been close calls. Nebraska finished 5-7 under head coach Matt Rhule last year, but lost several close games. They’re expected to be much improved with five-star recruit freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola. Wisconsin surely has Nebraska’s number, but the Cornhuskers will finally beat the Badgers in a close home victory.
Final Score: Cornhuskers 27, Badgers 24
Week 14: Minnesota @ Wisconsin
At this point, the Badgers hypothetically would be reeling coming off a three-game losing streak.
However, they should be able to get up for the battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe. The Badgers’ arch-rivals finished 6-7 last year. They only got into a bowl game because there weren’t enough eligible teams.
Also, Minnesota lost their quarterback to Rutgers, and they’re not trending in the right direction under head coach PJ Fleck. The Badgers will bounce back and the season on a high note.
Final Score: Badgers 31, Golden Gophers 17
Final Record: 7-5
