College Football Rankings 2016: Projected AP Top 25 after Week 8

After losing two straight to Michigan and Ohio State, the Badgers rebounded on the road in Iowa City on Saturday. Wisconsin survived a low-scoring affair, as the defense held Iowa under 250 total yards of offense and held the Hawkeyes to three field goals. Alex Hornibrook and Bart Houston split time at quarterback, while Corey Clement rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown. The visitors dominated possession as Wisconsin held the ball for over 37 minutes, and did not commit a single penalty all game.

If Wisconsin can get back to playing this sort of defense-first, mistake-free football they will remain dangerous as a two-loss Top 25 team. While they need Nebraska to lose twice to claim the Big Ten West, the Badgers have the advantage of playing the Cornhuskers at home next weekend and will likely be favored despite having a worse record. Barring an unforeseen upset, November offers four ready-made win opportunities at home against Illinois and Minnesota and on the road at Northwestern and Purdue.