Wisconsin Football: 2017 Badgers season preview, predictions
By Zach Bigalke
2017 Schedule
| WEEK | DATE | OPPONENT | LOCATION |
| 1 | Sep 2, 2017 | Utah State @ Wisconsin | Madison, WI |
| 2 | Sep 9, 2017 | Florida Atlantic @ Wisconsin | Madison, WI |
| 3 | Sep 16, 2017 | Wisconsin @ BYU | Provo, UT |
| 4 | BYE WEEK | ||
| 5 | Sep 30, 2017 | Northwestern @ Wisconsin | Madison, WI |
| 6 | Oct 7, 2017 | Wisconsin @ Nebraska | Lincoln, NE |
| 7 | Oct 14, 2017 | Purdue @ Wisconsin | Madison, WI |
| 8 | Oct 21, 2017 | Maryland @ Wisconsin | Madison, WI |
| 9 | Oct 28, 2017 | Wisconsin @ Illinois | Champaign, IL |
| 10 | Nov 4, 2017 | Wisconsin @ Indiana | Bloomington, IN |
| 11 | Nov 11, 2017 | Iowa @ Wisconsin | Madison, WI |
| 12 | Nov 18, 2017 | Michigan @ Wisconsin | Madison, WI |
| 13 | Nov 25, 2017 | Wisconsin @ Minnesota | Minneapolis, MN |
What’s in store for Wisconsin in 2017?
The Badgers were gift-wrapped another opportunity to return to the Big Ten championship game in 2017. Their non-conference schedule features home games against Utah State and Florida Atlantic. Wisconsin will also travel to Provo to face BYU before their conference schedule begins.
In Big Ten play, the Badgers managed to avoid both Ohio State and Penn State from the East. They only have four road games in league play. That includes a trip to Nebraska, the least experience team in the division, in early October. The Badgers also take on Illinois, Indiana, and Minnesota on the road.
The bare minimum for this year’s Wisconsin team is another trip to Indianapolis. Paul Chryst’s team enters 2017 with a veteran roster on both sides of the ball. There is no clear challenger in the West to dethrone the Badgers.
Prediction: 11-1 (8-1 Big Ten)
The Badgers are going to enter conference play with an undefeated record after taking down the Aggies, Owls and Cougars. Wisconsin has a path toward an unbeaten regular season. But they have not entered November with an unblemished mark in the standings since 2004. This year they should still have a zero in the loss column at the end of October.
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Jim Harbaugh‘s young but skilled squad looks like the most likely candidate to deal Wisconsin a loss, but the Badgers will still be facing off against the East champ in the conference title game. They could even be in the College Football Playoff hunt if they win the school’s first Big Ten championship since 2012.