Wisconsin football is a contender in a crowded Big Ten West

Wisconsin football schedule and predictions

A year ago Wisconsin got off to a 1-3 start but climbed their way back into contention by the end of the year. A loss to Minnesota in the season finale gave Iowa the Big Ten West title.

This season the West division appears to be wide open again with several contenders. Wisconsin should be one of the favorites but can they navigate the schedule enough to come out on top this time?

• Game 1: Illinois State (W) — Badgers had won 25 straight home openers until last year’s loss to Penn State. They will start a new home opener streak against an FCS foe.
• Game 2: Washington State (W) — Third meeting between the two schools but the first since 2007. The cougars are improving but the Badgers are the better team.
• Game 3: New Mexico State (W) — New Aggie head coach Jerry Kill is familiar with Wisconsin, having lost to them four times in his time as head coach at Minnesota. This will be Kill’s fifth loss to the Badgers.
• Game 4: at Ohio State (L) — Badgers have not won in the series since 2010, which also includes three Big Ten Championship game losses. Looking like a ninth straight loss to the Buckeyes.
• Game 5: Illinois (W) — The Illini have not won in Madison in 20 years. Bret Bielema would love to get a win against his old team but it will not be this season.
• Game 6: at Northwestern (W) — Believe it or not, the Badgers have not won in Evanston since 2016 and before that, their last win there was 1999. Ryan Field has been a house of horrors for the Badgers. However, they should take care of business this year.
• Game 7: at Michigan State (L) — Wisconsin has won three of the last four games in the series. But it’s a homecoming for Sparty and could be a big win for them.
• Game 8: Purdue (W) — 15 straight wins for the Badgers in the series. Does not appear anything will stop them from making it 16.
• Game 9: Maryland (W) — Badgers have won all three games in the series and this should be a fairly easy win before a tough final stretch.
• Game 10: at Iowa (W) — Badgers have controlled the series since the conference went to the East/West split in 2014, winning six of eight. This looks to be a toss-up game.
• Game 11: at Nebraska (W) — Badgers look to make it nine straight in the series and appear to have the edge to do so.
• Game 12: Minnesota (W) — Paul Bunyan’s Ax resides in Minneapolis currently and the Badgers would like to have it back.

Prediction: 10-2, 7-2 Big Ten

Wisconsin’s non-conference slate should not give them much trouble, especially with all three games at home.

Traveling to Columbus and East Lansing will not be pleasant, especially the former. Having no Michigan or Penn State is a positive though.

It really comes down to the final three weeks of the regular season for the West division. At Iowa, at Nebraska, and at home against rival Minnesota. All three of them are marked as victories but any of those three could just as easily be marked as losses. The Badgers will have to win at least two of the three in order to have a shot at Indianapolis.

A 10-2 year and a West division championship would be a solid season for the Badgers after a couple of difficult years. In order to achieve it they must get better quarterback play and their inexperienced guys on defense must step up quickly.