ESPN Predicts Wisconsin Football's Remaining 2026 Schedule

With only five regular-season games remaining, the Wisconsin Badgers sit on the brink of bowl eligibility after a win at Penn State and a blowout victory against USC. According to projections from ESPN, the team faces a favorable path to finish the 2026 campaign with a 9-3 overall record and a 7-2 mark in conference play, Badgers Wire reported.

Can Wisconsin lock up bowl eligibility against Iowa?

The immediate test arrives on Halloween. Wisconsin enters its October 31 matchup on the road against Iowa as underdogs, holding a 42.7% chance to win, as outlined by ESPN data. Badgers Wire noted that while the team is an underdog in Iowa City, they carry significant momentum into the contest, especially with Iowa coming off a shocking loss to Minnesota.

A victory on Saturday would secure bowl eligibility for a program that missed out on the postseason in each of the last two seasons. It would also validate the transformation under head coach Luke Fickell, whose squad has shown stark improvements following signature wins over Penn State and USC.

LIVE: Wisconsin’s 2026 Football Schedule Is OUT — Are The Badgers An 8-Win Team?!

What do ESPN’s win probabilities look like for November?

Looking past Iowa, the remaining four games feature heavy odds favoring the Badgers. ESPN projects strong probabilities for Wisconsin to sweep the remainder of its November slate:

Saturday, Nov. 7: 90.0% chance to win vs. Rutgers
Saturday, Nov. 14: 81.5% chance to win at Maryland
Saturday, Nov. 21: 68.8% chance to win at Purdue
Friday, Nov. 27: 81.6% chance to win vs. Minnesota

Among these late-season fixtures, the matchup against Minnesota stands out. ESPN’s odds heavily favor Wisconsin against the Golden Gophers despite Minnesota’s strong performance throughout the season, presenting a notable contrast in expectations. Meanwhile, Badgers Wire cautioned that the November 21 trip to West Lafayette could present a potential trap game if the team loses focus against Purdue.

ESPN Predicts Wisconsin Football's Remaining 2026 Schedule — Photo: sports.yahoo.com

What are the Badgers’ larger postseason goals?

Securing a bowl berth is merely the baseline for this iteration of the Badgers. With a projected 9-3 finish, the program has set its sights on a Big Ten Championship appearance or an outright push for the College Football Playoffs.

Reaching those heights will require more than just a clean 5-0 sweep to close out the regular season. Wisconsin will need favorable outcomes and help from the rest of the Top 25 poll to climb the rankings in the final weeks.

Instagram

More on Badgers Wire

“Wisconsin CAN beat Notre Dame.”@_JesseNelson believes the #Badgers are catching Notre Dame at the right time for an upset. Do you agree? 👀🦡 pic.twitter.com/9teEECCmyb
— https://x.com/ESPNMadison/status/2088329660320931975