Wisconsin Badgers Still Have Mathematical Path to Big Ten Title Game

The Wisconsin Badgers sit at 4-2 in the Big Ten standings following a victory over Rutgers on Nov. 7, according to reporting from jsonline.com.

While a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 5 remains a long shot, the mathematical possibility is still alive. Wisconsin is currently part of a six-way tie for third place in the conference, trailing only UCLA, who is undefeated at 6-0, and Indiana, who sits at 5-1.

To reach the top two spots, the Badgers must win their remaining games and hope for specific results from conference rivals. The path requires Wisconsin to win their final three games against Maryland, Purdue, and Minnesota to finish with a 7-2 conference record.

Winning out is only the first step. Because the Big Ten tiebreaker hierarchy starts with head-to-head results, moves to common opponents, and ends with strength of schedule, the Badgers face difficult odds. Their strength of schedule is unlikely to favor them in a multi-team tie.

Wisconsin holds a head-to-head win over USC, but they have suffered losses to UCLA and Iowa. They do not have upcoming games against Indiana, Illinois, Oregon, or Ohio State, which complicates any tiebreaker scenario involving those programs.

Current Big Ten standings as of Nov. 9, 2026:

Team	Conference Record
UCLA	6-0
Indiana	5-1
USC	4-2
Iowa	4-2
Wisconsin	4-2
Illinois	4-2
Oregon	4-2
Ohio State	4-2
Northwestern	3-3
Minnesota	3-3
Michigan	2-4
Penn State	2-4
Nebraska	2-4
Washington	2-4
Purdue	2-4
Maryland	1-5
Michigan State	1-5
Rutgers	1-5

The most direct route for Wisconsin involves Indiana losing at least once, though preferably twice. Indiana faces a difficult stretch against USC, Washington, and Purdue, making two losses a difficult expectation to meet.

Badgers fans may find themselves rooting for unexpected outcomes in the coming weeks. On Nov. 14, a USC victory over Indiana would help Wisconsin’s standing. If USC were to lose to either Maryland or UCLA, it could drop the Trojans to three losses, potentially aiding Wisconsin’s tiebreaker position, provided the comparison involves more than two teams.

Other moving parts include the performance of Iowa and Illinois. Wisconsin needs Iowa to lose to Purdue, Illinois, or Nebraska. For Illinois, a Bruins win over the Fighting Illini on Nov. 13, followed by an Illinois victory over the Hawkeyes on Nov. 21, would benefit the Badgers.

The situation for Oregon and Ohio State also remains volatile. Oregon would need a loss to Michigan, Michigan State, or Washington. Ohio State, currently on a two-game losing streak following the injury to quarterback Julian Sayin, would need to lose to Northwestern, Nebraska, or Michigan to stay out of the Badgers’ way.

The next scheduled game for Wisconsin is against Maryland.