Wisconsin projected to face Alabama or Texas in major bowl game - Yahoo Sports

The Wisconsin Badgers stand just one win away from securing their second postseason bowl appearance under head coach Luke Fickell, with projections pointing toward a matchup against either No. 10 Alabama or No. 11 Texas, according to ESPN reports.

Fickell took Cincinnati to the College Football Playoffs before arriving in Madison, but his tenure in the Big Ten has yielded just a single bowl game during his first full season at the helm. Through the 2026 campaign, the Badgers have built a 5-2 record, anchored by standout conference wins against Penn State and USC alongside a victory over Michigan State. Non-conference wins against Western Illinois and Eastern Michigan round out the path so far.

Projected Matchups in the Music City or ReliaQuest Bowls

ESPN bowl projections have slated Wisconsin for a high-profile southern trip. Mark Schlabach projects the Badgers to meet Alabama in the Liberty City Music Bowl. History heavily favors the Crimson Tide in that pairing, holding a 3-1 all-time record against Wisconsin. The lone Badgers win came nearly a century ago in 1928. More recent memory offers little comfort, as the last three meetings ended in losses of 35-17, 42-10, and 38-14.

Wisconsin’s prior history in Nashville remains brief. The program has appeared in the Music City Bowl only once, resulting in a 28-14 defeat against the Auburn Tigers on New Year’s Eve in 2003.

Wisconsin projected to face Alabama or Texas in major bowl game - Yahoo Sports

Kyle Bonagura offers a different destination, projecting the Badgers to face the Texas Longhorns in the ReliaQuest Bowl. A meeting with Texas would revive a dormant series. The two storied programs have met only once before, with the Longhorns securing a 17-7 victory back in 1939.

The Badgers can lock up bowl eligibility outright with their next victory, cementing the program’s return to the postseason stage as the 2026 regular season enters its final stretch.