Add CBS Sports to the growing list national outlets that are decidedly low on Wisconsin football heading into the 2026 season.

In the website’s updated full 1-through-138 offseason rankings, the Badgers check in at a dismal 61st nationally and 15th in the Big Ten.

Here’s how the outlet ranks the entire Big Ten:

Yes, Wisconsin is coming off its worst season since the early 1990s. Yes, the Badgers are running it back with head coach Luke Fickell, who has a losing record through three seasons in Madison.

But whenever the national media has ranked the Badgers this offseason, it feels like they’re ranking their 2025 squad in the context of the upcoming campaign. It may not seem like it to an outsider (or, ahem, the national media), but a lot has changed in Madison since the worst football season in over 30 years.

Wisconsin is lower than who??

Again, I understand why the Badgers are ranked low on this list. They haven’t inspired any sort of confidence in at least two seasons. But some of the teams ranked above them are…extremely questionable.

Maryland man-handled Wisconsin in Camp Randall Stadium last fall, but the Terps proceeded to go 1-8 in Big Ten play. Folks are high on their offense with sophomore quarterback Malik Washington, but placing the Terps a full 10 spots ahead of Wisconsin seems a little excessive.

How about UCLA? The Bruins went 3-9 last fall. Sure, they’ve vastly upgraded their coaching staff and flipped almost half their team, but that means their entire roster is essentially projection.

What about Northwestern? Sure, the Wildcats won seven games last season, but how excited are we about new quarterback Aidan Chiles, who’s struggled through three combined years at Oregon State and Michigan State?

How about some of the non-Big Ten teams ranked higher than Wisconsin? The UTSA Roadrunners are ranked above the Badgers. Though it’s only by two spots, that in particular might be the biggest slap in the face.

Even a team like Virginia Tech, ranked No. 37 (24 spots higher than the Badgers) is puzzling. Sure, there’s signs of life under new head coach James Franklin, but the Hokies went 3-9 last fall.

Wisconsin’s offseason remains slept on

What rankings like these, especially the teams ranked higher than Wisconsin tell us, is that the national media is still sleeping on the Badgers’ offseason. Clearly, other programs (like Virginia Tech coming off a 3-9 campaign) were thought to have improved drastically. Wisconsin, on the other hand? Not so much.

The Badgers didn’t have the flashiest transfer portal haul, but they did address every position of need and sign a handful of plug-and-play starers at key spots. Every position on offense appears to be deeper and more talented after a dismal 2025, while the same looks true on defense except potentially at defensive line and outside linebacker.

Yes, Wisconsin was terrible last year. Everybody knows that. But the national media remains skeptical the Badgers did much to change that this offseason, which, in my eyes, is a grave miscalculaiton.

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This week’s Thursday was a relatively crowded slate, with eleven games on the docket compared to the handful we usually see on this day. Though there was not much drama in terms of close games coming down to the wire, there were bunches of runs scored and plenty to talk about. Let’s get into it.

Today’s Headlines

Mets’ Power Bats Propel Them Past Detroit

The New York Mets completed a much-needed three game series sweep over the Detroit Tigers at home on Thursday with a 9-4 win behind a strong pitching performance from Nolan McLean (7.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 K, 6 H, 3 BB) and a power explosion that saw five home runs leave the park off of Met bats. The day started off in Detroit’s favor, with newcomer Gage Workman taking McLean deep in the top of the first inning for a three-run homer to put the visiting team ahead 3-0. Rookie A.J. Ewing answered in the bottom of the third inning with a homer of his own, the first of his career, to put the Mets’ first run of the day on the board. Momentum continued to swing in the Mets favor in the bottom of the fourth, when Brett Baty smacked a two-run homer that just barely cleared the fence, tying the game at 3-3. The Mets would go up for good in the fifth after Juan Soto singled in a run to put the team up 4-3, and Mark Vientos added a two-run homer of his own before the inning ended. Soto and Marcus Semien would tack on homers before this one was through, and Citi Field was left in good spirits heading into a weekend Subway Series against the Yankees. Detroit, on the other hand, has been in a bit of a free fall since Tarik Skubal hit the IL, and will look to right the ship with a home series against Toronto.

Phillies Win a Low-Scoring Affair in Fenway

Stop me if you’ve heard this one already this week — Kyle Schwarber hit a home run in yesterday’s game, his 7th over the last seven games. Schwarber’s league-leading 18th home run helped propel the Phillies to a 3-1 win over the Red Sox, despite 5.1 scoreless innings from their former friend Ranger Suarez, who pitched quite well for Boston in this one. Jesús Luzardo was able to match Suarez, though, keeping Boston off the scoreboard over 6 scoreless innings of his own. The 0-0 deadlock wasn’t broken until the top of the 8th inning, when Kyle Schwarber got a hold of a pitch off of Boston reliever Tyler Samaniego for a 417-ft. two-run blast that put the Phillies up for good.

Philadelphia will now travel to Pittsburgh to take on their in-state rivals, while Boston has the unenviable task of traveling to Atlanta for a three-game series.

White Sox Win Fifth Straight and Move Above .500

Don’t look now, but the Chicago White Sox are above .500 for the first time this season after completing a three-game series sweep over the Kansas City Royals, extending their overall winning streak to five games. Anthony Kay (6 IP, 2 ER, 4 K, 6 H, 2 BB) improved to 3-1 on the year with a fine pitching performance, and the young bats continued to stay hot with two knocks from 2B Chase Meidroth, who improved his season average to a highly respectable .281. Chicago also got some help from veteran Randal Grichuk in this one in the form of a two-run homer, and the South Siders suddenly have reason for optimism.

By The Numbers

0 Per Elias Sports Bureau, no player in New York Mets‘ franchise history had started their big league career by recording a triple and a home run as their first two hits, prior to A.J. Ewing accomplishing the feat this week. 

3 Per Elias Sports Bureau, the sweep that the Mets just finished off against the Detroit Tigers was only the third time in Mets’ franchise history that the team completed a three-game series sweep despite trailing by multiple runs in each of the three games. 

19 Los Angeles Dodgers RHP Emmett Sheehan induced 19 swing and misses in yesterday’s win over the San Francisco Giants, the most of any pitcher on the day.

442 Athletics 1B Nick Kurtz drilled the most impressive long ball of the day yesterday at a massive 442 feet.  

Best Moments From Yesterday

Grandson of the Wind Whips Around the Bases

I always love an inside the park homer, and this season seems to be bringing more than usual so far, partly due to some questionable defensive plays in the outfield. It’s easy to criticize from the couch, but I think even Teoscar Hernández would admit that he should have played this ball a bit better especially considering that it’s in his own home park. Either way, enjoy watching San Francisco’s Jung-Hoo Lee (nicknamed ‘Grandson of the Wind’ due to being the son of KBO legend Lee Jong-beom, who was originally ‘Son of the Wind’) fly around the bases here on his inside the park homer during the Giant’s 5-2 loss to the Dodgers yesterday.

Will Smith…The Leadoff Hitter?

With Shohei Ohtani being given a rest on the day after another masterful pitching performance, Dodgers’ catcher Will Smith got his first career start in the leadoff role last night and he did not disappoint, taking Giants starter Landen Roupp deep in his very first at-bat.

What Can’t McGonigle Do?

As the Detroit Tigers‘ phenom rookie Kevin McGonigle continues to impress at the plate and on the base-paths, don’t forget about what the kid can do with the glove. He absolutely robbed the Mets’ Bo Bichette of a base hit yesterday with one of the more impressive catches you’ll see all year.

May the Force Be With You

With teams all around the league celebrating Star Wars lately, the Mets got in on the action on Thursday with a first pitch that involved Mr. Met dressed as The Mandalorian, throwing Grogu to Mrs. Met. And that was a sentence that I never anticipated typing this season.

Baseball Has a New No. 1 Prospect

With Pittsburgh’s Konnor Griffin (formerly No. 1) recently graduating from the prospect list, we now have a new No. 1 ranked prospect in the game. Congratulations to Milwaukee’s Jesús Made, a freakishly athletic shortstop who has all the tools to become the game’s next superstar.

Injuries and Other Moves

⚾ Seattle Mariners placed C Cal Raleigh on the 10-day IL with a right oblique strain, which can typically linger longer than those minimum ten days. 

⚾ Colorado Rockies placed RHP Jimmy Herget on the 15-day IL (right shoulder impingement) retroactive to May 13.

⚾ Lots of unknowns here still, but keep an eye on a developing story involving Los Angeles Dodgers‘ reliever Edwin Díaz, who has been linked to cockfighting events in Puerto Rico based on photos found on social media by USA Today investigative reporters. 

Articles You Should Read

“George Kirby is Unrecognizable” — Nate Schwartz, Pitcher List 

“You’re Probably Underrating Dylan Lee” — Ben Clemens, FanGraphs

“Buy, Sell, or Hold These Three Struggling Starters?” — Corbin Young, FanGraphs

Fantasy Baseball Coverage

Starting Pitcher Roundup

Hitter Performances

Waiver Wire Picks

Starting Pitcher Streamers

MILWAUKEE — Five teenagers were arrested on Thursday following a police pursuit that started on the 5500 block of W. Silver Spring Drive at around 10 a.m.

The teenagers were seen by the Milwaukee Police Department in a wanted vehicle that was involved in an armed robbery, and attempted to stop the vehicle.

The driver refused to stop, starting the police pursuit.

The pursuit ended when the suspect exited the vehicle and started to run on foot on W. Appleton Place, according to MPD.

MPD then arrested a 16-year-old female, a 16-year-old male, two 17-year-old females, and a 15-year-old male.

Criminal charges will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.

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