Wisconsin
National Media Continues to Disrespect Wisconsin in Updated Offseason Rankings
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:
|
Program |
National Rank |
|---|---|
|
Ohio State |
No. 1 |
|
Oregon |
No. 3 |
|
Indiana |
No. 6 |
|
USC |
No. 14 |
|
Michigan |
No. 16 |
|
Penn State |
No. 18 |
|
Washington |
No. 19 |
|
Iowa |
No. 23 |
|
Illinois |
No. 28 |
|
Nebraska |
No. 35 |
|
Minnesota |
No. 40 |
|
Northwestern |
No. 48 |
|
UCLA |
No. 49 |
|
Maryland |
No. 51 |
|
Wisconsin |
No. 61 |
|
Rutgers |
No. 64 |
|
Michigan State |
No. 66 |
|
Purdue |
No. 99 |
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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