Wisconsin football is on a steep rise after three consecutive decisive victories.
The team has improved to 5-2 on the season and 3-1 in Big Ten play over that stretch, a stretch which has seen the Badgers outscore opponents by a total margin of 117-16. That dominance has seen the team upgraded significantly by most metrics. It now ranks No. 25 in ESPN FPI and No. 20 in SP+ — both slots higher than where the team was projected to begin the season.
Related: Ranking the biggest storylines entering Wisconsin’s premier matchup with Penn State
Not only FPI and SP+ have been impressed by the Badgers’ recent form. CBS Sports’ latest re-ranking of all 134 teams in college football also elevated the Badgers another 12 spots, up to No. 34 in the nation.
That standing improvement follows Wisconsin’s 23-3 win at Northwestern. It continues the team’s upward trajectory in the ranking, though still slots it behind Big Ten foes Nebraska (No. 31), Illinois (No. 21), Indiana (No. 7), Penn State (No. 3), Ohio State (No. 2) and Oregon (No. 1).
Wisconsin now has upcoming games against Penn State, Iowa (No. 40), Nebraska, Oregon and Minnesota (No. 47). A continuation of its current form should only see a continued rise in CBS’ rankings, especially if that form leads to an upset victory over top-ranked Penn State on Saturday.
The Badgers and Nittany Lions will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT on NBC and streaming on Peacock. It profiles as arguably the biggest game of the Luke Fickell era to date.
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