The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel predicts Wisconsin football’s record in 2024

The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel released his predictions for the 2024 Big Ten football season on Friday.

His predicted final standings are unsurprisingly led by Ohio State (projected 12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) and Oregon (projected 10-2, 7-2 Big Ten). Iowa and Michigan also tied the Ducks with 7-2 conference records.

The Wisconsin Badgers, then, are tied for fifth in Mandel’s ranking. They are part of a pack of 6-3 teams with Penn State and Rutgers. Specifically, he projects the Badgers final record at 8-4, with that 6-3 mark in Big Ten play.

Related: Wisconsin Badgers game-by-game picks entering 2024 from ESPN FPI matchup predictor

An 8-4 season would certainly be a success for Luke Fickell in year two at the helm.

Wisconsin plays one of the nation’s toughest schedules with games against AP preseason No. 3 Oregon, No. 5 Alabama, No. 8 Penn State, No. 23 USC and No. 25 Iowa. That schedule comes as the Big Ten’s East-West division model is eliminated, which increases the required record for the Badgers to reach the Big Ten title game.

An 8-4 season means at least a few big-time victories, including against those top teams listed. It also means the team avoids upsets against the Purdues and Northwestern’s of the sport.

On the field itself, Wisconsin improving to 8-4 this season requires a significant step forward on the offensive side of the football.

While the offensive line projects to be better, the receivers are definitely improved and veteran QB Tyler Van Dyke is a good fit in Phil Longo’s scheme, there still is a necessary proof-of-concept of the air raid approach at Wisconsin. The scheme is a significant departure from the program’s classic approach, which requires tangible results before calling the change a success.

If Longo’s offense takes a big step forward and the Badgers capitalize on home atmospheres against Alabama, Oregon or Penn State, then a resurgent 8-4 season could become a possibility.