The 2021 Wisconsin Badgers are facing an uphill battle to return to the Big Ten Championship game for the third time in five years.
The team sits at 1-2 in Big Ten play after Saturday’s win at Illinois, two back in the loss column of undefeated and No. 2-ranked Iowa.
The Badgers and Hawkeyes are set for a showdown on October 30 at Camp Randall. If Wisconsin wins that game, the team would sit only one game behind Iowa with a month of the season still to go. A loss on October 30 would essentially end the Badgers’ shot at a trip to Indy.
But if the Badgers win, what else would need to happen for them to win the Big Ten West? Here are two outcomes, with the most likely up at the top:
- Wisconsin wins out (finishes 9-3, 7-2 Big Ten), Iowa loses on the road at Nebraska on November 26
- Wisconsin wins out, Iowa loses to either Purdue or Minnesota
Every other scenario is frankly way too unlikely to list (each includes the Hawkeyes falling to Illinois or Northwestern).
Related: Big Ten power rankings after Week 6 — Hey, Iowa
The two scenarios listed are also a significant longshot with what we’ve seen from Wisconsin against good teams. But who cares, it’s worth the speculation.
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