Wisconsin came in possibly lower than many Badger fans would think in the new Sporting News preseason college football top 25 that was released today.
The Badgers entered in at No. 16 overall and fell behind four Big Ten opponents, three of which play in the Big Ten East and one that plays in Wisconsin’s Big Ten West division. Ohio State, to nobody’s surprise, led the Big Ten pack at No. 2 overall in the rankings, while Penn State followed them at No. 9, and Michigan came just ahead of Wisconsin at No. 15 overall. The ranking that will have most Badger fans scratching their heads is Minnesota coming in at No. 12 overall, four spots ahead of their Big Ten West rival in Madison.
Here is what Sporting News college football writer Bill Bender had to say about the Badgers in the rankings:
“The Badgers proved they were the best team in the Big Ten West in 2019, and there might be a heated quarterback battle between Jack Coan and Graham Mertz this spring. Jonathan Taylor is gone, and the defense must replace Zack Baun and Chris Orr. Paul Chryst has been able to replace these moving parts, but it will be a challenge this year in an improving division. A four-game stretch from Sept. 19-Oct. 10 against Appalachian State, Michigan, Notre Dame and Minnesota will tell us everything about Wisconsin’s playoff possibilities.”
It’s certainly true that it should not take us long to find out whether or not the Badgers are a legitimate playoff threat with upstart Appalachian State looming in week three and a road test against the Michigan Wolverines in week four. Starting the season ranked behind Minnesota, however, would be surprising.