Wisconsin sat on the sideline this weekend as much of the country competed in Week 5 of the college football season.
In good news, Wisconsin’s Big Ten West foes Nebraska, Northwestern and Illinois all suffered losses. In worse news, Iowa, Purdue and Minnesota all found ways to win.
The Badgers sit atop the West standings with their 1-0 Big Ten record thanks to a win over Purdue. The meat of the Big Ten schedule is imminent with a stretch of Rutgers, Iowa, Illinois and Ohio State starting next week.
Wisconsin will enter the Rutgers game without anything having changed over the weekend. The Badgers remain ranked No. 25 in ESPN’s SP+, with the No. 32-ranked offense and No. 17 defense. They are listed as the prohibitive West favorite, with Iowa at No. 38 being the closest competitor.
UPDATED SP+ RANKINGS
* No. 1 actually remains the same for once
* Texas > Georgia, eh?
* SEC: best depth
* Big Ten: best top 2
* Pac-12: best top 3
* Screw it, let's go ahead and break out the resume rankings (you're welcome, PSU)!https://t.co/QDgmbO5F8T— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) October 1, 2023
ESPN’s Bill Connelly expanded on those conference chances, noting on Twitter what the current model says about the Big Ten Conference: Michigan at 29%, Ohio State at 25%, Wisconsin at 17% and Penn State at 15%.
Wisconsin will have a surprising test against a 4-1 Rutgers team this Saturday at Camp Randall. Much more to come on that contest throughout this week.