Wisconsin dropped significantly in ESPN SP+ after its 28-13 loss to Penn State on Saturday.
The Badgers entered the week ranked No. 20 in the metric with a 12.0 overall rating, plus the nation’s No. 63-ranked offense and No. 11-ranked defense.
Those updated numbers: No. 30 overall ranking (9.7) with the nation’s No. 73-ranked offense and No. 14-ranked defense.
Related: Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 9: Penn State makes a statement
The drop comes after Penn State outgained Wisconsin 419-298 in its Week 9 victory. The Nittany Lions held the Badgers to only 81 rushing yards on 27 carries (three yards per carry), plus tallied 173 rushing yards of their own.
The loss was a reality check for Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin program. While it has made clear forward steps after Fickell’s rocky debut season in 2023, it remains far from the Big Ten’s elite.
ESPN SP+ reflects that. The Badgers are now the eighth highest-ranked Big Ten team, behind Ohio State (No. 2), Oregon (No. 4), Penn State (No. 8), Indiana (No. 13), Iowa (No. 18), USC (No. 19) and Michigan (No. 27).
SP+ RANKINGS AFTER 9 WEEKS:
* No one wants to be No. 1
* B1G middle class: 📉📉📉
* Ohio St at UGA in the CFP first round??
* SP+ never quit you, UNC and Cal
* Résumé SP+ top 15, again led by Indiana!
* SP+ in Wk9: 0% ATS in the MAC, 57% everywhere elsehttps://t.co/LtfFwPceLk— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) October 27, 2024
The Badgers still have remaining games against Iowa (No. 18), Oregon (No. 1), Nebraska (No. 41) and Minnesota (No. 35). They need one more win for bowl eligibility, and several more to maintain a strong standing in the conference.
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