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Wisconsin re-entered the AP Top 25 this week, landing at No. 25 after a defensive showing that dismantled No. 16 USC. The ranking is the Badgers’ first appearance in the poll since 2023.
How the AP voters view Wisconsin
The AP Top 25 is decided by a panel of 62 college football reporters and broadcasters. Each voter ranks their top 25 teams and the results are converted into points; the totals determine the standings.
Wisconsin collected 125 points on this week’s ballot, edging out the Iowa Hawkeyes, who received 76 points. The Badgers sit at 5-2 on the season and have shown a different look than in the program’s first three years under coach Luke Fickell, when Wisconsin went 22-23 and peaked at No. 19 in 2023.
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Not every voter placed the Badgers the same way. USA Today writer Sarah Hughes ranked them highest on her ballot at No. 17. Two other ballots listed Wisconsin at No. 19. Several additional votes put them between the low 20s and No. 25; local reporter Mike Jacques ranked them at No. 25 on his ballot.
What the ranking means for the remainder of the season
Within the conference, Wisconsin is the fifth-highest ranked team in the Big Ten, behind Ohio State (No. 2), Indiana (No. 4), UCLA (No. 7) and Northwestern (No. 20). A victory over Iowa this week would carry both rivalry significance and ranking upside.
Wisconsin’s remaining schedule appears favorable on paper, with matchups against Rutgers, Maryland, Purdue and Minnesota still to come. If the Badgers maintain the defensive form they showed against USC, voters could reward them with higher placements later in the season.
One wrinkle: Iowa’s recent loss to Minnesota removed what might have been another opportunity for Wisconsin to notch a win over a ranked opponent. Still, the program knows the rivalry demands consistent performance regardless of rankings.
