T-24 Wisconsin
3-1 in Big Ten play, T-4th in the Big Ten
Up 50 spots (#74 to T-24) after a home win over #9 USC (24-7). An upset: Wisconsin entered with 52.4 TDR points to USC's 84.0. Now 5-2. AP: unranked to #25. TDR score +18.7: win/loss record +2.6.
2026 season recap (through week 8)
Wisconsin (Big Ten) is ranked T-24, tied with Oklahoma State in The Davis Rankings after week 8 of 2026, with a record of 5-2 and a score of 71.1 out of 100. That is up 50 from week 7. That puts it in the Winning tier (ranks 1-25). Its strongest factor is recent results (100.0 out of 100). Its weakest is opponent record at game time (63.5 out of 100).
The highest-ranked opponent beaten so far came in week 8, 24-7 over #45 USC at home. The toughest result to explain is the week 1 loss, 41-13 to #35 Notre Dame at a neutral site.
On the road it is 1-1. The average margin is +11.7 points per game, with a biggest win of 44 points. 1 of 7 games was decided by a touchdown or less.
Wisconsin is 25th in the AP poll (1 spot lower than the Davis Rankings).
Next up is #64 Iowa in week 9, on the road. The toughest game left on the schedule by current rank is week 13 against #27 Minnesota. 0 of the 5 games left are against teams currently in the top 25.
Schedule
| Week | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notre Dame (neutral site) | L 13-41 |
| 2 | Western Illinois (home) | W 36-9 |
| 3 | Eastern Michigan (home) | W 54-10 |
| 4 | Penn State (away, conference game) | W 24-20 |
| 5 | Michigan State (home, conference game) | W 31-3 |
| 7 | UCLA (away, conference game) | L 7-17 |
| 8 | USC (home, conference game) | W 24-7 |
Upcoming games
| Week | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Iowa (away, conference game) | (FOX) |
| 10 | Rutgers (home, conference game) | (BTN) |
| 11 | Maryland (away, conference game) | Sat Nov 14, time TBD |
| 12 | Purdue (away, conference game) | Sat Nov 21, time TBD |
| 13 | Minnesota (home, conference game) | (NBC) |
Ranking history 2026
Now #24, Winning (week 8). Best #24 (week 8). Lowest #128 (week 1). Higher on the chart is a better rank. The shaded bands are rank tiers, with each tier's sticker at its left. A poll is a top 25, so its line breaks in the weeks the team is not in it. The poll lines are drawn a little apart so equal ranks do not hide each other: point at a week for the exact ranks.
Week 8 TDR #24 (71.1, 5-2) Winning AP #25
Week 1 TDR #128 (9.8, 0-1) AP NR
Week 2 TDR #80 (49.2, 1-1) AP NR
Week 3 TDR #62 (64.4, 2-1) Character Building AP NR
Week 4 TDR #36 (73.3, 3-1) Feeling Good AP NR
Week 5 TDR #27 (76.7, 4-1) Feeling Good AP NR
Week 6 TDR #25 (76.6, 4-1) Winning AP NR
Week 7 TDR #74 (52.4, 4-2) Character Building AP NR
Week 8 TDR #24 (71.1, 5-2) Winning AP #25
Week by week
| Week | TDR | Score | Record | Tier | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #128 | 9.8 | 0-1 | - | NR |
| 2 | #80 | 49.2 | 1-1 | - | NR |
| 3 | #62 | 64.4 | 2-1 | Character Building | NR |
| 4 | #36 | 73.3 | 3-1 | Feeling Good | NR |
| 5 | #27 | 76.7 | 4-1 | Feeling Good | NR |
| 6 | #25 | 76.6 | 4-1 | Winning | NR |
| 7 | #74 | 52.4 | 4-2 | Character Building | NR |
| 8 | #24 | 71.1 | 5-2 | Winning | #25 |
Score breakdown
Each factor is scored 0–100, then weighted into the composite score. Full methodology & weights
| Factor | Score (0-100) |
|---|---|
| win/loss record | 71.4 |
| recent results | 100.0 |
| road-win bonus | 68.1 |
| opponent record at game time | 63.5 |
| opponent record today | 64.4 |
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