19. Wisconsin Badgers
Record: 9-2 (2-0 Big Ten)
Last Week: No. 16
Who said Wisconsin couldn’t score with the best of them? Okay, sure, they played Savannah State, one of the worst defensive teams in the nation, but it was fun to see the Badgers really unload on the offensive end and drop 101 points. This was the first time since 2013 (when Frank Kaminsky dropped 43 on North Dakota) that Wisconsin crossed the century mark.
The Badgers have been very impressive so far this season, especially when you consider how much we underestimated their win over Oklahoma at the Battle 4 Atlantis. Looking ahead, it seems as though Wisconsin will start to seriously climb up the rankings in the coming weeks. This is due to the idea that Badgers will likely not face another ranked opponent until Jan. 19 (at home against Michigan).
This does not mean that Wisconsin has an “easy” schedule but traveling to face Western Kentucky in their final non-conference game might be the most challenging contest of the next month. If the Badgers are able to take advantage of their last favorable portion of the schedule, that could set up a top-10 matchup against the Wolverines.