Badgers ranked as 5th-most overrated team in preseason AP Polls since 2014

The Wisconsin Badgers haven’t been accustomed to their regular success over the past two years, going a combined 12-13 and missing the postseason in 2025 altogether.

However, over the past decade, they’ve been one of the more successful teams in college football, accumulating five 10+ win seasons since 2014, while making the Big Ten Conference Championship games four times in that span.

That didn’t stop On3’s Brett McMurphy from listing them as the fifth-most overrated team in the preseason AP Polls

over the past decade.

NEW: AP Poll Voters’ Most Overrated Preseason College Football Teams since 2014 via @Brett_McMurphy😬 https://t.co/hqfQy9PB30 pic.twitter.com/BRB6Y63RtT

— On3 (@On3sports) August 12, 2025

McMurphy had the Badgers only behind the USC Trojans (No. 1), Auburn Tigers (No. 2), Texas A&M Aggies (No. 3), and LSU Tigers (No. 4).

Wisconsin has appeared nine times on the preseason AP Top 25, missing out only in 2016 and 2024. Let’s take a look at how they started and finished during those nine campaigns.

2014

AP Preseason Poll: No. 14

AP Highest Rank During Season: No. 11

AP Postseason Poll: No. 13

2015

AP Preseason Poll: No. 20

AP Highest Rank During Season: No. 19

AP Postseason Poll: No. 21

2016

AP Preseason Poll: Unranked

AP Highest Rank During Season: No. 5

AP Postseason Poll: No. 9

2017

AP Preseason Poll: No. 9

AP Highest Rank During Season: No. 3

AP Postseason Poll: No. 7

2018

AP Preseason Poll: No. 4

AP Highest Rank During Season: No. 4

AP Postseason Poll: Unranked

2019

AP Preseason Poll: No. 19

AP Highest Rank During Season: No. 6

AP Postseason Poll: No. 11

2020

AP Preseason Poll: No. 12

AP Highest Rank During Season: No. 9

AP Postseason Poll: Unranked

2021

AP Preseason Poll: No. 12

AP Highest Rank During Season: No. 12

AP Postseason Poll: Unranked

2022

AP Preseason Poll: No. 18

AP Highest Rank During Season: No. 18

AP Postseason Poll: Unranked

2023

AP Preseason Poll: No. 19

AP Highest Rank During Season: No. 19

AP Postseason Poll: Unranked

2024

AP Preseason Poll: Unranked

AP Highest Rank During Season: Unranked

AP Postseason Poll: Unranked

In the 11 years, the Badgers finished ahead of their preseason rankings at the end of the year four times, including when they went from unranked to No. 9 in 2016. But, they have finished below their ranking in 10 years, including falling unranked to end the year five times.

They’ve especially struggled to finish well over the past five seasons, finishing unranked in each campaign.

Do you agree with the sentiment? Or is the ranking too harsh on Wisconsin?