The Wisconsin Badgers bye week is over, and they’re being rewarded with a night game as a slight underdog in the Rose Bowl
against the 5-0 and No. 12 UCLA Bruins.The Bruins are coming off a massive road win in Eugene, but lost their starting quarterback, Nico Iamaleava, for the season in the Ducks game. It’s a big blow, for sure, but Bob Chesney’s upstart team has been outstanding this season and presents a serious challenge to Wisconsin’s good vibes and relatively healthy group.
So, let’s take a look
at Wisconsin’s Best Case, Worst Case, and Most Likely Scenarios against the Bruins in Week 7.
Best Case
Here, Wisconsin picks up right where they left off against Michigan State and play steady and relatively mistake-free football for most of the game. Colton Joseph makes the most of his tosses and complements them with some meaty runs. And, most importantly, limits his turnovers.
The Bruins’ attack falters without Iamaleava, and they’re forced to beat Wisconsin in the trenches, which proves more difficult than expected. They play solidly but can’t replicate their success from a week earlier, and Wisconsin’s defense makes several big plays while not getting torched for big plays. The vibes are tasty postgame, and the Badgers wake up on Sunday morning ranked in the top 20 and firmly in the College Football Playoff conversation.
Score: Wisconsin 23-20.
Worst Case
I hate doing this one, but here we are.
In this scenario, this game serves as a “fall back to Earth” game for the Badgers. All of the good vibes the squad accumulated over the previous month are cruelly imploded by a talented and exceptionally well-coached Bruins team. Getting out schemed all game, the offense gifts the ball over to opportunistic UCLA more than once, and the defense gets beaten along the line all game, spelling doom for Wisconsin.
After a contest that’s never in doubt, the rumbles and mumbles about the Badgers’ trajectory, both in 2026 and as a program, will start anew. This heaps even more pressure on the team (and its coaches) heading into the USC home tilt the following week.
Score: UCLA 45-13.
Most Likely
I really want to call a Badger win here, believe me. But my heart can’t quite convince my head to follow it there.
While I believe Wisconsin has several nice moments and definitely comes to play, Chesney’s mojo will prove a bit too strong for Bucky, and the Bruins take advantage, as they did against the Ducks, of a turnover discrepancy to keep the Badgers just a few steps behind all game.
While there will be no reason to panic after this result, it still feels like a missed opportunity to make a statement that the Badgers are truly back. This will have to wait at least another week or two, but the opportunities will definitely be there in the form of ranked USC Trojans and Iowa Hawkeyes teams.
Score: UCLA 27-17.
