The Wisconsin Badgers are being recognized across the nation following their lockdown 24-7 win against USC.
Since then, the Associated Press has ranked the Badgers No. 25, marking their first ranking since 2023.
However, you are only as good as your last win, and for Luke Fickell’s squad, their next opportunity for that win comes this week against the US LBM Coaches Poll's No. 24 Iowa Hawkeyes.
So far this season, the Hawkeyes have tallied a 5-2 record, with losses coming against Ohio State and Minnesota in two of their last three games.
ESPN's Bill Connelly’s SP+ metric is one of the most well-respected in the sport; it often provides a great compass for that week’s games.
Connelly recently revealed his prediction for when the Badgers travel to
Kinnick Stadium, where he projects the Hawkeyes to win 23-17, giving a 65% chance that Iowa takes down Fickell’s squad.
What would a loss mean for the Badgers?
Overall, dropping to 5-3 still provides a strong foundation for the final four games, in which Wisconsin will likely still be favorites by varying amounts, allowing them to still capitalize on the momentum they have built up thus far.
Without a doubt, this is UW's toughest remaining road game on the schedule, one that sees three of Wisconsin's final five games away from home.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: ESPN predicts the final score of Wisconsin football vs. Iowa in Week 9
