The Wisconsin football team (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) returns to Madison Saturday night for a primetime showdown with the No. 16 USC Trojans.
The loss to UCLA feels like a massive missed opportunity for the Badgers. With USC and Iowa on the schedule in the next two weeks, a win over the Bruins would have been huge. The loss makes this home matchup against the Trojans feel a lot more important.
The BadgerNotes staff went a dismal 1-3 last week, with a majority believing the Badgers would leave Pasadena with a win.
Here are the staff predictions for Week 8.
Staff predictions
• Dillon Graff
Season record: 5-1
I’ve been pretty consistent in saying that Wisconsin looks a lot more like a team that’s going to have to fight for a halfway decent bowl than one capable of making a serious run at anything bigger. And after what we saw against UCLA, I haven’t found much reason to change that opinion.
The frustrating part is that Wisconsin’s defense is actually pretty good. Mike Tressel has a group capable of making life difficult for just about anyone, and I actually think the Badgers match up reasonably well with some of what USC wants to do offensively.
But there’s only so much you can ask of that unit. USC has one of the most efficient passing attacks in the country, and Jayden Maiava is playing at a level where I don’t think Wisconsin can realistically expect to hold the Trojans down for four quarters.
And that’s where my concern comes in.
I have very little confidence in Wisconsin’s ability to consistently move the football right now. The offensive line remains a work in progress, Colton Joseph has completed fewer than 50% of his passes in three straight games, and this offense relies far too heavily on explosive runs rather than consistently staying ahead of the chains.
Could Wisconsin make this ugly, lean on its defense, and find a way to steal one at Camp Randall? Absolutely. We’ve already seen this team do something similar at Penn State.
But I need to see considerably more from the offense before I’m willing to pick the Badgers against a team with USC’s firepower.
I think Wisconsin hangs around for a bit, but eventually the Trojans make enough plays through the air to create separation.
Prediction: USC 27, Wisconsin 17.
• Christian Borman
Season record: 4-2
I think Wisconsin has a lot to prove on Saturday night. After the offensive letdown in Pasadena, the Badgers need to show a little spark on that side of the ball. The defense is doing all it can to keep them within striking distance.
Against USC, the defense will have a tough task. The Trojans are averaging 462.4 yards per game on offense, the 17th-most in the country, and are putting up 36.4 points per game.
I like the Badgers’ defense, but even it has limits. The Wisconsin offense needs to sustain drives, limit turnovers, and score when they can. Last week, they struggled to do that.
I think the defense keeps them in it, but at the end of the day, I don’t trust the offense to do enough to keep the pressure on USC and will likely have a back-breaking turnover that finally puts the game out of reach late.
Prediction: USC 28, Wisconsin 20
• Seamus Rohrer
Season record: 4-2
If Wisconsin wants to win this game, it’s going to come down whether it can force USC into third-and-longs, and then whether its secondary and pass-rush can win their reps on said third downs.
The Badgers need to have success on early downs to force the Trojans (who convert 51% of their third downs, 14th-best in the country) into 3rd-and-longs. First and second down are going to be critical because USC’s offense can move the ball pretty much at will if given manageable down-and-distances.
That means stopping the run, as per usual, will be paramount. It also means that the Badgers’ secondary can’t let the Trojans chip away yards with quick completions and screens. Wisconsin must create some havoc defensively to win this game.
While I think the Badgers have the defense to keep this thing close, as well as an offense that should be poised for at least a slight bounce-back after an ugly showing at UCLA, the Trojans are pretty clearly the better team. That’s not to say Wisconsin doesn’t have a chance; this is actually a solid matchup for the Badgers. And yet, that’s what we said all last week. Give me the Trojans in a hard-fought game.
Prediction: USC 27, Wisconsin 17
• Charlie Pietz
Season record: 4-2
Wisconsin vs. USC is a clash of opposites.
The Trojans boast a top-15 offense in most major statistical categories. It’s likely the best offense that the Badgers will see all season, while their defense is still searching for an identity. Wisconsin is the opposite for the most part.
The key question is whether Mike Tressel adjusts. Notre Dame and UCLA both feasted underneath against Wisconsin’s soft zone, and if that look shows up again Saturday, Jayden Maiava will happily take what he’s given and pick the Badgers apart. There is some reason for hope at home: the last two high-scoring West Coast offenses to visit Camp Randall, Oregon in 2024 and Washington in 2025, scored just 16 and 10 points.
But the mood among Badger fans has soured fast.
The Badgers entered the UCLA game riding high and left with a deflating seven-point performance, and just like that, many fans have given up on the season. Luke Fickell’s Wisconsin teams have a history of losing exactly this kind of game, and each loss only makes the outcry louder.
Until they prove they can clear that hurdle, I can’t trust them to get it done, especially with a home crowd at Camp Randall that may have less juice than usual while the Brewers are playing in the World Series.
Prediction: USC 27, Wisconsin 17
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