Ticket King’s Schedule Breakdown: A Comprehensive Look at the Badgers Upcoming Season
The Badgers 2024 schedule has a sense of mystery surrounding it as there has never been an upcoming season quite like this one. With a 12-team playoff, conference realignment, and the transfer portal reshaping the landscape of college football, can the 2024 Badgers rise to the occasion? The answer remains to be seen, but their championship aspirations are undeniable. Read on to learn more about the Badger’s upcoming season.
The Badgers schedule in the 2024 season is ranked in the top 25 hardest strength of schedules in the FBS. The Badgers have 5 top 25 ranked matchups entering the season as they face strong teams like Penn State, Iowa, Nebraska, new Big-10 entrants, Oregon and USC, and the Badger’s toughest opponent this season, the Alabama Crimson Tide. This schedule may seem daunting but it is not an impossible challenge, as the Badgers take on their toughest opponents at home at Camp Randall (other than USC on the road). This means there will be some very exciting matches coming to Madison this year.
The Badgers have also addressed some of the previous season’s issues as they have made transfer portal additions in the offseason that are projected to make an instant impact. Wisconsin is ranked 11th in the transfer portal rankings and received a +28 index score meaning their average player rating transferring in was higher than transferring out.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Badgers have a new QB as the Miami senior, Tyler Van Dyke transferred to the Badgers. Van Dyke threw for over 2700 yards, with 19 TDs and 12 INTs on a 65% completion percentage. This new field general will help bring a charge to the struggling Badger’s passing game that was lacking in prior seasons.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Badgers picked up Senior edge John Pius from William & Mary where he posted 24.5 sacks and 40.5 sacks in three seasons. He will make an instant impact on the Badger’s pass rush and be an anchor on the D-line.
Due to a stronger schedule (despite an improved roster,) the Badgers projected win total sits at seven games, the same as last season. The projected ceiling is nine wins and the floor is five. This may seem disappointing but with the new playoff format, as long as the Badgers can hit their projections they will likely be competing in the playoffs. If the Badger’s head coach improves in his second year, the team wins a challenging game against a top opponent and beats USC on the road, they will be in a great place to make a run at the title. Next, we break down the Badgers 2024 football schedule game by game.
Badgers 2024 Football Schedule – Game by Game Breakdown
Week 1 – August 30th vs Western Michigan (Home)
The first few games of most Power Five FBS teams’ schedules are often considered to be gimmies, and this holds true for the Badgers as they open their season against the Western Michigan Broncos. This game is projected to be a victory for the Badgers as the Broncos finished their last season 4-8 and finished 4th in the Mid-American Conference(MAC) West under first-year head coach Lance Taylor. The Badgers have played the Broncos 5 total times and are 4-1 all-time. Their last matchup was in 2016 where the Badgers won 26-16.
Week 2 – September 7th vs South Dakota (Home)
The Badger’s week two matchup vs the South Dakota Coyotes may seem like a walk in the park, similar to their week one matchup vs Western Michigan, but this may not be the case. Despite being an FCS (one division below FBS) team the Coyotes have a strong program and should not be taken lightly. The Coyotes finished 10-3 last season and were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the playoffs by their neighbor North Dakota State.
The Badgers should win this game-handedly, despite the Coyote’s strength in their division. The last time the Badgers and Coyotes faced off, the Badgers came away with a resounding 59-10 victory. The key to this game is to not take this opponent lightly and make sure they use this game as preparation for their next week’s opponent.
Badgers Toughest Matchup – The Crimson Tide
Week 3 – September 14th vs Alabama (Home)
This is the big one. The Badgers take on the mighty #5 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide at Camp Randall for only the third time in history. This is a key game this season for the Badgers as a win against the tide would launch them to a different level for the rest of the season. This may seem like a difficult task as this top-ranked program made the CFP semifinal last year, losing to the eventual National Champions Michigan. But this is a different team with the loss of Hall of Fame head coach Nick Saban as he walked off into the sunset of retirement, leaving a historic career in his wake and creating a gap on the roster as many talented players and prospects left with him.
In the offseason, Alabama was ranked 65th in transfer portal ratings and had a -14 index score resulting from losing 34 players with only 14 coming in to replace them. Despite these losses, Alabama will still field a team full of top-ranked players, and led by a formidable replacement at head coach. Taking the helm is former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer. The 2023 Coach of the Year has an impressive record of 104-12 throughout his 9-year career. He also coached a strong Husky team to the National title, losing to Michigan in a hard-fought battle. While Bama is still Bama being ranked #5 in the country entering the 2024/5 season, the Badgers have a fighting chance with a strong team and playing on home turf.
Week 4 – September 28th vs USC (Away)
USC, one of the new additions to the Big 10, serves as the first conference opponent and road game for the Badgers. This game will be a tough matchup as the #23 ranked Trojans still have a strong roster despite the loss of consensus #1 overall pick and 2022 Heisman winner, Caleb Williams. Led by legendary head coach Lincoln Riley, who holds a record of 74-18 the Trojans will remain as dangerous opponents under his leadership. This will be his 3rd year with USC and will be looking to improve upon last year’s performance.
The Trojans have always played the Badgers tough as their all-time record against each other is 1-6 in favor of the Trojans. This does not mean a guaranteed win for the Trojans as they finished 8-5 last season in the PAC-12. The Badgers won their last matchup in 2015 by a final score of 23-21 and look to continue to improve their all-time record with a win this year. This is a difficult yet winnable matchup and will help set the tone for the remainder of the season for the Badgers.
Week 5 – October 5th vs Perdue (Home)
Week 5 against Purdue looks like a vacation to the Badgers in comparison to their two previous games against USC and Alabama. The Badgers have beaten the Boilermakers 17 times in a row and won 38-17 last year. Perdue finished last season at a below-average 4-8 under first-year head coach Ryan Walters and is hoping to improve upon this in the 2024-2025 season. Ending their losing streak to the Badgers is a part of this goal. Achieving this goal is unlikely for several reasons as the Boilermakers did not make any large improvements to their roster, and will be facing a battle-tested Badgers team coming off of two difficult games. This will also be a home game for Bucky, a major Badgers victory, and an 18-game winning streak is likely.
Week 6 – October 12th vs Rutgers (Away)
Rutgers comes in the middle of a downswing in competition for the Badgers with Perdue the previous week and Northwestern next week. It is important for the Badgers to not take these matchups lightly as they will be coming off of tough matchups against ranked USC and Alabama, with more top-ranked opponents in the future. Losing focus would be detrimental to the Badgers season and playoff hopes as these weeks serve as must-win games. The Badgers have been successful against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, going 5-0 all-time and winning their last matchup 24-13. The Scarlet Knights finished last season 7-6 and did not make many impactful offseason additions to the team, meaning it’s a good chance for a Badgers victory in New Jersey.
Week 7 – October 19th vs Northwestern (Away)
The Northwestern Wildcats have struggled as a team historically, but have been showing signs of improvement recently. The Wildcats put together a solid season in 2023. Last year, under rookie head coach David Braun the Wildcats finished the year 8-5 and won the Las Vegas Bowl against a strong Utah team. The Badgers also lost their 2023 matchup with the Wildcats 24-10.
While the Badgers have been successful against Northwestern in years past, the Wildcats have become a team that demands respect. Unfortunately for the Wildcats (and fortunately for the Badgers,) the Wildcats took major losses in the offseason being ranked 66th in transfer portal strength and a -14 index score. This does not mean the Badgers will have a free win this season, but it does make the task that much easier. Having a statement win in week seven would be an important momentum boost for the Badgers as they move forward to an important week #8 matchup.
Badgers Face Nittany Lions in Homecoming Game
Week 8 – October 26th vs Penn State (Home)
Serving as the Badgers homecoming game, #8 ranked Penn State coming to Camp Randall will be a huge matchup. Last facing off in 2021 the Badgers will be looking for revenge as they lost a hard-fought battle 16-10. Coming off of a two-game road stretch, the Badgers will be ready to face a strong Penn State team. James Franklin has coached Penn State for the past ten seasons and he led the team to a 10-3 record in 2023. His success last season earned the team an invitation to the Peach Bowl vs. Ole Miss. Penn State is also the home of recent transfer Nolan Rucci, a five-star OT originally playing for the Badgers.
This is an important and incredibly challenging conference game for the Badgers as they enter the second half of the season. The Badgers must rise to the occasion to come away with a win against this top-ranked program, but similar to many of the Badgers other top-ranked matchups, this game will be played at home giving the Badgers a fighting chance to take down the Nittany Lions.
Week 9 – November 2nd vs Iowa (Away)
As the season enters the home stretch the Badgers meet with another tough matchup against another long-standing Big 10 team, #25-ranked Iowa. The Badgers and Hawkeyes have faced off nearly 100 times and Wisconsin lost their last matchup by a final score of 15-6. The Hawkeyes were a strong team last season as they finished 10-4 and 7-2 in the Big 10 and lost in the Big 10 Championship to Michigan. Despite this strong season, the Hawkeyes lost multiple key players to the draft and transfer portal. The Hawkeyes ranked 56th in the transfer portal rankings and had a -5 index score this offseason and will likely field a weaker team than last season. This is an important end-of-season matchup against a strong conference opponent and will help the Badgers solidify their season with a win.
Badgers Host New Conference Opponent in Week 10
Week 10 – November 16th vs Oregon (Home)
Week 10 serves as potentially the most difficult matchup for the Badgers. #3 ranked Oregon is another new entrant to the Big 10 and is coming in as one of the strongest teams in the country. After having two heartbreaking losses to the Washington Huskies that killed their CFP hopes, the Ducks responded to this tough season by adding multiple strong players such as Oklahoma QB Dillion Gabrial and star Washington DB Jabbar Muhammad. Oregon ranked 3rd in transfer portal rankings, receiving a +51 index score. With the combination of a star-studded lineup and a successful young head coach in Dan Lanning, the Ducks appear to be a formidable opponent.
The Badgers last played the Ducks in 2019 and lost in heartbreaking fashion 28-27. The Badgers will have to battle to come away with a win, but all hope is not lost. Wisconsin will have already played multiple top-ranked opponents before facing the Ducks and the game will be held on home soil at Camp Randall. If the Badgers can beat out the Ducks, they will be propelled into a great position to make a playoff run.
Week 11 – November 23rd vs Nebraska (Away)
The Badgers week 11 matchup vs. Nebraska will be difficult as they enter the final two games of the season. Nebraska has always been a historically strong team but the Badgers have been successful, boasting a 13-4 all-time record and a 24-17 OT victory last season. Nebraska finished 5-7 last season under former NFL head coach Matt Rhule. The X-factor for the Cornhuskers in the 2024-2025 season is true freshman, five-star, number one overall prospect QB Dylan Ryola who has been named the starter for the team. This unproven yet wildly talented young star will have either proven to be a boom or bust by the time the Badgers come to Memorial Stadium. Regardless of the Cornhuskers recent hype, the Badgers will be coming off an incredibly tough matchup against the Oregon Ducks and will be looking to extend their 10-game winning streak against the Cornhuskers this season.
Badgers Battle the Golden Gophers for the Paul Bunyon Axe
Week 12 – November 29th vs Minnesota (Home)
As the regular season comes to an end, the Badgers face their bitter rivals, the Minnesota Golden Gophers as they continue their historic Border Battle. The Badgers and Gophers have played 133 times battling for the Paul Bunyan Axe. Wisconsin came away with a road win last season with a final score of 28-14. The Badgers hope to repeat this outcome as the battle comes to Camp Randall Stadium this season.
The Golden Gophers had a mediocre season finishing 6-7 but ended the year on a high note with a victory in the Quick Lane Bowl vs Bowling Green. The Golden Gophers also improved in the offseason with a +18 index score for their transfer portal score, ranking them 21st in the country. Headlining the transfer were 4-star Georgia WR Tyler Williams and 4-star LSU edge rusher Jaxon Howard. Other notable players joined the Golden Gophers for 2025. These players will make an instant impact and represent a challenge for the Badgers as they close out their season.
Rivalry games always hold a deep meaning in players’ hearts and this game will be a hard-fought battle. This final game will likely be crucial for the Badgers to come out victorious as they will hopefully be looking to punch their ticket to the playoffs.
The Badgers remain a dark horse this season as other giants of the sport receive most of the hype and attention. Facing a difficult schedule the Badgers will lean on their offseason improvements, skilled coaching staff, key home game matchups, and hard work to succeed in this season.
Wisconsin Badgers 2024 Regular Season Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Venue |
| 8/30/24 | Western Michigan | Camp Randall Stadium |
| 9/7/24 | South Dakota | Camp Randall Stadium |
| 9/14/24 | Alabama | Camp Randall Stadium |
| 9/28/24 | USC | AWAY |
| 10/5/24 | Perdue | Camp Randall Stadium |
| 10/12/24 | Rutgers | AWAY |
| 10/19/24 | Northwestern | AWAY |
| 10/26/24 | Penn State (Homecoming) | Camp Randall Stadium |
| 11/2/24 | Iowa | AWAY |
| 11/16/24 | Oregon | Camp Randall Stadium |
| 11/23/24 | Nebraska | AWAY |
| 11/29/24 | Minnesota (rivals week) | Camp Randall Stadium |