Dec 27, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Braelon Allen celebrates with the trophy alongside linebacker Jordan Turner after defeating the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bowl at Chase Field. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

CBS Sports sees 'uphill battle' for Wisconsin Badgers to return to bowl game this season

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Lorin Cox | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 12:10 PM ET

The Wisconsin Badgers' streak of 22 straight bowl game appearances ended last season thanks to the team's 5-7 record.

Restarting that streak this season is going to be a major challenge.

CBS Sports writer David Cobb assessed the bowl game chances for every Power Four school that was left out last season, and he put the Badgers in the tier of "An Uphill Battle."

20 Power Four teams missed bowls in 2024.

I tiered their chances of bowling in 2025 into the following categories for @CBSSportsCFB.

--guarantee it
--trending up
--coin flip
--uphill battle
--longshotshttps://t.co/VdwNv1FrLr
— David Cobb (@DavidWCobb) June 18, 2025

Wisconsin | Last Season: 5-7

"Snagging Luke Fickell from Cincinnati seemed like a home run hire for Wisconsin. But he's just 12-13 through two seasons and faces a treacherous path to bowl eligibility in Year 3. In addition to a game at Alabama, the Badgers face a Big Ten gauntlet that includes seven foes that finished with winning records in the league last season. Among them are Michigan, Ohio State and Oregon. Four league wins will likely be a necessity to go bowling, and it's hard to see where they'll come from."David Cobb, CBS Sports

Cobb's assessment is largely a reflection of Wisconsin's difficult schedule and the challenges that come with playing multiple national championship contenders in the regular season.

The Badgers aren't alone, though, with Maryland and UCLA joining them as other Big Ten teams in this tier.

They're still a tier above the lowest level "Longshots" that include Northwestern and Purdue, but Cobb sees Michigan State a tier ahead in the "Flip a Coin" category.

The Terrapins are the only one of those teams on Wisconsin's schedule this season, and they're going to need a couple of wins against teams like Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Washington to earn their way back to a bowl game.