Oct 26, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell questions a call during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Camp Randall Stadium. Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

College football insider Brett McMurphy predicts Wisconsin Badgers miss bowl game again in 2025

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Lorin Cox | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 7:51 PM ET

The Wisconsin Badgers are looking to restart their streak of consecutive bowl games this year after missing the extra game in 2024.

With a difficult schedule on paper, it's going to be a tough task.

College football insider Brett McMurphy, formerly of ESPN and now with On3, doesn't think they're going to make it.

He put together his early projections for every postseason game and bowl matchup, and he didn't include Wisconsin in any of them.

College Football Bowl Projections, via @Brett_McMurphy

Full list of matchups and playoff predictions

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— On3 (@On3sports) July 1, 2025

He has Badgers opponents Ohio State, Oregon and Alabama all making the College Football Playoff, which surely assumes wins in their regular season matchups against Wisconsin.

Other Big Ten teams he put in bowl games include Michigan State (GameAbove Sports Bowl), Minnesota (Rate Bowl), Iowa (Pinstripe Bowl), Illinois (Music City Bowl), Indiana (ReliaQuest Bowl) and Michigan (Citrus Bowl).

The Badgers will face the Gophers, Hawkeyes, Illini, Hoosiers and Wolverines on the schedule with a chance to beat them and try and take their bowl game spots.

Even Wisconsin's Week 1 opponent Miami (Ohio) makes the Salute to Veterans Bowl in McMurphy's predictions.

It feels a little insulting to be left out while most other teams on their schedule get in, but it just goes to show that the Badgers will have to earn everything they get this season and won't be able to coast into a bowl game matchup.