Nov 2, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; The line of scrimmage between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Wisconsin Badgers during the fourth quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

This stretch of Wisconsin Badgers football schedule could make or break 2025 season

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Lorin Cox | Last updated Jul 12, 2025 2:30 PM ET

This season's Wisconsin Badgers football schedule is going to be tough, pretty much from start to finish.

Luke Fickell and his team won't have many opportunities to slow down and take it easy against lesser opponents, and one particular stretch in the middle could be the deciding factor in whether this year is a success or not.

Sports Illustrated senior college football writer Pat Forde shared his observations across the college football schedule, and he made note of the toughest stretch for the Badgers.

Wisconsin plays seven potential playoff teams, four of them on the road. The October gauntlet could be decisive: at Michigan, Iowa off an open-date disadvantage, Ohio State and at Oregon.Pat Forde, Sports Illustrated

Column: Forty thoughts on the 2025 college football schedule. Hard slates, easy slates, coaches who will be under the gun, body-clock games, much more. https://t.co/KFo54kNX0a
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) July 11, 2025

Forde also listed Fickell among four "hot-seat coaches facing tough schedules," along with Sam Pittman from Arkansas, Brent Venables at Oklahoma and Florida's Billy Napier.

Wisconsin will be desperate to pick up a win against Iowa, knowing back-to-back games against Ohio State and Oregon are up next.

Pulling off an upset against Michigan right before that would also go a long way toward soothing the potential pain from top ranked opponents like the Buckeyes and Ducks.

The Badgers can manage with some losses to the best of the best on their schedule, but some of Fickell's job security will be tied to how Wisconsin fares in the games that should be a bit less one-sided.