What is Wisconsin Badgers' best-case scenario with difficult 2025 football schedule?

Best Case 8-4: There's far more cohesion on the sidelines, and it feels like everybody is pulling in the same direction, particularly on offense. Transfer QB Billy Edwards doesn't light the world on fire but proves far more reliable than Braedyn Locke did last year. However, where the team truly takes a step forward is on defense. The unit looks like everybody thought it'd look when Luke Fickell and Mike Tressel came to Madison, and it keeps the Badgers in damn near every game. While they fall short against Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State and Oregon, the Badgers look like the Badgers of old again. Everybody is convinced they'll make the playoffs in 2026 when the schedule eases considerably.Tom Fornelli, CBS Sports

He still envisions losses to the four best teams on the schedule, but 8-4 would be a massive step forward from where Wisconsin finished last year.

On the other end of the spectrum, Fornelli sees the worst case for the Badgers even lower than 2024, with just a 3-9 record.

To get to that low point, he envisions QB struggles from Billy Edwards Jr. and a lack of improvement from the defense that leads them to succumb to the quality of opponents on the schedule.

It's quite a range between complete disaster and massive turnaround, but that's right where Wisconsin finds itself entering a pivotal third yea for Luke Fickell.

We should learn a lot about this Badgers team, one way or another.

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