Wisconsin has a chance to regain some national relevance when it hosts No. 4 Alabama

Published Sep. 11, 2024 2:17 p.m. ET

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin has a chance in one afternoon to regain some of the national relevance it has lost over the last few years.

After finishing just one game above .500 three of the last four seasons, Wisconsin didn’t crack the preseason Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2016. A rare visit from fourth-ranked Alabama (2-0) on Saturday gives the Badgers (2-0) an opportunity to show they are worth watching once again.

“If you want to be in the mix with the best, you want to be talked about like the best, you’ve got to beat the best,” Wisconsin left tackle Jack Nelson said. “That’s what we’re here to do.”

Alabama is a 16 ½-point favorite, according to BetMGM. Wisconsin has never been that big a home underdog since at least 2005, which is as far back as BetMGM’s data goes. Alabama is visiting Camp Randall Stadium for the first time since a 15-0 Wisconsin victory in 1928.

“Over the last 20 years, who’s been the best team in college football? There’s no doubt it’s been Alabama,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said. “Regardless of where they are at this moment, this is as good a football team that there is, and has been for a really, really long time. So no matter where you are as a program, it gives you an opportunity to assess a lot of different things.”

This is only the third time since 2005 that Wisconsin was even a double-digit home underdog. Ohio State was favored by 10 before beating Wisconsin 30-23 in overtime in 2016 and was a 14 ½-point favorite heading into its 24-10 triumph at Camp Randall Stadium last year.

The point spread for Saturday’s game is a testament to Alabama’s stature. But the fact Wisconsin has now been a double-digit home underdog to top-five teams each of the last two years also shows how the Badgers aren’t held in quite the same regard as before.

Standards here remain high. That was apparent when Wisconsin followed up a 34-10 loss to Illinois in 2023 by firing Paul Chryst, who had gone 67-26 in 7 ½ seasons.

The Badgers just haven’t quite lived up to those expectations lately.

Wisconsin has 22 consecutive winning seasons – the most of any power-conference team – but it’s barely kept that streak alive in recent years. The Badgers went 4-3 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign and finished 7-6 each of the last two years. They’re 2-11 in their last 13 games against Top 25 teams.

“We haven’t been as successful as we’ve wanted to be these last couple of seasons,” cornerback Ricardo Hallman said. “Having a win like this and competing in a game like this gives you that kind of respect in the national view and all those eyes. Most importantly, just for this team, this is a big game for our confidence as well.”

Wisconsin believes it’s better in its second season under Fickell, who came to Madison after a stellar run in Cincinnati that included a 2021 College Football Playoff berth.

“I think last year, a little bit of growing pains, I guess you could say,” Nelson said. “It was a lot of change for everybody. But I think going into the second year with it, people are more confident. I think everyone here believes in it. Maybe last year, changing and stuff like that, I don’t think you’re going to have the kind of culture that we have now. It’s all kind of coming together.”

The improvement isn’t necessarily evident from the results thus far.

Wisconsin briefly trailed in the fourth quarter of a season-opening 28-14 win over Western Michigan. They led by just seven points heading into the fourth quarter of a 27-13 victory over Football Championship Subdivision program South Dakota.

“A lot of times you might here things like in the media or fans are telling you, people on campus are telling you (that) you guys should be doing this, you guys should be winning by ‘x’ number of points,” wide receiver Will Pauling said, “when the reality is we know what the main thing is in the locker room. The main thing is winning ballgames. Right now we’re 2-0. The morale in the locker room is still very good. Everybody’s confident in each other and what we’re doing, so I’d say we’re in a really good spot right now.”

They have a chance to win over the skeptics this weekend.

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