If you had asked any Wisconsin Badgers fan for their honest predictions ahead of the 2026 season, not many, if any, would have suggested a college football playoff spot.
By no means are the Badgers a nail-on-the-head guarantee for their first-ever playoff appearance, but the chances are getting better and better.
The 4-1 Badgers given updated playoff chances
ESPN’s Football Power Index is a daily set of 20,000 simulations that help create certain probabilities. One of which is the chance to make the playoffs.
Luke Fickell’s squad was recently tipped at an 11.9% chance of landing in the 12-team playoff. Officially, these numbers rank 8th-highest in the conference.
Of Wisconsin’s remaining seven opponents, only three of them are given higher chances: UCLA (27.6%), Iowa (21.3%), and USC (17.1%)
On the other end of the table, Purdue, Rutgers, Maryland, and Minnesota were given 0.0% shots.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin given nearly 12% chance to make College Football Playoffs