College football enthusiasts eagerly await the unveiling of preseason rankings, and one system garnering significant attention is Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings. Released annually before spring practice, these rankings offer a data-driven projection of team performance for the upcoming season. For fans wondering, Where Do The Wisconsin Badgers Football Rank in these esteemed metrics, the answer might be both expected and insightful.
The SP+ rankings are not your typical poll based on last season’s hype or reputation. Instead, they delve deeper, combining crucial predictive factors. These include a program’s returning production, recent recruiting successes, transfer portal activity, and historical performance. This blend aims to create a more accurate preseason power ranking compared to polls that heavily rely on past achievements.
For the 2024 preseason SP+ rankings, the Wisconsin Badgers find themselves positioned as a team on the cusp of the top 25. After an offseason marked by significant changes, including a notable transfer portal class and adjustments to the coaching staff, Wisconsin enters the spring ranked 25th in the SP+ rankings. This placement suggests a team with potential, but also one with questions to answer as they head into the new season.
Image: Wisconsin Badgers helmets displaying team logo, representing college football program ranking.
Wisconsin’s offseason can be viewed through different lenses. The arrival of quarterback Tyler Van Dyke and a highly-ranked transfer class inject optimism into the program. However, the departure of key assistant coaches introduces an element of uncertainty. Following a 7-6 season in 2023, the Badgers are aiming for a rebound. Whether the offseason turnover will be a catalyst for improvement or a setback remains to be seen, but the SP+ rankings position them as a team with work to do to climb higher.
It’s crucial to understand the nature of SP+ rankings. Bill Connelly emphasizes that SP+ is a “tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency.” It is designed to be predictive, focusing on sustainable aspects of football, rather than acting as a résumé ranking. These are early power rankings based on available data, not a prediction of the final AP Top 25. Therefore, while Wisconsin Badgers football rank at 25th in the preseason SP+, this is a starting point, subject to change based on on-field performance throughout the 2024 season.
To provide context, here’s a glimpse at the top echelon of the SP+ preseason rankings and how Wisconsin compares within the Big Ten conference:
Top 10 of SP+ Preseason Rankings:
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Oregon Ducks
- Texas Longhorns
- Michigan Wolverines
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- LSU Tigers
Selected Big Ten Teams within Top 25:
- Ohio State Buckeyes (2nd)
- Michigan Wolverines (5th)
- Penn State Nittany Lions (7th)
- Wisconsin Badgers (25th)
Image: Bill Connelly, creator of SP+ college football ranking system.
The rankings reveal that the Big Ten conference remains highly competitive, with Wisconsin striving to bridge the gap with perennial powerhouses like Ohio State and Michigan. While the Wisconsin Badgers football rank outside the top tier currently, the 2024 season presents an opportunity to exceed these projections. Fan expectations remain high, and the team will look to translate offseason changes into improved results on the field, potentially climbing in future SP+ updates and other national rankings.
