BadgerExtra football beat reporter Colten Bartholomew and columnist Jim Polzin highlight some of the changes seen already during the early stages of the Jim Leonhard era, along with looking ahead to cross-divisional battle against Michigan State.
Which years would Wisconsin football have made the playoffs if there always were 12 teams?
Good news for the Badgers
The College Football Playoff Board of Managers on Friday gave the University of Wisconsin program an easier path to the playoffs in future seasons.
The board’s decision to expand the playoff field from four to 12 gives the Badgers and others around the country hope to win a national title even if they don’t win their conference crown. The board voted for a 12-team model consisting of the six highest-ranked conference champions and six highest-ranked at-large teams. The expansion will take place in 2026, or possibly earlier if TV contracts and other considerations get ironed out sooner.
Season resume: 11-1 overall, 7-1 Big Ten, tied for second in Big Ten
Why UW would get in: The Badgers were the fifth-highest-ranked team that wasn’t a conference champion. This selection process would’ve been difficult because it was before all the Power Five conferences had league title games.
Season resume: 11-1 overall, 7-1 Big Ten, conference co-champs with Michigan State and Ohio State
Why UW would get in: The Badgers were the highest-ranked team of the three Big Ten co-champs, sitting at No. 5 in the final BCS bowl standings and earning a trip to the Rose Bowl.
Season resume: 12-1 overall, 9-1 Big Ten, conference runner-up
Why UW would get in: The Badgers were the second-highest-ranked team to not win a conference title. The Badgers had an undefeated regular season featuring two wins over ranked opponents, and their lone loss was a one-possession game against a one-loss Ohio State team.
Regular season resume: 10-3 overall, 7-3 Big Ten, conference runner-up
Why UW would get in: The Badgers were the third-highest-ranked team to not win a conference title. Two of the Badgers’ losses were to Ohio State, a team ranked first or second in each of the six CFP polls.
