Wisconsin vaults up latest ESPN SP+ power rankings after win over Northwestern

Wisconsin took another significant jump in ESPN SP+ after its 23-3 win over Northwestern on Saturday.

The victory improved the Badgers to 5-2 on the season and 3-1 in Big Ten play. It also pushed the team up from No. 32 (No. 64 on offense, No. 16 on defense) in ESPN SP+ to No. 20 (12.0 overall rating — No. 63 on offense, No. 11 on defense).

Related: ESPN FPI updates Wisconsin football win chances for remaining 2024 schedule after win over Northwestern

The Badgers are now the metric’s 5th-highest-ranked Big Ten team, behind only Ohio State at No. 1 (29.1), Oregon at No. 5 (24.6), Penn State at No. 6 (24.4) and Indiana at No. 12 (18.8). SP+’s latest update sees the Badgers inch toward the tier of the elite teams of the conference.

Wisconsin moves forward to a primetime matchup with Penn State, a game that may define each team’s season. For the Badgers, it is a chance for a program-defining upset at home in front of a national audience. The Luke Fickell era would benefit greatly from a statement performance and a true announcement of arrival.

For Penn State, it’s close to a must-win with a showdown against Ohio State on the horizon.

The Badgers remaining games after Penn State are against SP+’s No. 23 team Iowa (11.4), No. 5 Oregon (24.6), No. 32 Nebraska (9.6) and No. 42 Minnesota (7.3).

Wisconsin’s combined margin of 117-16 over its three-game win streak over Purdue, Rutgers and Northwestern signals clear improvement from Fickell’s team and program. Its improved SP+ ranking reflects that.

The Badgers now have a chance to take an even further step with wins over Penn State or Oregon. They could factor into what will be a down-to-the-wire Big Ten race.

For what it’s worth, ESPN’s Bill Connelly listed the Badgers among the teams significantly overachieving compared to SP+ projects as of late. One of those signature upset victories could make the team one of the surprises of the college football season.

The Badgers and Nittany Lions will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT at Camp Randall Stadium. The game will be broadcast on NBC — streaming on Peacock.

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Story originally appeared on Badgers Wire