Ranking the five best Wisconsin football seasons in the last 25 years
From Rose Bowls to Big Ten titles: Relive the top five Wisconsin football seasons of the last 25 years.
The Wisconsin Badgers program has enjoyed a remarkable run of success over the last quarter-century, consistently competing for Big Ten titles and making numerous bowl appearances. While every season has its unique story, some stand out as truly exceptional, defined by dominant performances, exceeded expectations, and memorable achievements.
We’ve already gone over the five worst Wisconsin football seasons, but now we can focus on better things. Here are my rankings for the five best Wisconsin football seasons in the past 25 years.
No. 5 - 2016
11-3 overall; 7-2 in Big Ten (Big Ten West Champions)
The Badgers entered the 2016 season as an unranked team. They got as high as the No. 5 team and finished at No. 9 and Cotton Bowl Champs, all while playing one of the most difficult schedules in college football, facing a total of seven ranked teams. Six of those teams were in the top eight.
In his second season as the head coach, Paul Chryst and the Badgers started the year off with a bang, defeating No. 5 LSU at Lambeau Field in a huge upset. Their victory catapulted them from unranked to the No. 10 team in one week.
The Badgers would stay in or near the top 10 for the rest of the season, with their only losses coming to No. 4 Michigan (14-7), No. 2 Ohio State (30-23), and No. 8 Penn State (38-31) in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Badgers took down Michigan State and Nebraska during the season, who were ranked seventh and eighth, respectively, at the time of their games.
The Badgers took down the P.J. Fleck-led Western Michigan Broncos in the Cotton Bowl, 24-16, to cap off their impressive season.
The Badgers rode their defense to success all season long, allowing just 15.6 points per game, the fourth-best in the country. The program would ride the momentum of this season into one of the best in the past 25 years.
No. 4 - 2006
12-1 overall; 7-1 in Big Ten
Starting the season ranked No. 19, the 2006 Badgers, led by Bret Bielema, put together one of the most quietly dominant seasons in program history. Their only loss came narrowly on the road to a formidable Michigan team. Finishing 12-1 overall, with a strong 7-1 Big Ten record, and securing a New Year's Day bowl victory over No. 12 Arkansas in the Capital One Bowl, this team showcased incredible consistency and toughness, making it one of the program's winningest seasons ever.
The offense scored 29.2 points per game, was paced by freshman running back P.J. Hill, who broke onto the scene by rushing for over 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns (the most in the Big Ten) en route to All-Big Ten First Team honors and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award. Tight end Travis Beckum, who spent his first season as a linebacker, broke out in his sophomore campaign as well, leading the Badgers in receptions (61), receiving yards (903), and receiving touchdowns (5).
Defensively, the Badgers stifled opposing teams, allowing just 12.1 points per game, the second-least in college football. The defense was led by an outstanding linebacking corps, which included Jonathan Casillas, Deandre Levy, and Mark Zalewski, who combined for 223 total tackles, 26 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks, and four interceptions. The defense as a whole snagged 15 interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.
The only reason I don’t have them higher on the list is because of their schedule. They finished the season ranked 89th (of 119 teams) in strength of schedule, playing only two ranked opponents all season.
No. 3 - 2010
11-2 overall; 7-1 in Big Ten (Big Ten Co-Champions)
While the 11-2 record isn’t better than the No. 4 season on the list, the 2010 team earned this spot when the No. 18 Badgers hosted the undefeated and No. 1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes at Camp Randall Stadium. In an electrifying atmosphere, Wisconsin jumped ahead from the start when David Gilreath returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, causing Camp Randall to go crazy. Wisconsin delivered a masterful performance, dominating the Buckeyes with a powerful ground game and a stifling defense.
The Badgers jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, securing a resounding 31-18 victory. This upset sent shockwaves through college football, announced Wisconsin's presence on the national stage, and remains one of the most iconic wins in program history. I’m not sure the program has had a more meaningful win since the upset over the Buckeyes in 2010.
This Wisconsin football team was also the first Badgers team to win the Big Ten title (co-champs with Michigan State) since the 1999 team, making its first appearance at the Rose Bowl (and the first of three-straight) since that same 1999 team.
No. 2 - 2011
11-3 overall; 6-2 in Big Ten (Big Ten Leaders Division Champions; Big Ten Champions)
Coming off a huge 2010 season with the upset over No. 1 Ohio State and the first trip to the Rose Bowl since 1999, the Badgers were primed for a run but were missing one piece.
A quarterback.
Bret Bielema and the Wisconsin staff struck gold when they landed Russell Wilson, who transferred to the Badgers from NC State.
From the start, the Badgers were on fire, rattling off six-straight wins, averaging a whopping 48.4 points per game. They heartbreakingly lost their next two games to No. 15 Michigan State and Ohio State, both on Hail Mary passes at the end of the games.
The Badgers rebounded, winning the final four regular-season games, earning a trip to the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game, where they got a second crack at the Spartans. In another classic Wisconsin football game, the Badgers came up clutch at the end of the game, with Wilson hitting Jeff Duckworth on a final drive that set up a Montee Ball with the eventual game-winning touchdown.
Unfortunately, the amazingly entertaining season ended with heartbreak, with the Badgers losing to Oregon in the Rose Bowl in a 45-38 shootout. The three losses by the 2011 Badgers were by a combined 17 points.
This team is one of the best offensive teams in program history, averaging 44.1 points and 469.9 yards, while committing just 0.7 turnovers per game, tied with LSU for the fewest in the country.
No. 1 - 2017
13-1 overall; 9-0 in Big Ten (regular season; Big Ten West Champions)
The 2017 Wisconsin football team, led by true freshman running back Jonathan Taylor, went undefeated in the regular season, winning the Big Ten West division and a date with Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game.
The Buckeyes came out hot, jumping on top of the Badgers 21-10 at the half in Indianapolis. Wisconsin tried to mount a comeback, holding Ohio State to just six second-half points, before falling just short and suffering the lone loss on their schedule, 27-21.
Wisconsin went on to play Miami (FL) in the Orange Bowl, a game many people picked the Hurricanes to win. The 2017 Miami team had speed and a ton of it. They were also famous for their turnover chain, the popular prop on the sideline that a player got to wear if they got a turnover from the opposing offense.
Wisconsin showed they could hang with the Canes, coming back from a 14-3 deficit and going up 24-14 at the half. A six-yard touchdown catch by Danny Davis with under eight minutes left in the game iced the Hurricanes in a 34-24 Wisconsin victory.
This is also the game with the infamous clip of head coach Paul Chryst mouthing ‘turnover chain my f---ing ass’ that Wisconsin fans have since made into a GIF and use frequently on social media.
If it wasn’t for the bump in the road against the Buckeyes, whom the Badgers haven’t been able to beat since the 2010 season, Wisconsin could have very well snuck into the College Football Playoff ahead of Alabama, which got the No. 4 seed and eventually went on to beat No. 3 Georgia in the national championship.
Outside of the 2011 team that was two Hail Mary plays away from going undefeated in the regular season and a potential BCS Championship Game appearance, the 2017 team was the closest the program has gotten to a national championship in the past 25 seasons.
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