Bowl Buzz: Forecasts grow optimistic for playoff berth
November 18, 2017 | Football, Andy Baggot
A weekly look at bowl projections for the Badgers
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BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — Optimism has replaced controversy as the buzzword surrounding the Wisconsin football team and its chances of securing a berth in the College Football Playoff.
UW (10-0 overall) moved from eighth to fifth in the latest CFP committee rankings, putting it in good position to land a spot in the semifinals, provided its unbeaten record remains intact.
The Badgers face 25th-ranked Michigan (8-2) in a Big Ten Conference game on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium before closing out the regular season at Minnesota (5-5).
At 7-0, Wisconsin has clinched the Big Ten West Division championship and will play in the conference title game Dec. 2 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Ninth-ranked Ohio State (8-2, 6-1) currently has a one-game lead on Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State in the East Division and can clinch a share of the divisional crown with a win over Illinois and UW victory over the Wolverines.
The Badgers now appear to have enough perceived strength to their schedule, which was in question last month when they debuted at No. 9 in the initial CFP ranking.
At that point, college football observers wondered aloud if UW might get excluded from the playoff — despite a 13-0 record — because of its lack of dynamic opponents.
But weekly upsets and improved play around the Big Ten has opened the door for Wisconsin to move from ninth to eighth to fifth. Many of those same observers who thought the Badgers might be left out in the playoff cold forecast them in the Jan. 1 semifinals.
#OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) November 14, 2017
Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, ESPN and The Sporting News are among the sites that have UW seeded fourth and playing top-seeded Alabama (10-0) in the Sugar Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in New Orleans.
Those sites differ on the other semifinal, which will be staged at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
ESPN and The Sporting News have Oklahoma (9-1) facing Miami (10-0).
Bleacher Report and CBS have Oklahoma tangling with defending champion Clemson (9-1).
?? Wisconsin vs. Michigan ?? Kickoff 11am (CT) Saturday ?? Camp Randall Stadium Get there early. Get there loud. Let's send our seniors out right. #OnWisconsin || #Badgers
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) November 14, 2017
