As the Wisconsin football team begins its 138th season under the lights Thursday night at Camp Randall Stadium, there is one undisputed truth about the Badgers in 2025.
Their schedule looks ridiculously, uncommonly, savagely difficult.
After hosting Miami (0hio) and Middle Tennessee State, UW plays perennial SEC power Alabama in Tuscaloosa where the Crimson Tide has the best home record over the last 10 seasons at 65-3.
The Badgers usher in a four-game Big Ten Conference gantlet in October when they play at Michigan, where they’ve won three times since 1994 and eight times overall going back to 1893.
UW then hosts archrival Iowa before defending College Football Playoff champion Ohio State comes to town looking to add to a 10-game winning streak that goes back to 2011.
The Badgers close out October with a trip to Oregon, which is 56-8 at Autzen Stadium going back to 2015.
Another bye week gives way to a four-game finishing kick that features a home duel with Washington, which is 4-0 all-time versus the Badgers; a trip to Indiana, which surprised most observers by advancing to the national playoffs last season; and Border Battle rivalry games with Illinois and Minnesota to close out the regular season.
In all, Wisconsin will face six opponents ranked in the preseason top 25 compiled by the Associated Press (No. 3 Ohio State, No. 7 Oregon, No. 8 Alabama, No. 12 Illinois, No. 14 Michigan and No. 20 Indiana). No other Big Ten team is currently slated to play more than five.
Here are five more things to know:
