The Wisconsin Badgers are just one win away from securing their second bowl game under head coach Luke Fickell.

Fickell’s first full season was the only other season the Big Ten side made it to the postseason under the man who took Cincinnati to the College Football Playoffs. 

So far through the 2026 campaign, the Badgers are off to a 5-2 start with standout wins against Penn State and USC. Their other conference win was against Michigan State, and they also had two non-conference wins against Western Illinois and Eastern Michigan. 

Recently, in ESPN’s latest bowl projections, the Badgers have been slated to play either No. 10 Alabama or No. 11 Texas. 

If it's against the Crimson Tide, Mark Schlabach expects the two to meet in Liberty City Music Bowl. 

Alabama holds a 3-1 record against the Badgers, with UW's sole win in 1928. The last three matchups ended in losses by scorelines of 35-17, 42-10, and 38-14. 

The only time Wisconsin made it to the Music City Bowl, it ended in a 28-14 loss at the hands of the Auburn Tigers on New Year's Eve in 2003. 

If Wisconsin were to take on the Longhorns, Kyle Bonagura expects it to be in the ReliaQuest Bowl. The two sides have met just once, which ended in Texas walking away 17-7 winners all the way back in 1939.