The first three seasons of Wisconsin football under Luke Fickell have been nothing short of a disappointment. Under Fickell, the Badgers are just 22-23, and the highest they have been ranked was No. 19, and that was way back in 2023.

Three years later, however, things are changing. Sitting at 5-2, the Badgers look more and more like the Wisconsin football team we've grown accustomed to watching over the years. They have been on the verge of breaking into the rankings multiple times this year, reaching as high as the last team out. Finally, after rolling past the No. 16 USC Trojans in a show of defensive dominance, the Badgers are once again back in the AP Top 25, coming in at No. 25.

So how did the Badgers end up as the 25th-ranked team in college football? Let's break it down.

How the AP voters view the Wisconsin football team

The AP Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 62 college football reporters and broadcasters from across the country. Each voter submits their top 25 teams, and teams are given points based on where the writers rank them. The points are added up and teams are ranked based on the points.

The Badgers snuck in at No. 25 right in front of the Iowa Hawkeyes with 125 points. The Hawkeyes, who Wisconsin will play this week, scored 76 points.

The Badgers appeared highest on the ballot of Sarah Hughes, a USA Today writer. Hughes placed the Badgers at No. 17.

After that, two ballots had them at No. 19, four at No. 20, and 21 each, then the numbers go up from there. Mike Jacques, a reporter for the Madison-based news station WMTV, ranked Wisconsin No. 25 on his ballot.

Wisconsin is the 5th-highest ranked team in the Big Ten, behind Ohio State (2), Indiana (4), UCLA (7), and Northwestern (20).

A win over Iowa would be huge for the Badgers, not only because of the fierce rivalry between these two programs but because of how favorable, at least on paper, Wisconsin's remaining schedule appears to be (Rutgers, Maryland, Purdue, and Minnesota). If the Badgers keep playing like they did against USC, we could see them much higher in the rankings by season's end.

Of course, Iowa's loss to Minnesota robbed Wisconsin of a shot at another ranked win, but for this game in particular, that's besides the point. The Badgers know what's unfolded in this rivalry recently, and they know they need to handle business regardless.