ESPN FPI sees a tight race to the finish for Wisconsin in the Big Ten West

Ben Kenney
·2 min read

The tides have begun to turn for the 2021 Wisconsin Badgers. The team has won three straight games, finally was able to beat a ranked opponent and now enters next weekend’s game with a chance at taking control of the Big Ten West.

While Wisconsin’s win over Purdue lined the Badgers up for a race to finish with first-place Iowa, the Minnesota Golden Gophers have also re-entered the picture with another Big Ten win.

All three teams are yet to play each other, so we’re in for quite a finish to the Big Ten regular season.

Related: Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 8 — Hey, Wisconsin

ESPN FPI projected a 6-6 final record for the Badgers entering Saturday’s contest. Those projections have now been updated in a positive direction for Wisconsin.

Here is FPI’s updated game-by-game prediction for the Wisconsin Badgers:

List

Five takeaways from Wisconsin's 30-13 victory over Purdue

Oct. 30 vs. Iowa

Oct 9, 2021; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Spencer Petras (7) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Predicted Winner: Iowa
Badgers Win Probability: 46.3% (Previous: 42.1%)

Projected running record: 4-4

Nov. 6 at Rutgers

Dec 12, 2020; College Park, Maryland, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Noah Vedral (0) throws as Maryland Terrapins defensive back Nick Cross (3) defends at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Predicted Winner: Wisconsin
Badgers Win Probability: 64% (Previous: 62.6%)

Projected running record: 5-4

Nov. 13 vs. Northwestern

Sep 3, 2021; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald reacts after a play against the Michigan State Spartans during the fourth quarter at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports

Predicted Winner: Wisconsin
Badgers Win Probability: 84.6% (Previous: 83.2%)

Projected running record: 6-4

Nov. 20 at Nebraska

Aug 28, 2021; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez (2) runs past Illinois defensive lineman Keith Randolph Jr. (88) in the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Predicted Winner: Wisconsin
Badgers Win Probability: 50.8% (Previous: 49.4%)

Projected running record: 7-4

Nov. 27 at Minnesota

Sep 2, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Gophers running back Bryce Williams (21) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports

Predicted Winner: Wisconsin
Badgers Win Probability: 50.1% (Previous: 50.4%)

Projected running record: 8-4

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