The 2020 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers were led by sixth-year head coach Paul Chryst and competed as members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference. They played their home games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.

On August 11, 2020, the Big Ten Conference suspended all fall sports competitions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, on September 16, the Big Ten reinstated the season, announcing an eight-game season beginning on October 24.

Offseason 2020 NFL draft

241Jonathan TaylorRBIndianapolis Colts374Zack BaunLBNew Orleans Saints4146Tyler BiadaszCDallas Cowboys5166Quintez CephusWRDetroit LionsUndraftedChris OrrLBCarolina Panthers

Transfers Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Transfer to Bradrick Shaw #7 RB 6'1 205 Senior Hoover, AL California Aron Cruickshank #1 WR 5'9 155 Sophomore Brooklyn, NY Rutgers Seth Currens #10 ILB 6'3 230 Junior Pickerington, OH Miami (OH) Christian Bell #49 OLB 6'4 246 Senior Hoover, AL South Alabama Griffin Grady #47 OLB 6'2 205 Sophomore Dublin, OH -

Preseason

Spring game The Badgers spring scrimmage and practice on April 18, 2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Award watch lists Listed in the order that they were released Davey O'Brien AwardJack CoanQBSRChuck Bednarik AwardJack SanbornLBJRDoak Walker AwardNakia WatsonRBSOJohn Mackey AwardJake FergusonTEJRButkus AwardJack SanbornLBJRJim Thorpe AwardEric BurrellSSROutland TrophyCole Van LanenOLSRManning AwardJack CoanQBSRMaxwell AwardJack CoanQBSRWuerffel TrophyMadison ConeSSRBronko Nagurski TrophyEric BurrellSSR

Preseason Big Ten poll Although the Big Ten Conference has not held an official preseason poll since 2010, Cleveland.com has polled sports journalists representing all member schools as a de facto preseason media poll since 2011. For the 2020 poll, Wisconsin was projected to finish first in the West Division.

Schedule

Games canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic The Badgers 2020 schedule originally consisted of six home games, four away games, and two neutral site games. The Badgers would have hosted two of its three non-conference games at Camp Randall; the first on September 12 against Southern Illinois from the Missouri Valley, then the next week on September 19, playing Appalachian State, a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The last non-conference matchup on October 3 was a primetime game guaranteed to air on NBC against Notre Dame as part of the Fighting Irish's neutral-site Shamrock Series at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, with Notre Dame as the designated home team.

The Big Ten Conference canceled all non-conference games on July 9 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the day before, the November 7 away game at Northwestern was moved from the neutral site Wrigley Field in Chicago back to Ryan Field in Evanston. Both Notre Dame and Wisconsin plan to fulfill their contract and play the Lambeau Field game in a subsequent season.

On November 25, Wisconsin's game vs. Minnesota was canceled, leaving the team with only 5 games maximum and thus making the Badgers no longer eligible for the 2020 Big Ten Football Championship Game.

Original schedule

Original 2020 Wisconsin Badgers schedule Date Opponent Site September 4 Indiana Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI September 12 Southern Illinois* Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI September 19 Appalachian State* Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI September 26 at Michigan Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI October 3 vs. Notre Dame* Lambeau Field • Green Bay, WI (Shamrock Series) October 10 Minnesota Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI (Paul Bunyan's Axe) October 24 at Maryland Maryland Stadium • College Park, MD October 31 Illinois Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI November 7 at Northwestern Wrigley Field • Chicago, IL November 14 at Purdue Ross-Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN November 21 Nebraska Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI November 28 at Iowa Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA (Heartland Trophy)

Current schedule In Big Ten Conference play, Wisconsin will play all members of the West Division, and draws Indiana, and Michigan from the East Division.

*Wisconsin's game with Nebraska was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Wisconsin. The game will not be rescheduled. Instead, both teams will have a bye and will have just seven games.

*Wisconsin's game with Purdue was cancelled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Wisconsin. The game will not be rescheduled. Instead, Wisconsin will have a bye and will have just six games, and Purdue will have a bye and will have just seven games.

*Wisconsin's game with Minnesota was initially cancelled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Wisconsin. The game was eventually rescheduled for Big Ten Championship weekend.

Source:

Roster

Rankings

Game summaries

Illinois

At Nebraska (Cancelled)

The Wisconsin at Nebraska game was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Wisconsin. The game will not be rescheduled. Instead, both teams will have a bye and will play just seven games.

Purdue (Cancelled)

The Purdue at Wisconsin game was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Wisconsin. The game will not be rescheduled.

At Michigan

At Northwestern

Minnesota (Rescheduled)

The Minnesota at Wisconsin game was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Minnesota. The game was rescheduled for December 19 at 3:00 p.m..

Indiana

At Iowa

Minnesota

Vs. Wake Forest (Duke's Mayo Bowl)

Awards and honors Weekly Awards Graham Mertz Big Ten Co-offensive Player of the Week October 23, 2019 Graham Mertz Big Ten Freshman Player of the Week October 23, 2019

Individual Awards Cole Van Lanen First Team All-Big Ten Offense (Coaches)/Second Team All-Big Ten Offense (Media) Jake Ferguson First Team All-Big Ten Offense (Media)/Second Team All-Big Ten Offense (Coaches) Logan Bruss Third Team All-Big Ten Offense (Coaches/Media) Caesar Williams Third Team All-Big Ten Defense (Coaches)/Honorable Mention Defense (Media) Isaiahh Loudermilk Third Team All-Big Ten Defense (Media)/Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches) Jack Sanborn Third Team All-Big Ten Defense (Media)/Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches) Mason Stokke Honorable Mention Offense (Coaches) Tyler Beach Honorable Mention Offense (Coaches) Leo Chenal Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches/Media) Eric Burrell Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches/Media) Faion Hicks Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches/Media) Andy Vujnovich Honorable Mention Special Teams (Coaches)

Players drafted into the NFL

5 156 Isaiahh Loudermilk DE Pittsburgh Steelers 6 213 Rachad Wildgoose CB Buffalo Bills 6 214 Cole Van Lanen OG Green Bay Packers

References