On a day when Penn State and Michigan are playing, and Nebraska and Oregon are closing the college football Saturday, Wisconsin at UCLA is somewhat quietly the second-biggest Big Ten game.
Wisconsin has been mostly ignored after getting rocked by Notre Dame 41-13, but as it turns out, the Fighting Irish are good enough to potentially destroy everything in their path on the way to the national title. The late 24-20 comeback win over Penn State was great, and beating Michigan State 31-3 was nice, but there’s no real national buzz. That can change fast.
UCLA is unbeaten. It ran over a Purdue team that looks great now, and winning at Oregon 17-15 was the moment that, yeah, the College Football Playoff is on the table now.
Wisconsin vs UCLA: Quick Hits
- UCLA gets three home games in a row and four of the next five, hosting Michigan State and Nevada next before going to Minnesota.
- Wisconsin gets USC in Madison next week before going to Iowa.
- The Badgers won the last meeting 21-20 in the 2000 Sun Bowl, and before that, won the 1999 and 1993 Rose Bowls. UCLA is 7-4 in the series, though.
How To Watch Wisconsin vs UCLA
Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026
Game Time: 7:30 PM ET
TV: NBC
Location: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
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Why Wisconsin Will Win
UCLA is without quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who’s out after suffering a knee injury against Oregon. That might mean the Bruins lean even more on the running game against a Wisconsin defense that’s not allowing much of anything.
Notre Dame got rolling in the second half in its win, but the Badgers have only allowed one touchdown run since then. UCLA wasn’t shut down cold by Oregon, but it struggled, averaging just three yards per pop.
The Bruins haven’t faced anyone other than Oregon who can run, but Wisconsin will hammer away with the most mobile quarterback they’ve faced yet. This is when Colton Joseph has to get on the move.
Why UCLA Will Win
UCLA was tired of the defense struggling.
Head coach Bob Chesney is a defensive coach by nature, and his defense was ripped to shreds by the Purdue passing game. The pressure was ramped up, the secondary attacked more, and the turnovers came in bunches.
Purdue threw well, but it also turned the ball over three times. UCLA forced five Maryland turnovers in the 54-3 win, and it made life impossible for the Oregon offense with seven takeaways.
Wisconsin has only played two good teams so far, turning it over twice against Notre Dame and three times against Penn State.
Wisconsin vs UCLA Prediction, Betting Lines
Okay, Ty Dieffenbach. The plane is yours to fly.
The starting UCLA quarterback doesn’t have to carry the offense, but he needs to limit the mistakes, hit a few third down plays, and hope the defense can do the rest.
Joseph will take off enough to matter for the Wisconsin offense, and the field position battle will be on the UCLA end of the field for a good portion of the game, but the Bruins will play like the Barry Alvarez-era Badgers and wear down the other side with the ground attack.
(And, by the way, this might be a better actual game than Ohio State vs Indiana.)
UCLA 26, Wisconsin 20
Latest Consensus Line: UCLA -2.5, o/u: 43.5
ATS Confidence (out of 5): 3
Must See Rating (out of 5): 4.5
Consensus line based on BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.