Luke Fickell can salvage season if Wisconsin completes absurd bowl game path

Luke Fickell can salvage season if Wisconsin completes absurd bowl game path originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Wisconsin Badgers held on by a thread regarding bowl implications with a 27-10 upset win against the Illinois Fighting Illini in Madison this past Saturday.

Although the Badgers only improved to 4-7, they, by some miracle, can still reach a bowl game should a chaotic Week 14 go their way.

The Badgers' first order of business would be to beat the Minnesota Golden Gophers to finish the year having won three of their final four games.

Then, chaos must ensue. Literally

Exactly 17 teams must finish 2-15 this weekend for the Badgers to qualify, according to Zach Heilprin of 96.7 FM The Zone in Madison.

The outcomes would be as follows:

• Mississippi State over Ole Miss (or the reverse order)

• Kansas to beat Utah (or the reverse order)

• Miami (OH) over Buffalo

• Wisconsin to beat Minnesota (the obvious)

• North Texas over Temple

• UTSA over Army

• Florida over Florida State

• BYU over UCF

• Louisville over Kentucky

• NC State over UNC

• UTEP over Delaware

• Oregon State over Washington State

• South Florida over Rice

• Colorado over Kansas State

• Alabama over Auburn

• South Alabama over Texas State

• Houston over Baylor

• LA-Monroe over Louisiana

Of course, the Badgers can have two teams who are expected to win do so, but they will mostly need upsets to occur.

When asked about the prospect of being invited to a bowl game, Badgers coach Luke Fickell didn't hesitate.

"We would never turn down a game," Fickell said Monday.

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET from Minneapolis.