Western Illinois has turned the ball over three times in two games. Both of their quarterbacks, each of whom has played plenty through two games, has thrown an interception. The Leathernecks also coughed up a fumble in their opener.

The Wisconsin Badgers have suffered a slight fall in USA TODAY's 138-team college football rankings.

Wisconsin hosts Western Illinois Saturday, Sept. 12, in the Badgers’ 2026 home opener. Kickoff is set for 6:15 p.m. and the game will be televised on BTN. The Badgers opened the season last Sunday at Lambeau Field against Notre Dame, falling 41-13. Now, Wisconsin gets its first chance to play in front of a home crowd at Camp Randall.

Here's a look at the 2026 Wisconsin Badgers football schedule with dates, times, TV channels

As unsavory as Wisconsin's 41-13 loss to Notre Dame was, there's recent precedent for Big Ten teams bouncing back to have successful seasons.

The Wisconsin Badgers have a chance to put the disappointing Week 1 loss behind them when Western Illinois visits Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday.

After Wisconsin lost 41-13 to Notre Dame in the 2026 opener, competing ferociously with the Irish in the first half before crumbling in the second, head coach Luke Fickell's post-game press conference was all too familiar.

The Badgers didn't win their season opener, but they did get a key player back from injury. Here is why Kevin Heywood's return is good news for UW.