Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, March 20, 2013

Strength of schedule figures to be a big component of the criteria used to determine who will play in the coming four-team playoff in 2014. To that end, Wisconsin?s 2015 slate will get a big boost from having a game with Alabama on its slate.

The school announced Wednesday that it will play the two-time defending national champion Crimson Tide on Sept. 5, 2015, in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Alabama beat Michigan in the same venue to open the 2012 season.

By 2015, Big Ten schools may be playing nine league games, making this a rugged slate for Wisconsin.

The schools have met just one time, with the Badgers taking a 15-0 win on Nov. 3, 1928, in Camp Randall Stadium.

Wisconsin played SEC teams in five consecutive bowls from 2003-07, going 2-3. The Badgers beat Arkansas and Auburn in the Capital One Bowl after the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Wisconsin lost to Tennessee in the Outback Bowl after the 2007 season and fell to Georgia in the same bowl after the 2004 season. The school also lost to Auburn in the Music City Bowl after the 2003 campaign.

The Badgers haven?t played an SEC team in the regular season since dropping a 27-7 decision at LSU in 1972.

Speaking of schedules, here's Wisconsin's 2013 slate:

Day Date Opponent Time TV Result
Sat. Aug. 31 vs. Massachusetts TBA
Sat. Sep. 7 vs. Tennessee Tech TBA
Sat. Sep. 14 at Arizona State TBA
Sat. Sep. 21 vs. Purdue TBA
Sat. Sep. 28 at 3 Ohio State TBA
Sat. Oct. 12 vs. 17 Northwestern TBA
Sat. Oct. 19 at Illinois TBA
Sat. Nov. 2 at Iowa TBA
Sat. Nov. 9 vs. Brigham Young TBA
Sat. Nov. 16 vs. Indiana TBA
Sat. Nov. 23 at Minnesota TBA
Sat. Nov. 30 vs. Penn State TBA
About Tom Dienhart BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart is a veteran sports journalist who covers Big Ten football and men's basketball for BTN.com and BTN TV. Find him on Twitter and Facebook, read all of his work at btn.com/tomdienhart, and subscribe to his posts via RSS. Also, send questions to his weekly mailbag using the form below and read all of his previous answers in his reader mailbag section.

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