Wisconsin, Purdue pull off Big Ten upsets

Badgers and Boilermakers knock off top-10 opponents on the road

Feb. 11, 2026 at 10:23am

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It was a wild night in the Big Ten on Tuesday, with a pair of road underdogs pulling off upsets. Wisconsin defeated No. 8 Illinois 92-90 behind a combined 49 points from guards Nick Boyd and John Blackwell, while Purdue topped No. 7 Nebraska 80-77 in overtime despite blowing a 22-point second-half lead.

Why it matters

The Big Ten race remains wide open, with Wisconsin and Purdue now joining Illinois and Nebraska as teams with 10 conference wins. These road upsets shake up the standings and show the parity in the league this season.

The details

In the Wisconsin-Illinois game, the Badgers overcame a big night from Illini star Jake Davis to pull off the upset in Champaign. Meanwhile, Purdue nearly squandered a huge lead against Nebraska before prevailing in overtime, thanks in large part to a 21-6 advantage in offensive rebounds.

  • On Tuesday night, February 11, 2026.

The players

Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin men's basketball team, who defeated No. 8 Illinois on the road.

Purdue Boilermakers

The Purdue men's basketball team, who defeated No. 7 Nebraska in overtime on the road.

Nick Boyd

A Wisconsin guard who scored 25 points in the upset win over Illinois.

John Blackwell

A Wisconsin guard who scored 24 points in the upset win over Illinois.

Jake Davis

An Illinois player who had a big game in the loss to Wisconsin.

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What they’re saying

“The hair goes home sad, the Badgers go home happy”

— Wisconsin Basketball

“When you have 20 more offensive rebounds, kind of amazing it's a possession game, right?”

— Matt Painter, Purdue Head Coach

“That's the game. When you have 20 more offensive rebounds, kind of amazing it's a possession game, right?”

— Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska Head Coach

What’s next

The Big Ten regular season title race remains wide open, with several teams still in contention. Wisconsin and Purdue's upset wins on Tuesday night shake up the standings and set the stage for an exciting finish to the conference schedule.

The takeaway

The parity in the Big Ten this season was on full display, as a pair of road underdogs pulled off impressive upsets over top-10 opponents. These results highlight the competitiveness of the conference and how any team can win on a given night, making the race for the regular season title all the more intriguing.