It may be a game against a lower-level Group of Five opponent, but do not tell that to Danny O'Neil. On Tuesday, Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell talked about what O'Neil may lack in size, speed and arm strength, he makes up for if confidence, swagger and heart. He may only be 3-8 in his career as a college football starter, but the guy is the absolute vibes curator as the Badgers' backup passer.
With Billy Edwards Jr. not expected to play against Middle Tennessee while he works his way back from a knee injury, this is an opportunity of a lifetime for O'Neil. If he goes off, people might start to pay attention. If he starts and goes off again vs. Alabama in two weeks, this is how legends are formed. There was a time when Linsanity captivated an entire nation. O'Neil is poised to make noise.
After meeting with the media after practice on Wednesday, O'Neil looked like a young Baker Mayfield.
Danny O'Neil may be able to get Wisconsin playing like Wisconsin again
When asked where he seems to be getting this boulder-sized chip on his shoulder, O'Neil offered this.
"I've been told I can't do a lot of things in my life and just being able to prove people wrong, that's just the type of guy I am. I've been told no. I've been told I don't have a strong enough arm. I'm not big enough. I'm not fast enough. So just being able to go out there and prove it, prove myself right more so than proving other people wrong is a big thing. It's something that I carry that chip with me every single day."
It may be the dark hair, the headband and the diminutive stature, but he did a better job of cosplaying Mayfield that Dylan Raiola could ever do in his cringeworthy attempts to be Patrick Mahomes. Fickell did say O'Neil's perceived cockiness is authentic. It is one of the things he knows to be true about the guy, not even two games into their working relationship. Man, Wisconsin needs O'Neil to go off, baby!
Here is the entire interview O'Neil made after practice on Wednesday heading into his Week 2 start.
Let's further dissect O'Neil's quote to explain why this is such a good thing for Wisconsin football.
Danny O'Neil plays like this to get the most out of his football teammates
Admittedly, his quote was answered in mostly first-person, well, because O'Neil was responding to a question about where his level of confidence comes from. In this interview, as well as Fickell's Middle Tennessee press conference earlier in the week, O'Neil apparently does this to help inspire his teammates. This is what leadership looks like. Playing with some emotion and fire goes a long way.
This season will not be easy for Wisconsin, but it could be the turning point for the team if the right guys fully buy in. The last two years under Fickell have been largely underwhelming due to some inconsistent and often bad quarterback play. Running an Air Raid with Phil Longo in Madison was a recipe for disaster. Jeff Grimes comes in to give the Badgers something with a little more balance.
Again, O'Neil did not leave San Diego State for Wisconsin just to hold a clipboard and marvel at what Edwards can and cannot do under center. He came to Madison to try and take his job. It may be next season once Edwards runs out of eligibility, but having a fun and exciting backup quarterback coming in could reignite some positive energy into a program that has largely gotten stale. All hail O'Neil here!
If O'Neil helps the Wisconsin offense put up a 50 burger on Middle Tennessee, people will be loving it!