Things went from bad, to worse, to downright ugly in the first half for Wisconsin. In what was supposed to be a nice entry point into Big Ten play vs. Maryland, it was anything but that for the Badgers. The foolish decision by Luke Fickell to let Billy Edwards Jr. try to play in this one backfired almost immediately. Danny O'Neil looked so incredibly small vs. the improved Terrapins' pass rush.
In the end, it was yet another painfully slow start to a game for Wisconsin. That makes it four in a row for the Badgers, as they did not look the part initially vs. the Miami RedHawks, the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, the Alabama Crimson Tide and now the Maryland Terrapins. During the first two frames, the Badgers were totally out-coached at home vs. a rebuilding team starting a freshman quarterback.
For a team that should view itself as a Big Ten blue blood, what have the Badgers become under Fickell? This is supposedly the same head coach who led the Cincinnati Bearcats to the College Football Playoff out of the Group of Five. His team is not only struggling to hold its own vs. Power Four competition, but the Badgers struggled at times to put away lesser teams out of the Group of Five...
Unless the players decide they want to keep playing for Fickell at halftime, this may be his final game.
It might take a second half for the ages vs. Maryland to keep Luke Fickell
The good news for Wisconsin, if there is any, is the Badgers have played better coming out of halftime in at least two of their games. It was how they were able to beat Miami (OH) and Middle Tennessee at home. The Alabama game might as well be seen as a wash as this point, but the Badgers did put some points on the board in the second half: A punt return and a touchdown pass!
Overall, Wisconsin continues to get out-coached right out of the gate each and every week. When does this stop being a coincidence? At the end of the day, the Wisconsin athletic department has to be honest with itself and what it is watching. This is not even remotely close to good enough... There are some truly awful teams in the Big Ten. Wisconsin is more than doing its part to be among them.
Ultimately, the players need to decide if they want to win this game or not. There is next to nothing Fickell and this coaching staff can do to rectify the situation. The moment we start to see players actively quit on the field, this season is toast. We are at a critical point in the season for the Badgers. Everyone already knew this, but why is this coaching staff seemingly so obtuse to this very situation?
Wisconsin's season hangs in the balances of the next two quarters, so what it is going to be then?