After losing to the Iowa Hawkeyes 42-10 last season, the Badgers circled this year's rematch on the calendar. Despite the extra pushups and extra motivation, Iowa handed Wisconsin their biggest loss ever in the rivalry, which dates all the way back to 1894. The Hawkeyes have are now 3-0 and have outscored the Badgers 16-94 in the Luke Fickell era.
On Saturday, Iowa dominated on the ground, rushing for 210 yards and four touchdowns. While the Badger defense was once ranked first in the nation, they've now allowed nearly 400 rushing yards over the past two weeks. Backup quarterback Hunter Simmons failed to provide any sort of spark and threw for just 82 yards and two interceptions.
Is it time for Wisconsin to tear it all down?
Now at 2-4 for the season, and winless in the Big Ten, the Badgers feel like they've hit rock bottom. With No. 1 Ohio State and No. 3 Oregon coming up next, there doesn't seem to be much hope on the horizon for a quick turnaround. The debate surrounding Fickell's job status has largely been determined at this point, as the team has now hit lows not seen since the nineties.
Whether or not Fickell will be fired remains an entirely different conversation, but it's hard to see how the Badgers can salvage the season. Besides the blowout on the scoreboard, the team looked undisciplined and poorly coached. While an interim coach may not solve this season's issues, the university may just decided to rip the Band-Aid off regardless. A win against Iowa would have gone a long way in keeping the fans' trust, but at this point there's been no proof that this team is making any sort of progress.