With the greatest of respect to Phil Longo, it was time to go. His offense was never a good fit for Wisconsin and his play-calling had plenty of Badgers supporters ready to pull their hair out. Saturday night was the final straw.
In a game where the defense looked elite, Wisconsin's offense held them back in the worst way possible in the 16-13 loss to No.1 Oregon. Wisconsin was in a prime position to post the biggest upset of the year, but the offense dropped the ball. That's fully on Longo.
Luke Fickell had enough, firing the veteran coach on Sunday. It was breaking news that plenty of people had been calling for, but Longo being canned was still a bit shocking because many of us assumed it'd come during the offseason. Nope, Fickell decided now was the right time to make a change.
Phil Longo was fired as Wisconsin OC after the loss to No. 1 Oregon
There's no offensive identity for this team. Longo continued to trust Braedyn Locke to lead his offensive attack and he didn't focus on the ground game enough in key situations. Locke's interception with less than two minutes to go was back-breaking. Longo's decisions against Penn State were absurd too. Now, he's looking for a new job and Badgers fans are thrilled Fickell is going in a different direction.
Tried to tell you people two years ago that the Phil Longo/Air Raid was just as wrong for #Badgers as the Don Morton/veer was in the late 1980s. All I heard was crap like, stop shouting at clouds old man or you’re happy with the status quo. Well, I was right. #experiencematters
— Tom Oates (@TomOatesWSJ) November 18, 2024
Wisconsin has fired OC Phil Longo. Pound the football 🏈 pic.twitter.com/50Dk1On4EF
— Smitty (@smittybucs) November 18, 2024
So long-o, Phil Longo.
— Drew Birling (@actdrewary) November 17, 2024
Packers break the hearts of the Bears and Phil Longo gets fired in the same day???? I think this might be the best Sunday I’ve ever had. https://t.co/NwXKMt43h3
— matthew wedig (@matthew_wedig) November 17, 2024
If you bring the Air Raid to Madison of all places, you *better* be lighting up the scoreboard.
— Paul Harvey 🔨 (@HammerHarvey) November 17, 2024
Wisconsin was not, to put it lightly.
That's the Phil Longo experience in a nutshell.
Smoking that Phil Longo pack #RIPbozo pic.twitter.com/g33ekIyMRL
— Bode (@NickBode41) November 17, 2024
I would absolutely love to see Phil Longo ruin another big ten team’s future
— Kaden Olsen (@KadenOlsen8) November 17, 2024
Preferably Iowa, Nebraska, or Minnesota
I hope Phil Longo enjoys the unemployment line
— tyler- Love and Willis truther (@tywisc0) November 17, 2024
With the loss to Oregon, Wisconsin is now 5-5 on the year. Next up is Nebraska, followed by the season-finale against Minnesota. The Badgers have two chances left to reach a sixth win and bowl eligibility. This team has been bowl eligible for 22 straight seasons, but that streak is fully on the line.
Losing Tyler Van Dike to a torn ACL complicated everything for this team, but Longo was still holding this team back all season long. Fickell made the right call and he must now go all-in to find a home-run replacement. His job very well could depend on it, as another season of awful offense and five losses won't be tolerated.