You know what, after all his team has been through this season and the hate that he's been getting for quite some time, Luke Fickell deserves this moment. In stunning fashion, Wisconsin football just pulled off its biggest upset of the season, taking down No. 24 Washington in Madison.
Luke Fickell did something new and sensed a big win over Washington was coming
We won't lie - we've been hard on Fickell and understandably so, as it has been another season to forget for this team. However, the fans stormed the field at Camp Randall Stadium and you can tell this meant a ton to Fickell and Wisconsin as a whole. This was a win this program needed and it needed it in the biggest way possible.
No one was more relieved about the Wisconsin win than Luke Fickell
“A pretty big one for all of us, a lot of us,” Fickell said on the sigh of relief he can now take after the upset win. “Been a while coming. Great to see.”
Fickell provided that quote in the middle of the madness on the field with the Big Ten Network right after the final whistle. Can you blame him for being so relieved? Not at all. With so many lopsided losses being posted, fans have been calling left and right for Fickell to be fired.
Earlier this week, Wisconsin AD Chris McIntosh announced that the Badgers are going to stick with Fickell and bring him back for the 2026 season. Instead of firing the embattled Wisconsin coach, the Badgers are planning to invest more into the program and put him in a better position to win.
A lot of people were furious with that decision, but Fickell has already thanked the university and community as a whole for that trust with a win over a Top 25 team. Does this win fully take away the pressure on Fickell and his staff? Absolutely not, but it's a reminder that Fickell was brought to Wisconsin for a reason and this is a win he can enjoy. He earned it.