Through nine games of the 2024 campaign, no one expected the Wisconsin Badgers to be 5-4. Following the loss to Penn State at home, Luke Fickell and Co. took a major step back against the Iowa Hawkeyes, suffering a 42-10 defeat.
Thus far this season, the Badgers have taken down Western Michigan, South Dakota, Purdue, Rutgers and Northwestern. However, in games we knew that would be competitive, the Badgers have dropped the ball, losing to USC, Alabama, Penn State and Iowa.
Following the loss to Penn State too, Fickell is 0-5 as Wisconsin head coach against ranked teams, and No. 1 Oregon is next up on the schedule. Things are a bit of a mess for Fickell, but now is not the time for him to lose hope. Nope, instead, he made it clear he and his coaches/players are ready to keep battling.
Luke Fickell knows things are tough right now for the Wisconsin football team
"We all know what we signed up for. It's the same thing that every kid in that locker room did, and truly understands. You signed up for the best, and the expectation is you need to play the best, and right now that's not the case. It's not like there is one thing that you can point at. After an Alabama game, you give up a couple shots, and it's one of those things, 'okay, they've got the wideout that is a difference-maker.' This one is a lot different, and to me, there's nothing that stings more than this. "Luke Fickell
As you can tell, Fickell was pretty down in the dumps following the loss to Iowa, which was the same way a lot of other people were feeling. That rivalry loss left a black eye on the program and it's one that alums want to forget about as soon as possible.
Wisconsin has one of the most historic programs in Big Ten history and the expectation is for them to push for a College Football Playoff spot every campaign. That's not the case this year, as Fickell and Co. have let a lot of people down, no doubt about that.