Luke Fickell took the podium at the Big Ten Media Days and spoke about how this year is going to be different. He said Wisconsin is finally getting its feet under it while he's the coach, and he spoke with confidence he hasn't shown in a long time. Many fans were encouraged and think that things truly could be different. However, it's going to be tough for Fickell to prove it right away. Most experts are putting the Badgers down as 0-1 to start the year.
Notre Dame is the first game on the schedule, and the Badgers, in a prove-it year, have to start the season with a top-5 team. That's tough for Fickell, and he was asked about this, and the word that he kept using was "opportunity." He definitely hedged his bets by saying that he's really hoping the best football is in November.
"It's a great opportunity for us as a football program." Luke Fickell said, "I think for us in general, we know darn well where we've been the last couple years. To have the focus of what it is going to be on week one, September 6th, not only that it's in Lambeau Field, I think it's helped me as a coach recognize some of the things we have to continue to evolve to be able to do."
Luke Fickell sees Notre Dame as an opportunity to focus and come out of the gates ready
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Fickell knows it'll be tough, he said, that schedules are created so far in advance; who knew how the teams would be at this point? He reminds everyone that it wasn't something he thought of; it was decided for him. "I'm not telling you that this was one of those things that I said, Hey, this is what we should do. But it's in front of us. It gives us a great opportunity to say, Hey, there's an incredible focus as we roll into camp because we know it's going to start in the kickoff of September 6th."
Notre Dame being the first week is a brutal pull, but Fickell is right; it's an opportunity. One in which the Badgers have clearly circled. It's not a "get it out of the way" game; for Fickell, he says the team has put it down as an opportunity to come out of the gates with incredible focus.
Taking on Notre Dame at the beginning of the year is actually the best time to take them on. Marcus Freeman's Irish have been known to falter at the beginning of the season. A team that doesn't come out of the gates with focus. Last season, the Irish went 0-2 to start the season, losing to Miami and Texas A&M before rattling off 10 wins in a row (going undefeated the rest of the way). In 2024, the Irish lost the second game of the season to Northern Illinois.
So there's some precedent that if Wisconsin can be the more focused team, the team that seizes the opportunity, something crazy could happen. Fickell won't be judged by the first game, but if he somehow pulls it off, the season sets up in a whole new way. Badger fans have also circled the game.
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