This loss is going to sting for quite some time. On Saturday night in Madison, the Wisconsin Badgers had a chance to shake things up for the country by taking down No. 1 Oregon. Luke Fickell and Co. were neck and neck with the top team in the land.
At one point, Wisconsin was up 13-6 in the second half and it looked like the biggest upset of the year was going to be posted. Instead, the Badgers couldn't make plays late and Oregon was able to escape with a 16-13 victory.
Give credit to Dan Lanning and his players, as they delivered with the game on the line. Wisconsin frustrated Dillon Gabriel all night, but the team's incredible effort fell short. After the final whistle, Fickel met with the media and you could tell he was crushed by the loss:
Luke Fickell opens his press conference with, "That's crushing." Talks about the inability to finish once again.
— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) November 17, 2024
Luke Fickell and the Badgers couldn't close things out vs. Oregon
"That's crushing," Fickell said via 247Sports. "We just right now haven't been able to find a way to finish. To not be able to find a way to come out on top again, is difficult. Obviously, they fought their butts off, they did everything we asked them to do, and they played how we expected them to play."
The Ducks were heavy favorites and not many people thought Wisconsin was going to keep this one close. However, the defense was downright fantastic, giving Oregon all kinds of issues. It was the most off anyone has seen Gabriel this year.
On offense, however, Braedyn Locke and others couldn't get into a rhythm. The play-calling from Phil Longo was highly questionable too, which has people furious with him on social media. With Wisconsin up in the second half, it really felt like it was going to be a night to remember at Camp Randall.
Unfortunately, everyone was reminded of the near upset against Penn State, with the Badgers falling just short once again. Down three points with under two minutes to go, the Locke interception to seal the Oregon victory was heartbreaking.
Now, Wisconsin has games against Nebraska and Minnesota to try to capture its sixth win of the year. For now, though, everyone will be wondering what could have been against Oregon had a couple of plays gone differently.