There's a lot on the line for both Nebraska and Wisconsin this week. The Cornhuskers are on a four-game losing streak, while the Badgers are on a three-game skid. Both of these teams are 5-5 on the year, hoping to reach bowl eligibility on Saturday.
For Luke Fickell and Co., a lot of the focus in recent days has been on Phil Longo being fired as offensive coordinator. It was a move that a lot of people expected this offseason, not with two games left in the campaign. However, following the 16-13 loss to No. 1 Oregon, Fickell made the move.
Obviously, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule saw the news and was surely a bit surprised himself. Rhule gave credit to Longo for giving the Cornhuskers' defense issues last season. Now, he's not too sure what to expect from Fickell and his offensive coaches this time around.
Matt Rhule has great respect for Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell
"Obviously, Coach Fickell is a great head coach," Rhule said via Cornhuskers Wire. "They’re going to play great defense. They want to run the football and take shots down the field. We have a general idea of who they are and what they do, but you have a whole other element that you have to prepare for. Best thing we can do is just focus on ourselves and try to fix some of the issues we had last week that prevented us from winning.”
Fickell isn't in jeopardy of losing his job, but the fanbase sure is starting to lose patience with him. Letting go of Longo was one thing, but now he's going to have to bring in a new OC to get this unit back on the right track. We've seen how great things can be on defense, but the other side of the ball needs to showcase major improvements in 2025.
Before next campaign, though, there are still two games left for Fickell and his staff to focus on. Nebraska presents a big challenge, especially with this being a road game. Rhule knows things will be tight, as the Badgers will do everything possible to end their losing streak and capture the coveted sixth win of 2024.