The 2025 Wisconsin Badgers appear to be falling victim to Murphy's Law. Whatever can go wrong will go wrong... After a 2-0 start, the Badgers have not looked the part vs. Power Four competition under Luck Fickell. Not only is he having a miserable time beating ranked teams, he is struggling to hold his own vs. mid-grade Big Ten competition. Once again, the Maryland loss was such a total indictment.
One of the reasons why the Maryland Terrapins were able to come into Camp Randall and come out of it with an easy 27-10 victory was the great play of their true freshman quarterback Malik Washington. In only his fourth career starter, Washington completed 18-of-34 passes for 265 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions through the air. Maryland is no longer missing Billy Edwards Jr.
While it remains to be seen what Edwards plans to do in a Badgers uniform this year and going forward, what is Mike Tressel's defense going to do to contain another brilliant true freshman quarterback on Saturday in Bryce Underwood? Washington offered a ton of talent coming out of high school, but Underwood was the highest graded player in his class. What if he carves up Wisconsin?
Not only could this be the end for Fickell in Madison, but good luck to Tressel serving in the interim...
Bryce Underwood cannot do to Wisconsin what Malik Washington did
Look. These are two of the most promising up-and-coming freshmen quarterbacks out there. Underwood and Washington are poised to have fantastic college careers before it is all said and done. What is concerning is as follows. Wisconsin continues to start games slow. The Badgers have had no luck vs. ranked opponents. They are struggling vs. Power Four competition. What else to add?
Should they have answers in being able to stop Underwood through the air, everyone left on Wisconsin's Big Ten schedule is going to look at the Badgers as an easy 250 yards aerially. Keep in mind that they have to face Dante Moore, Fernando Mendoza, Luke Altmyer and Demond Williams among others the rest of the way. Underwood may be on their level soon, but he is only a freshman.
In the end, if Wisconsin were to ever move on from Fickell at any point during this season, Tressel seemed like an easy interim head-coaching candidate. He has been with the team for as long as Fickell has. With Jeff Grimes only in his first season with the program, it would have to be Tressel if Fickell inevitably fails, right? Well, if they get lit up like a Christmas tree again, they both have to go.
As long as Wisconsin cannot stop a nosebleed through the air, it will have a hard time beating anyone.