There remains absolutely no reason to defend the Wisconsin Badgers defense for how they looked against the Iowa Hawkeyes last week. In a 42-10 loss, Wisconsin couldn't do anything right on D, especially against the run.
The Hawkeyes rushed for 329 yards against the Badgers, which was totally inexcusable. People were furious with Mike Tressel and rightfully so. Now, those same people are even angrier after Iowa lost to UCLA on Friday night.
In that loss, UCLA's defense, which entered the game having all kinds of issues stopping the run, looked incredible. On the night, Iowa rushed for only 80 yards, with star running back Kaleb Johnson being held to 49 yards. What?!
Iowa puts up 80 rushing yards against UCLA after amassing 329 against the #Badgers.
— Colten Bartholomew (@CBartWSJ) November 9, 2024
It's hard to put into proper context how bad UW was at Iowa.
Mike Tressel's defense now looks worse after Iowa lost to UCLA
With the way Iowa looked against the Badgers, the assumption was that the Hawkeyes and Johnson would be able to run all over the Bruins. Instead, the opposite proved to be true, with UCLA's defense somehow looking elite.
It was a head-scratching night for Iowa, as not many people thought they'd look as bad as they did with its ground game. Wisconsin was on a bye, yet the poor Iowa performance was a bad look for them overall. No one thought the Badgers would get dominated the way they did in Iowa City.
Following that loss, Wisconsin is 5-4 on the year and the No. 1 Oregon Ducks are next up on the schedule, a game Dan Lanning and Co. are strong favorites for. We hate to say it, but unless there's some sort of miracle in Madison recorded, Wisconsin will fall to 5-5 on the year.
This team still needs one more win for bowl eligibility, but Wisconsin supporters are starting to get worried that the team's 22-year bowl streak could come to an end. It's been a season to forget for Luke Fickell and Co., but the loss to Iowa now somehow looks worse for him and his staff.