Wisconsin football isn't exactly a program you can be proud of right now. They are 2-6 and haven't won a conference game in over a year. The Badgers have the worst offense in the Power 4 and the second-worst in FBS. It's a mess in Madison, and maybe that's why former Badger stars on Sunday Night Football decided not to mention the college they attended and instead shouted out their high school.
At least that's the shot that Wisconsin fans noticed while watching the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Green Bay Packers. During every Sunday Night Football broadcast, the program allows the starters to introduce themselves via prepared videos during the game. Starters TJ Watt and Keeanu Benton, both former Wisconsin Badgers, decided not to say Wisconsin but instead their high schools.
Wisconsin fans noticed.
https://t.co/uApY07V1VP pic.twitter.com/SdaIAFlRiE
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) October 27, 2025
When TJ Watt and Keeanu Benton say their high schools instead of Wisconsin in player intros pic.twitter.com/Nu2urNO3LD
— Scary Alvarez (@barryisthedon) October 27, 2025
Former Badger players aren't exactly thrilled about this season of Wisconsin football
Related: Luke Fickell's comments about his QBs reveals a huge behind-the-scenes problem
If it was a shot at Wisconsin football and Luke Fickell, it was a perfectly executed one. The Sunday Night Football game featured the Green Bay Packers, thus knowing full well that many Wisconsin Badger fans would be watching. The crossover in the fanbase is heavy, and there would be fans who would notice.
Neither Benton nor Watt has said anything publicly about the current state of the Wisconsin football program under Luke Fickell, but other players have. And many of them are embarrassed about how far from grace the Badgers have fallen.
While the NFL Badgers are thriving in the NFL, like TJ Watt signing a massive contract in the off-season, Zack Baun winning the Super Bowl, or even Jonathan Taylor already making a strong case for the NFL MVP award. The college they came from is floundering and struggling to even be competitive, much less win this season. It's hard not to blame these former stars for taking a subtle shot at the current state of the program, if that's what they were doing.