The Wisconsin Badgers are gearing up for their matchup against No. 1 Oregon this weekend. It’s been rough sledding for the Badgers, who’ve been outscored 23-70 in their past two games against Iowa and No. 3 Penn State.
The Badgers have struggled in both Big Ten conference play and against ranked opponents, a common pattern for Wisconsin football under second-year head coach Luke Fickell. During his tenure, the Badgers are 8-7 in conference matchups and a whopping 0-5 against ranked teams — including bowl games.
It seems Fickell and the Badgers can’t get over the hump.
Growing pains
For decades, Wisconsin football has been known for its strong rushing attack, powerful offensive line and elite defense. It was old-fashioned football at its finest. This isn’t the style of offense that Fickell runs.
Fickell found success with the Cincinnati Bearcats with the ‘air raid’ offense, particularly in 2021 when the Bearcats finished 13-1 and became the first group of five programs to be selected for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Once Fickell arrived in Madison, many fans expected the ‘ground and pound’ offense to immediately shift to Fickell’s ‘air raid’ offense. But these are unrealistic expectations, and growing pains are normal in a major shift in offensive philosophy. Change doesn’t always happen immediately, which is why it seems like the Badgers have lost their identity these past couple of seasons.
Wisconsin needs players that fit Fickell’s ‘air raid’ scheme to run a cleaner and more efficient offense. Strong recruiting classes will be essential if the program wants to get back to its previous football standard.
Miscues
Despite the growing pains, Wisconsin has had opportunities to knock off ranked opponents. Last season, the Badgers only trailed the undefeated No. 3 Ohio State by seven heading into the fourth quarter. The Buckeyes ultimately pulled away, scoring a touchdown to extend their lead with just over five minutes remaining.
The Badgers had a 21-10 halftime lead over No. 13 University of Southern California in Los Angeles in September, but a muffed punt gave all momentum to the Trojans, who then scored 28 unanswered points.
Two weeks ago, Wisconsin entered the locker room at the half leading against an undefeated No. 3 Penn State 10-7 behind a roaring student section. The crowd was silenced in the third quarter after a game-changing pick-six thrown by quarterback Braedyn Locke killed all the momentum they had. The Nittany Lions put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter, ending Badger Barstool’s dream of carrying the Camp Randall goalposts to Lake Mendota.
It isn’t that the Badgers haven’t had chances to win big games, they just have yet to cash in. They’re due for a big upset.
Talent recession
The biggest reason Wisconsin has struggled against these strong opponents boils down to talent. The Badgers simply don’t have a good enough roster to compete with ranked teams. Hopefully, this changes in the coming years and Fickell can bring in some high star recruits. But at the moment, Wisconsin football is in a talent recession.
The Badgers always seem to have an elite running back on their roster, but they have been lacking that for the past few years. Sure, Braelon Allen was a great player, but the now-Jets draftee was not the same caliber as players like Jonathan Taylor, Melvin Gordon and Ron Dayne.
Historically, the Badgers offensive line has also been a major strength. Superstars like Joe Thomas and Pro Football Hall of Fame center Mike Webster have come from Wisconsin’s program. Not every player will be elite, but the Badgers standard for an offensive line is to win the battle in the trenches. The Badgers have lost this battle against opponents like Penn State and Ohio State, a crucial reason as to why they continue to lose these big games.
Wisconsin has a good football team, but it isn’t good enough for the new era of the Big Ten conference. Opponents will take advantage of miscues, which have plagued the Badgers over the past couple of seasons. Simply put, they’ve lost their identity — and a team without an identity won’t win big games.
However, it’s important to remember that good things take time. Fans need to be patient and trust the process. Hopefully, Fickell and the Badgers can figure it out and get back to the program’s standard.
Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither is Wisconsin football.
