Midway Through the 2025 Season, Wisconsin Football Has Hit Rock Bottom
After Wisconsin suffered a 27-10 loss to Maryland in Week 4 of the college football season, coaching legend Barry Alvarez had some controversial words for the fans. The Badger icon called out students on ESPN Madison for chanting “Fire Fickell” during the loss at Camp Randall Stadium, in reference to current head coach Luke Fickell.
“They’re spoiled rotten,” Alvarez said. “Here’s a team that you’ve got young players trying to come on, they’re competing, they’re going to have a chance to get better, and you flip on them. We’re early in the season and you flip on them and you’re chanting for the coach [to be fired].”
Three weeks later, perhaps Alvarez’s words were harsh on fans. While Wisconsin has had chances to get better, as the former coach noted, the team has failed to capitalize. The Badgers are 2-4 after Week 7, hitting the midst of a rough October slate.
Last night, Wisconsin football hit rock bottom after a 37-0 loss to Iowa at Camp Randall Stadium. Wearing throwback uniforms, the Badgers were embarrassed on both sides of the field. They had a handful of penalties (one before the game started), three turnovers and gave up 17 points in the first quarter alone.
With its only two wins being against Miami of Ohio and Middle Tennessee, there is a legitimate chance Wisconsin finishes the season 2-10. It would be its worst mark since 1990, when the team went 1-10 in Alvarez’s first season. However, from there, he took the program to multiple Rose Bowl appearances as the team rose to relevance.
But the future is guaranteed. What about right now?
Lack of Offense
Well, there have been problems everywhere. It starts with the offense, having suffered from injuries, but also poor play. While Billy Edwards Jr. (knee) has remained out, Hunter Simmons and Danny O’Neil have failed to give any sort of efficient production. The offensive line has lacked consistency, as Wisconsin has used a different lineup in each game thus far.
A lack of passing ability has affected the ground game. A program known for abusing opponents via the run is averaging just 112.2 per game, which ranks 17th out of 18 Big Ten teams.
There is a disconnection on all cylinders, and after a solid Week 2 performance by offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes, things have tanked. Against Iowa, Wisconsin opted to throw the ball with so few yards to gain on multiple occasions.
Defensive Lapses
Last night, the defense wasn’t given any favors as the offense failed to move up the field. On the season, however, the Badgers rank 17th in the Big Ten in pass deflections, 14th in sacks and 10th in passing yards per game.
That side of the ball hasn’t been as bad as the offense. In fact, there have been some solid performances from the defensive line. But it definitely isn’t up to par, and it doesn’t make up for the team’s overall poor play.
What to Expect for the Second Half of the Season
Coming into the season, we knew how tough the schedule would be, facing multiple AP Top 25 opponents. However, games against Maryland and Iowa favored Wisconsin. Moving ahead, the Badgers will face No. 1 Ohio State, No. 8 Oregon and No. 3 Indiana in three of the next four games.
Almost all students and many fans have been calling for the firing of Fickell. Per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Penn State just canned James Franklin after the team lost three straight games, dropping to 3-3. His buyout ranks second in college football history at over $49 million.
Right now, Fickell’s buyout is $28 million, not nearly as much as Franklin’s, but still a high number. It’s especially steep when you consider how little money is poured into the program compared to the Nittany Lions.
At this point, the expectation is for Wisconsin to finish 2-10 or 3-9, missing a second straight bowl game for the first time since the 1991 and 1992 seasons. That would almost certainly warrant Fickell’s departure. For now, fans will likely have to endure the program’s worst season in 35 years.
