Badgers Football 2025-2026

[Voyageur]

Despite all the smoke coming from the Wisconsin media, Fickell's Badgers are not expected to even be good enough to get into a bowl game. Las Vegas is offering the Badgers at 5.5 wins for the year. Not exactly a great year, in fact another dismal year under Fickell. Could it cost him his job? How far will Wisconsin let his team fall before they pull the plug on him?

The kicker in this whole thing is a transfer QB who might just have more game than the odds makers think. How good can Billy Edwards actually be? In spring ball, a lot of people said he really looked good and can compete. Is that enough to add at least two more wins to that total of 5.5? Edwards, by the way, is a one and done. He's out of eligibility after this season. In the wings? Sophomore transfer from San Diego State, Danny O'Neil, who quite frankly might or might not be good enough to compete in the Big 10. We won't know until he takes meaningful snaps. My opinion. He's good, but not good enough to put 10 wins on the board at QB. I put Carter Smith, a freshman, ahead of Hunter Simmons as the #3 even though Simmons has some experience and Smith is a total newbie.

Our running backs are a serious question mark at this point. Yacamelli, Dupree, and Jones. Yaco is the one with substantial experience, but the other two have talent. How good are they? None of them are really that substantial a threat to be a national top 20 RB for the year. This is not the kind of running back room that the Badgers are used to having, and that's troubling.

We're set at TE with Ashcraft and Seagraves. McGohan & Stec might develop as good ones as well. I'm not worried about this spot.

Wide receivers are a big question. So is the chemistry they'll have with our QBs. I think the roster is pretty thin here and going to be a problem all year. But that's conjecture. I just don't see them as that good.

Despite the gloom people see in our offensive line, I don't think they're that bad, but it won't matter because we don't have the RBs, QB, and WRs to complement their play so they're going to look bad no matter what.

Our defense? It could finish as one of the lowest ranked defenses in the conference. The number of games that they give up 30+ points is going to make people wonder what they're doing for coaching. The reality is, we don't have the guys coming in to make the lineup better.

To be honest, I think this may well be Fickell's last year as the Badgers head coach. This team could be the worst team they've had in nearly 3 decades and since he's been there, it's been a continuous downhill slide.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Not really sure where to put this, but I figure here is good enough.

If you haven't already watched it, I highly recommend watching the new Documentary called "Surviving Ohio State."

I knew some about this, but not the depth it went, nor the length of time it covered. More importantly, I didn't know about how deep and wide the coverup was. Anyone involved in that coverup should be held accountable. They could have stopped this madman way BEFORE he ruined so many lives!

I was just numb and felt sick watching this. I would love to get the opinion of what women feel watching this, because lost in this is the fact that many Women have had to deal with this throughout history, from so many different avenues in their lives. Matter of fact, it took the incident with Women at Michigan State, to finally get the OSU situation out in the open.

This is just the preview, the doc is almost 2 hrs long and a must watch.

You must be logged in to see this image or video!

 

[Voyageur]

Not really sure where to put this, but I figure here is good enough.

If you haven't already watched it, I highly recommend watching the new Documentary called "Surviving Ohio State."

I knew some about this, but not the depth it went, nor the length of time it covered. More importantly, I didn't know about how deep and wide the coverup was. Anyone involved in that coverup should be held accountable. They could have stopped this madman way BEFORE he ruined so many lives!

I was just numb and felt sick watching this. I would love to get the opinion of what women feel watching this, because lost in this is the fact that many Women have had to deal with this throughout history, from so many different avenues in their lives. Matter of fact, it took the incident with Women at Michigan State, to finally get the OSU situation out in the open.

This is just the preview, the doc is almost 2 hrs long and a must watch.

You must be logged in to see this image or video!

I haven't watched this but probably will in the near future. It's worse by far than the situation at Penn State while Paterno was HC, or the other programs who have been called out for the abuse. When someone actually gets elected to Congress after being part of the coverup at OSU, it shows just how tone deaf most people are to the situation. Just hearing about it and trying to digest the depth of the depravity is almost too much for people to comprehend.

Over the course of history, we've allowed way too many people to get away with horrible acts against others. It's not just here in the US, but in other places as well. We need to bring these people to justice.

 

[Thirteen Below]

How good can Billy Edwards actually be? In spring ball, a lot of people said he really looked good and can compete. Is that enough to add at least two more wins to that total of 5.5?

With our schedule this year, I think we'll be lucky to win more than 5. Easily the toughest schedule in the conference, and one of the toughest in the country. This is a very unfortunate year for Fickell to desperately need a good season.

 

[Voyageur]

With our schedule this year, I think we'll be lucky to win more than 5. Easily the toughest schedule in the conference, and one of the toughest in the country. This is a very unfortunate year for Fickell to desperately need a good season.

I agree. I think the accolades are more along the lines of fingers crossed that the offense meshes and the defense can keep them in games.

I see 5 as the best myself. It could be even less. It would probably end the Fickell run. It would also turn the Badgers into a doormat for at least 5 or 6 years, maybe longer.

 

[Thirteen Below]

I agree. I think the accolades are more along the lines of fingers crossed that the offense meshes and the defense can keep them in games.

I see 5 as the best myself. It could be even less. It would probably end the Fickell run. It would also turn the Badgers into a doormat for at least 5 or 6 years, maybe longer.

That's what alarms me. In the "NIL Era", if your progrtam sucks for several years, you're going to have an incredibly difficult time ever rebuilding it, because you will not be able to compete with the elite echelon of schools when it comes to attracting the star talent. Why would a 5-star recruit come to Wisconsin when several of the Top Ten teams in college football - legacy powerhouse programs - are offering you the sun and the moon? Several years of doormat-cy can easily relegate you to permanent lower-level credibility in this new paradigm.

I don't follow college football very closely anymore, or at least Wisconsin football since I moved so far away, but the way I look at it is that just a couple of years ago the Badgers looked as though they were positioning themselves to almost work their way into a position where they could compete with the legacy powerhouse programs for recruiting elite talent. This "imperfect storm" of circumstances right now feels as though it could cross us off the list of a lot of 4-star recruits, and even 3-star prospects, and absolutely every 5-star in the country.

This not like the old days, where just a few years of stable coaching and solid recruiting could turn an entire program around. Now, we have to complete financially with the Georgias, the Bamas, the Ohio States... a 5 or 4 win season this year could plunge us back into the 70s, as I see it. A return to the Hilles-Morton trainwreck years.

Or am I just full of ****? I'm open to being notified of that; probably even hopeful.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

That's what alarms me. In the "NIL Era", if your progrtam sucks for several years, you're going to have an incredibly difficult time ever rebuilding it, because you will not be able to compete with the elite echelon of schools when it comes to attracting the star talent. Why would a 5-star recruit come to Wisconsin when several of the Top Ten teams in college football - legacy powerhouse programs - are offering you the sun and the moon? Several years of doormat-cy can easily relegate you to permanent lower-level credibility in this new paradigm.

I don't follow college football very closely anymore, or at least Wisconsin football since I moved so far away, but the way I look at it is that just a couple of years ago the Badgers looked as though they were positioning themselves to almost work their way into a position where they could compete with the legacy powerhouse programs for recruiting elite talent. This "imperfect storm" of circumstances right now feels as though it could cross us off the list of a lot of 4-star recruits, and even 3-star prospects, and absolutely every 5-star in the country.

This not like the old days, where just a few years of stable coaching and solid recruiting could turn an entire program around. Now, we have to complete financially with the Georgias, the Bamas, the Ohio States... a 5 or 4 win season this year could plunge us back into the 70s, as I see it. A return to the Hilles-Morton trainwreck years.

Or am I just full of ****? I'm open to being notified of that; probably even hopeful.

I think your take is correct. Now throw in the Transfer Portal and the ease that student athletes can move from program to program and it gets even worse...for the lessor programs. Top programs no longer need to develop 5 star talent, they can just "recruit" a well oiled, proven and polished player to fill their needs each off season. Graduate a top QB? No problem, there is a Junior over in a struggling program that just needs a nudge via NIL money to come fill your need.

The NCAA has become the Wild West and until those in charge get smart and address NIL the Transfer Portal issues, the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer.

Sadly, I think the Badger Football program is going to become a good case study for how these 2 new programs effect a major team, in a major sport.

 

[Voyageur]

That's what alarms me. In the "NIL Era", if your progrtam sucks for several years, you're going to have an incredibly difficult time ever rebuilding it, because you will not be able to compete with the elite echelon of schools when it comes to attracting the star talent. Why would a 5-star recruit come to Wisconsin when several of the Top Ten teams in college football - legacy powerhouse programs - are offering you the sun and the moon? Several years of doormat-cy can easily relegate you to permanent lower-level credibility in this new paradigm.

I don't follow college football very closely anymore, or at least Wisconsin football since I moved so far away, but the way I look at it is that just a couple of years ago the Badgers looked as though they were positioning themselves to almost work their way into a position where they could compete with the legacy powerhouse programs for recruiting elite talent. This "imperfect storm" of circumstances right now feels as though it could cross us off the list of a lot of 4-star recruits, and even 3-star prospects, and absolutely every 5-star in the country.

This not like the old days, where just a few years of stable coaching and solid recruiting could turn an entire program around. Now, we have to complete financially with the Georgias, the Bamas, the Ohio States... a 5 or 4 win season this year could plunge us back into the 70s, as I see it. A return to the Hilles-Morton trainwreck years.

Or am I just full of ****? I'm open to being notified of that; probably even hopeful.

You're not wrong. We could easily end up back in that same old rut. We were fortunate when they lured Alvarez to Wisconsin from Notre Dame to take over the program. He was the "name" that could rebuild the program if given the chance.

To rebuild last time, we were in this kind of position, it took someone with the guts of Chancellor Donna Shalala who became the Wisconsin Chancellor in 1988. Donna hated losing at anything. She's the kind of person who would pick up the checkerboard and whack you over the head with it if you beat her. She has always been that darned tough. She made her first big move when she pulled Pat Richter into the fold. A Badger hero from the past, and an amazing man when it came to charisma, and leadership. That was in 1989. They lived with the ugliness of Wisconsin football for one year, living through another Morton failed season. That was the end for him.

Donna and Pat decided that to make the program highly competitive you needed to stock it with a coach who had the credentials and the presence to turn the program around. In 1990, Barry Alvarez joined them as the Head Coach. The rest we know about. It's been an amazing run of success. It's not acceptable for it to go down the tubes and stay there.

If Fickell can't turn it around this season, I kind of expect we're going to see Jim Leonhard coming back and with it a return to the culture of getting those farm kids out of Wisconsin to be the cornerstone of our offensive line, and a solid outreach around the nation because he's in the spirit and culture of football.

I thought Fickell was a good choice, but I also felt that choosing Jim wouldn't have been a bad idea. The problem was, we were looking for somewhat of a culture change, and what we may have really needed was Jim for consistency and growth, and a push in the NIL area. Jim might have been the ultimate recruiter for defensive players because of his track record as a player. He has so much to offer on a personal level.

Anyhow, I hope they're on record at this point McIntosh has to get Chancellor Mnookin on board with some of his moves, even though dumping Fickell after this season could be very costly, and cause a lot of unrest amongst the supporters of the football program. You can't succeed unless you have the right leadership at all levels, and in this day and age, a solid NIL package behind you.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Yawn

 

[Voyageur]

So far the 2025 season looks like it could be the worst season the team has had since their days when they battled to win a game or two at most in the Big 10. Even if they do end up winning this joke of a game against Miami U, I am not in the slightest bit impressed with anything the offense is showing. They are pathetic.

 

[Firethorn1001]

They say that the backup QB is everyone's favorite player. For the Badger's I'm thinking it is the 3rd string QB.

 

[Firethorn1001]

They are pathetic.

You think they are that good?

 

[Voyageur]

You think they are that good?

The defense looks good but when they hit the Big 10 schedule, they'll be shredded by the offenses they're going to see. The offense won't be able to sustain drives so the defensive players will get worn down.

I wonder if it's going to be Jim Leonhard coming back to Wisconsin as the Head Coach replacing Fickell. He might not be interested as badly as this program has been messed up.

 

[Firethorn1001]

I was actually joking in that you saying 'they are pathetic' was a better view than I had of them.

 

[Voyageur]

I was actually joking in that you saying 'they are pathetic' was a better view than I had of them.

I understood what you meant. Your point was well put. I just couldn't find a better word to describe how bad it was. Even the final score, when you looked at the stats, showed a team that's not going to win enough games to avoid being an embarrassment.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I could help notice the look on Fickell's face last night. It was definitely one of concern but also a "Why the **** did I leave Cincinnati?"

I'm not going to make any excuses for Badger Football, but this is just an early glimpse of what the transfer portal and NIL money is doing to College Sports. Only the top teams will thrive year to year, until the change the rules of both programs.

 

[Voyageur]

I could help notice the look on Fickell's face last night. It was definitely one of concern but also a "Why the **** did I leave Cincinnati?"

I'm not going to make any excuses for Badger Football, but this is just an early glimpse of what the transfer portal and NIL money is doing to College Sports. Only the top teams will thrive year to year, until the change the rules of both programs.

That look pretty much told me he's playing it out for the money he's getting paid.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

That look pretty much told me he's playing it out for the money he's getting paid.

Yup and imagine all those quality coaches that will want to follow in his footsteps.

Is Don Morton still alive?


Honestly, I don't think Fickell is a bad coach, but overall, he and his staff might just be average. What will kill the Badger football program is the down turn of talent that they will be able to bring to Wisconsin. Thank you TP and NIL!

 

[Voyageur]

Yup and imagine all those quality coaches that will want to follow in his footsteps.

Is Don Morton still alive?


Honestly, I don't think Fickell is a bad coach, but overall, he and his staff might just be average. What will kill the Badger football program is the down turn of talent that they will be able to bring to Wisconsin. Thank you TP and NIL!

Recruiting changed under Fickell. His staff did not have the name recognition amongst HS coaches and alumni that those from the past had. Everyone involved from the school's perspective had made inroads and friends in their core area of recruiting. Some of the best recruiters we had were actually ex-Badger football players like Jim Leonhard, whose name was recognized everywhere he went. Then there were the clinics, with these same people, and additional alumni players who helped out, and promoted them.

Fickell came in as "The New Sheriff in Town." He was going to change the culture. He did. His mistake was he threw out those portions of the culture that were essential to the program in favor of his far-reaching plan of recruiting from all over the nation and pretty much passing by the opportunities of cultivating relations with kids from the 250–300-mile radius of Madison. That left HS coaches who were using their connections to Madison to help their programs looking like they were orphans. So, when Fickell and his new people came calling, nobody cared. The "Wisconsin first" culture was gone.

I'm not certain how long it would take to get it back. Can Jim Leonhard make it happen? Is he a good enough draw to get the right assistants and put together a program where recruiting is second nature to them when it comes to the Midwest?

If Fickell is dumped, I think that a new coach is going to need at least 5 years to make the reconnections necessary to make the program viable.

Like I said, before they hired Fickell, "Make sure the guy you bring in has Wisconsin roots so he can keep counting on the big farm kids who have been the mainstay of our offensive line for decades." To his shame, Fickell never understood that philosophy.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Recruiting changed under Fickell. His staff did not have the name recognition amongst HS coaches and alumni that those from the past had. Everyone involved from the school's perspective had made inroads and friends in their core area of recruiting. Some of the best recruiters we had were actually ex-Badger football players like Jim Leonhard, whose name was recognized everywhere he went. Then there were the clinics, with these same people, and additional alumni players who helped out, and promoted them.

Fickell came in as "The New Sheriff in Town." He was going to change the culture. He did. His mistake was he threw out those portions of the culture that were essential to the program in favor of his far-reaching plan of recruiting from all over the nation and pretty much passing by the opportunities of cultivating relations with kids from the 250–300-mile radius of Madison. That left HS coaches who were using their connections to Madison to help their programs looking like they were orphans. So, when Fickell and his new people came calling, nobody cared. The "Wisconsin first" culture was gone.

I'm not certain how long it would take to get it back. Can Jim Leonhard make it happen? Is he a good enough draw to get the right assistants and put together a program where recruiting is second nature to them when it comes to the Midwest?

If Fickell is dumped, I think that a new coach is going to need at least 5 years to make the reconnections necessary to make the program viable.

Like I said, before they hired Fickell, "Make sure the guy you bring in has Wisconsin roots so he can keep counting on the big farm kids who have been the mainstay of our offensive line for decades." To his shame, Fickell never understood that philosophy.

While I agree with your insights, I also think they were more relevant pre TP and NIL. Badgers once thrived on recruiting in state. They found gems like the Watt brothers and made them superstars. Now maybe they can return to doing that and once again dominate finding homegrown talent, I just think with the portal and NIL, they are going to have a hard time keeping talent.

It is really a catch-22 right now. You can't get a ton of NIL money without success, nor will you get top players through the portal. But...how do you become successful, without good players?

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Well this is a bit of good news:

"Wisconsin QB Billy Edwards had a clean MRI today and his status is week-to-week, which eliminated the worst fears after leaving the opener with a non-contact injury. He sprained his knee against Miami University and a precise timetable for return isn’t known."

Sounds like it won't be the blows that Tanner Mordecai in 2023 and Tyler Van **** in 2024 were.

 

[Voyageur]

Billy wasn't playing that well out there. O'Brien may have outplayed him. It's hard to say because neither of them had targets to hit, nor time, in most cases. This is not what we expect from a Badger offensive line. Those Wisconsin farm kids are going to other schools because the recruiting isn't as strong in the back woods as it was before.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Billy wasn't playing that well out there. O'Brien may have outplayed him. It's hard to say because neither of them had targets to hit, nor time, in most cases. This is not what we expect from a Badger offensive line. Those Wisconsin farm kids are going to other schools because the recruiting isn't as strong in the back woods as it was before.

While I can't give either team a full pass on how awful both of them looked on offense, it was their first game of the season. Billy wasn't playing that well before the injury, but neither were his teammates. That offensive line looked horrible.

Hopefully, another full week of practice, another weaker opponent and the Badgers will be ready to go to slaughter in Tuscaloosa.

 

[Voyageur]

While I can't give either team a full pass on how awful both of them looked on offense, it was their first game of the season. Billy wasn't playing that well before the injury, but neither were his teammates. That offensive line looked horrible.

Hopefully, another full week of practice, another weaker opponent and the Badgers will be ready to go to slaughter in Tuscaloosa.

They definitely need a change at left tackle, and I'm not impressed with their ability to reach blocks at the second level. At this point, the offensive line is horrible.

 

[PikeBadger]

Fickell came in as "The New Sheriff in Town." He was going to change the culture.
Like I said, before they hired Fickell, "Make sure the guy you bring in has Wisconsin roots so he can keep counting on the big farm kids who have been the mainstay of our offensive line for decades." To his shame, Fickell never understood that philosophy.

The absolute core of the program since Alvarez came to town. Fickell flushed it down the toilet because he's an arrogant fool that brings in a dumba$$ air raid offensive scheme to a place where 80% of your games after October 1 have a good chance to be played in weather that is less than ideal for a pass centric offense. This bum couldn't even win a state high school championship in Wisconsin. He has zero chance of bringing in talent to make it successful in the B1G. Shame on McIntosh. This fiasco ends at his desk. I suspect we'll get boat raced at least 3 times before November and when we do I hope McIntosh fires him mid-season.
I'd be mildly surprised if Leonhard would even want the job now.