The Camp: What now for Luke Fickell and Wisconsin, listener questions

[@leeherlache4356]

Everything starts with the O line and D lines. We have solid RB's but you need a line that opens holes. D line and a limited pass rush can and did kill us. QB CRITICAL. Anxious to see who the new OC is. HANG IN THERE FANS.

[@stevemitchell3942]

I remember North Carolina fans saying they wouldn't miss Longo because of how soft their defense became because of practicing against his offense. Sounds kind of familiar.

[@sharpe52312]

That doesn’t make sense. The defense plays against the scout team 95% of the time and the scout team runs whatever offense they are playing that week.

[@cur244]

North Carolina fans also said they'd miss Jack Bicknell more than Longo.

[@RunningwithJason]

The coaching staff has to be honest with Locke and tell him your more then welcome to stand on the team as a backup QB, but we are moving in another direction and you will not be competing for the starting job next year.

[@raybrown2771]

Not even as a backup. He needs to transfer

[@wesmullennix3495]

I think tressle needs to go as well.

[@dimitri1515]

The big ten west was the children's table. We wanted to sit with the adults, we have to wait for the newer recruits and new OC to show that we belong.

[@TTemp44]

We sat in our own mess last yr at ur chillins table so that cute reason 4 hope is gone. We r payin $7mill/yr 2 Fick & 20mill fb budgetin 2 win the games on ur schedule.PERIOD!

[@dimitri1515]

@@TTemp44 I have full faith in our recruits. This is how dominate teams have been built for many decades.

[@TTemp44]

@dimitri1515 we've got 2.5 yrs of recruits in & going bkwards. U obviously r welcome 2 ur opinion & I HOPE ur right. 4 me based on actual performance data & $54 mill invested the past 2 season with -very ROI, I'm done, absolutely 0 confidence in ability 2 identity talent & less confidence in ability to teach or scheme. HOPE is a great strategy for religion a virtual guarantee of failure in business. I do however HOPE, ur rt if he somehow remains the head coach. Always, On Wisconsin

[@cur244]

@@TTemp44 Fickell had 1.5 years of his recruits this year. The problem is they're super young and not physically ready to play. I'm not confident in the coaching either, but hopefully some changes will be made. Just sticking to older players just because was a horrible strategy this year when they weren't productive.

[@brianh1287]

This year's schedule had all but one of those Big Ten West teams, the so called kids table. They went 2-3 against them and Illinois would likely have beaten them too. These coaches have not shown they are an improvement on the prior coaches. They're getting another year at least. We'll see how that goes.

[@nickoenig5160]

Lack of mental toughness and actual toughness is the reason this bowl streak ended. We need to figure something out feels like we ran the same 7 plays on both sides of the ball all season

[@don7680]

Do you think the MN defense had anything to do with the poor offensive performance? Max Brosmer is a stud!

[@TTemp44]

@@don7680 yep, their entire team outplayed us. Therein lies the complete failure of WI FB today!

[@nlbulldog2001]

The locke excuses need to end. Iowa has played more games these past 2 years with a backup (and 3rd string). Good coaches find ways to win games they should lose, bad coaches find ways to lose games they should win

[@dpolenz79]

Zero mental toughness from this group for the last four years. Fickell said point blank they could not mentally pull themselves out of bad times. Talent deficit is there for sure but we’re looking at players with severe lack of mental toughness.

[@dimitri1515]

So Ben Barton says we aren't what we used to be? Did he include himself? Or did I miss the 14 sacks he got his season?

[@leschlandsurveyingpllc7981]

The Wisconsin fan base and program need to face reality that they and Iowa fed off the lopsided divisions and observed false success. The top 4 teams in the east division would have contended in the west for the top spot with Wisconsin and Iowa. This is the new world…for now. The issue with PSU, Indiana and Oregon not playing each other in the regular season is a real issue. This team did play well against PSU and Oregon. They have the ability to play with those teams, just weren’t consistent in that play week in and week out.

[@TG-yr6gf]

McIntosh really drove the program in the ground. Fickell is who he is. The team is the team. Here we are. Be ready to say that 6 wins is an improvement hahaaaa. however I think we all know we probably only win 3 games next year....

[@jtillison]

So why don’t head coach contracts have performance requirements?

[@Lawrence-k4d]

Don't worry Fickell working on what quotes he is going to put on next years T-shirts.If the quote is good enough the team will buy in right?

[@danandyumi]

If we see hope next year we should give Fickle 4 years to put up. If next year is the same as this year then we don't need a year 4. The record doesn't need to be better. We just need to be competitive.

[@JakeIannarino]

next years schedule is brutal. the year after he will make some serious noise. be patient.

[@markadsit]

Mr. Fickell, PLEASE, show us something to believe in! That is leadership. That is your job. That is why you are paid $8 million a year.

[@JakeIannarino]

hes recruiting great. gonna take time. be patient. next year will be ugly, but the year after that he makes the playoffs. remember I said it.

[@markadsit]

@@JakeIannarino A insightful comment means I remember. It's that simple.

[@1390inprogress]

Over 90% my friend!

[@cur244]

I really doubt this is rock bottom with losing so many experienced players and considering the schedule next year. A decent qb or 2 could make up though.

[@calcrappie8507]

What about T.E.A.M.? A little rough water and ready to give up.

[@WillR-Cincy]

QB that has mobility

[@HerbHerman-le5ux]

We are such an entitled fan base, including media members

[@johnkopmeier3579]

Is this what Luke Fickell teams are like? He needs to get a whiz kid OC and a hard case DC and coach some grit into these players, or cut them and promote some freshmen. He can start at QB.

[@allensaunders449]

The coaching staff refuses to Make personal changes see what some other players can do. Never modifying the offensive and defensive schemes either. Make it work that's your job

[@EvilBadger72]

Jesse, if Fickell doesn't improve next year, Fickell won't see 2026 as HC

[@danandyumi]

We need to retain all the in state kids.

[@dimitri1515]

ummm, if they are five star or maybe high four. Otherwise, I'm totally fine with aiming higher out of state.

[@badgerbill336]

Loyal Crawford was an instate kid. Not all instate kids are good

[@starspangledsoccer]

Tressel needs to go, but in all fairness, we’ve also seen way too much Braedyn Locke. Let’s see what Fickell can do with a full season with his starting QB

[@kevinwillz6457]

Starting QB went out for the season in week 3

[@mitchelllee879]

No matter what, I don’t care if you got the best talent that’s typically available to Wisconsin, there is no way they were going to compete anyway. We sold ourselves out of Big Ten West.

[@mitchelllee879]

Time to adjust expectation long-term, definitely short-term.

[@joelensign9110]

This is why lou joltz calls the big ten the PANZY league

[@jtillison]

You judge a new head coach on progress. There was no progress from year one to year two. In fact the program regressed. Don’t talk to me about recruiting.

[@jerrysteuerwald1719]

Get a QB coach now! This is 2024 how can any quality program in today's game not have one? No other position in football is more important than QB and it's long since been time to improve this position at Wisconsin.

[@TaliaRandolph-w5b]

The team has regressed year after year after year. In losing to the Goofers, the Badgers looked like a high school team trying to compete with a Division 1 team. Embarrassing to lose to P. J. Yechhh. If they look this inept at the start of the Big Ten season next year, Fickell's got to go. Perhaps coaching in the American Athletic Conference (does it even exist anymore?) fits Fickell's abilities and talents and the Big Ten is just too big of a conference for him. How does watching Locke throw batted down pass after batted down pass affect the rest of the offense and the OL attitude?

[@jakobh8499]

if you would fire fickle you don't understand football enough to talk about it

[@1390inprogress]

Obviously you prove you don't understand football with that rediculous comment. Teams are made in the locker room, and as we all witnessed lackluster effort on the field that is 100% on the coach.

[@JakeIannarino]

agreed. he needs a couple more years. he inherited a mess and it's going to take time to clean up. next year I expect to be ugly, but the year after that he makes the playoffs.... if the badger fans are patient. doesnt look like they are though.

[@1390inprogress]

You are 100% incorrect. Sorry

[@JakeIannarino]

@@1390inprogress I'm never wrong about anything.

[@1390inprogress]

I'm never wrong TEAM

[@njBadger]

Horrible defense comments. The team had some better players but not enough. Instead of being Wohler and Hallman we had a few more players making plays. Hallman was not thrown to because all of his ints last year. Defense moved up in passing defense. Still need to get more players on the field.

[@markkovatch6180]

What team would want Locke as a transfer? Most guys that left last year didn’t upgrade their situations. Transfer guys are over-rated.

[@jtillison]

It is an important season for Wisconsin. I actually did not want watch. No season ticket for me.

[@stevemitchell3942]

When his recruits r jrs and srs then it will all be on Fick. Now he played with Paul's leftovers and some free agents. Teams that make big splash in NFL gree agency almost never do as well as they hope. And that is with signing top free agents. We didn't sign those at all.

[@jakobh8499]

jim couldn't even recruit dbs what makes you think he could recruit a whole team it laughable you guys bring him up

[@bodragon4582]

I like head coaches that know how to actually coach and not delegate. Fickell stands there looking like a moron with his stupid T.E.A.M vest, while his " team" plays with no heart and gets pushed all over the field, out schemed, out coached, and for 2 years they have blamed Chryst's lack of recruiting, meanwhile Indiana/Colorado flip the script in 1 year. Fickell is a snakeoil salesman, and McIntosh bought it.

[@toddsgreatoutdoors4226]

Hahaha! It's tough to argue with you on that take! It's a real dumpster fire 🔥

[@ryan23791]

Luke will be gone after the 2026 season.

[@craighenrichs6174]

Ok, you two clowns who should have they hired!!!

[@jtillison]

If you are searching for answers why not try a different QB? Why not use Yac more?

[@toddsgreatoutdoors4226]

THEY MUST GET ANOTHER QB. A REAL STUD LEADER!

[@kurtkohl151]

Lucky it wasn't a shutout or a blowout or both. Lowlygophers no more. Better luck next year. New QB needed I think

[@droond9897]

Fire McIntosh and Finkl Jim Leonhard

[@PeterReinhardt-g3t]

During spring and fall camps, when Locke and Van Dyke were battling for the starting job, you guys indicated that the competition was extremely close. Really? Statistically, Locke is the Big Ten's worst QB. Is Van Dyke as bad? ANOTHER OBSERVATION: When Longo came in and said his Air Raid offense would stretch the defense vertically and horizontally, I remembered that Don Morton SAID THE SAME THING when he introduced the Veer. Ouch! (Yes, I'm that old.) Wishing Coach Fickell and my beloved Badgers good luck...

[@JakeIannarino]

its going to take fickell another 2 years to get this engine humming. badger fans need to chill out. they wont get a better coach. fick is the real deal. he just needs time. it's not an easy job.

[@1390inprogress]

Fickel & Company need to go!!! Things have gotten worse with him, need to cut the cord and move on. I can tell from game #1 to current the locker room was not the way Wisconsin should be. The sidelines players weren't patting each other on back when things went wrong. When Braedon Locke wasn't starting he had a puss on his face on the sidelines. No excuse for Yacamelli not having a bigger role. There definitely will be a mass exodus vis the transfer portal, trust me. Time to rip the bandaid off, Alvarez should have 99% say who they hire.

[@jakobh8499]

you are not very smart

[@JakeIannarino]

what's your coaching record?

[@1390inprogress]

Well over 90% my friend

[@toddsgreatoutdoors4226]

Amen!

[@badgerbill336]

Alvarez hired Gary Anderson

[@toddsgreatoutdoors4226]

Fickle doesn't have positive charisma. His team quit on him half way through the season. What a joke!

[@MarkSchaefer63]

You guys need to get off the vanity platform of the narcissist immigrant and move to BluSky or Threads at least.

[@jtillison]

Fire fickle!

[@jtillison]

It is an important season for Wisconsin. I actually did not want watch. No season ticket for me.