Badgers Football - 2025 Season

[Matches Malone]

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[ReasonablySober]

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Probably not a coincidence it happens a day after Michigan flipped Bryce Underwood and FSU got another QB commit just yesterday.

[ReasonablySober]

Smith commits.

[MVP2110]

Huge!

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[tski1972]

As always, I need lippo’s opinions before making my own.

[MikeIsGood]

Great news. Give him some time - by all accounts, he's a great scambler and competent passer, not the other way around.

[ReasonablySober]

I wonder if he enrolls early. Would be nice to get him on campus as quick as possible.

[MVP2110]

I wonder if he enrolls early. Would be nice to get him on campus as quick as possible.

Reports say he is planning to enroll early

[MickeyDavis]

Can he start next season?

[Mags FTW]

Can he start next week?

[Lippo]

As always, I need lippo’s opinions before making my own.

Dual threat, iv wanted that here since Wilson... I approve. Sick of these noodle armed statues...

Would have nice seeing air raid with a decent QB, well prob go back to smash mouth and not take advantage of our best recruit since Bart Houston and graham mertz.

[Kerb Hohl]

I am the debbie downer guy - hey, maybe he's right away and that would be great. I'd be shocked if he started as a true freshman. If he's good enough to be a good B10 QB as a sophomore, giddyup.

Let's worry about getting to that point with Fickell in the first place. Get us the best 1-year (or two of them or a 2-year guy) that money can buy to bridge the gap until 2026 or 2027.

[Kerb Hohl]

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I don't wanna go there yet, because we still have ~2 years to go - totally out of character as the old Chryst/Gard/"old way" supporter, but if it continues to go bad - my guess is the overcompensation of people not understanding how the game has changed will be hilarious.

Some coach that brings back the I-formation and runs into 8-man boxes, forgoing NIL money for a 4-star transfer so they can work on a walk-on from Neenah with the roster spot instead. I don't want it to get there. Let's hope this gets turned around next year.

[tski1972]

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I don't wanna go there yet, because we still have ~2 years to go - totally out of character as the old Chryst/Gard/"old way" supporter, but if it continues to go bad - my guess is the overcompensation of people not understanding how the game has changed will be hilarious.

Some coach that brings back the I-formation and runs into 8-man boxes, forgoing NIL money for a 4-star transfer so they can work on a walk-on from Neenah with the roster spot instead. I don't want it to get there. Let's hope this gets turned around next year.

It’s possible to do what JJ said and still be a modern college program. If Fickell isn’t smart enough to understand it then McIntosh is the bigger problem for bringing him in.

[MVP2110]

I think the trenches(and QB) are probably the hardest positions to fill in the portal. They are the positions I'm most hopeful to see Fickell's high school recruits grow into upper classmen.

[Kerb Hohl]

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I don't wanna go there yet, because we still have ~2 years to go - totally out of character as the old Chryst/Gard/"old way" supporter, but if it continues to go bad - my guess is the overcompensation of people not understanding how the game has changed will be hilarious.

Some coach that brings back the I-formation and runs into 8-man boxes, forgoing NIL money for a 4-star transfer so they can work on a walk-on from Neenah with the roster spot instead. I don't want it to get there. Let's hope this gets turned around next year.

It’s possible to do what JJ said and still be a modern college program. If Fickell isn’t smart enough to understand it then McIntosh is the bigger problem for bringing him in.

Sure, you can have a tough team. Hope JJ has wallet open for elite linemen. They can definitely develop more there, but you can’t just get all of the best linemen from WI and run the ball anymore and be too far above water.

You can question Tressell’s scheme, but they had a paper thin DL because the cupboard was bare when he came in.

[midranger]

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I don't wanna go there yet, because we still have ~2 years to go - totally out of character as the old Chryst/Gard/"old way" supporter, but if it continues to go bad - my guess is the overcompensation of people not understanding how the game has changed will be hilarious.

Some coach that brings back the I-formation and runs into 8-man boxes, forgoing NIL money for a 4-star transfer so they can work on a walk-on from Neenah with the roster spot instead. I don't want it to get there. Let's hope this gets turned around next year.

It’s possible to do what JJ said and still be a modern college program. If Fickell isn’t smart enough to understand it then McIntosh is the bigger problem for bringing him in.

Sure, you can have a tough team. Hope JJ has wallet open for elite linemen. They can definitely develop more there, but you can’t just get all of the best linemen from WI and run the ball anymore and be too far above water.

You can question Tressell’s scheme, but they had a paper thin DL because the cupboard was bare when he came in.

I think it’s hard to understate how empty the cupboard was and how bad the culture was at the end of Chryst’s tenure. Last 2.5 years under Chryst were UGLY, culminating in the team flat quitting vs Illinois. We were getting rag dolled routinely by good teams. He did have one nice win vs Iowa, but that was it.

Best players he left the new staff were Allen, Wohler and Njongmeta. A oft injured RB, safety, and an ILB. Rico and Anthony have developed nicely under new staff but were nothing under Chryst. OL was in shambles.

Should’ve been clear this was a multiyear rebuild. I was hoping for some miracle turnaround, and honestly I don’t think Fickell has done a good job, but man…. We were and are nowhere near where we need to be. The Longo hire was obviously a disaster. Need to reform a culture and identity. He’ll get through 2026 to get his guys in and going. No time like Friday to start the turnaround.

[Kerb Hohl]

It’s possible to do what JJ said and still be a modern college program. If Fickell isn’t smart enough to understand it then McIntosh is the bigger problem for bringing him in.

Sure, you can have a tough team. Hope JJ has wallet open for elite linemen. They can definitely develop more there, but you can’t just get all of the best linemen from WI and run the ball anymore and be too far above water.

You can question Tressell’s scheme, but they had a paper thin DL because the cupboard was bare when he came in.

I think it’s hard to understate how empty the cupboard was and how bad the culture was at the end of Chryst’s tenure. Last 2.5 years under Chryst were UGLY, culminating in the team flat quitting vs Illinois. We were getting rag dolled routinely by good teams. He did have one nice win vs Iowa, but that was it.

Best players he left the new staff were Allen, Wohler and Njongmeta. A oft injured RB, safety, and an ILB. Rico and Anthony have developed nicely under new staff but were nothing under Chryst. OL was in shambles.

Should’ve been clear this was a multiyear rebuild. I was hoping for some miracle turnaround, and honestly I don’t think Fickell has done a good job, but man…. We were and are nowhere near where we need to be. The Longo hire was obviously a disaster. Need to reform a culture and identity. He’ll get through 2026 to get his guys in and going. No time like Friday to start the turnaround.

Pretty much this.

My one point about guys like Watt, Faion Hicks, etc. complaining about where the team is gone is this: These guys can tell me everything about a 3-4 defense and assignments and they know 10000x more than I do. However, they are almost just as understanding of roster construction of a pro team or this new era of college football than I am. Aaron Rodgers is one of the smartest QBs in the history of football and is an idiot in roster construction. It's different.

They don't understand that the schedule is different, the competition for 2nd/3rd tier of national teams, etc. and how easy it is to rebuild an empty cupboard. We can't just roll over the next group of our developmental players and stomp on Illinois 8 times who is starting Wes Lunt at QB. Sure, there are concerns about physicality of the team in this conference - but once again - it mostly comes down to having no talent up front.

Teams that are hammering us like Iowa had Deontae Craig and an entire DL already in-house. Nebraska had Ty Robinson and he's in his 6th freaking year.

You want guys like that out of thin air (since we had none of them)? Open the checkbook, JJ.

My one concern is another bad break at QB with next year's schedule and those voices will get so loud that we never even get to see the young talent make it to their 3rd year.

[midranger]

Missing on CJ West in the portal was rough. He’s been pretty darn good for Indiana this year. Would look great with Hills.

The main concern I have with Fick is the lack of progress, lack of consistency, lack of clear identity, lack of cohesion between units.

Even if next year is lousy record-wise, we need to see some growth/hope.

[Kerb Hohl]

I always wonder what "lack of identity" or "cohesion between units" means but sure, it hasn't been great.

I understand there can be an identity like "air raid" for old school Texas Tech or "ground and pound" for the old Wisconsin teams.

Otherwise, you don't need to necessarily claim an identity. Indiana's this year, though exposed a bit this past week...was what? "Good football team on offense and defense" - and Ohio State or Georgia probably are, "really good players"