2024 Badgers Football

[Krabs]

Alright folks, it's been pretty quiet on the Badgers Football front. Time to spark up a conversation. What do you guys think the win total will be for the 2024-25 Badgers Football team?

 

[Krabs]

I'm probably being a bit optimistic here, but I really like the Badgers chances at going 9-3.

Western Michigan: W
South Dakota: W
Alabama: L
USC: W
Purdon't: W
Rutgers: W
Northwestern: W
Penn St.: L
Iowa: W
Oregon: L
Nebraska: W
Minnesota: W

 

[Voyageur]

Alright folks, it's been pretty quiet on the Badgers Football front. Time to spark up a conversation. What do you guys think the win total will be for the 2024-25 Badgers Football team?

I'm anxious to see how Van **** does out there. He's ranked #3 at QB in the Big 10, which I found stunning. To think that he's rated that high, and we have another guy behind him by just a short amount of skills. Plus, coming in, red shirt (I'm guessing) freshman, who could end up being the best, in two years.

This year, it's the start of the real Fickell teams, even though they need some additional scholarship players to reach the potential they are looking to have. This year? Going to be interesting. I won't get upset if they lose a few. Next year, I see them competing at a two or three game higher level.

 

[Krabs]

I'm anxious to see how Van **** does out there. He's ranked #3 at QB in the Big 10, which I found stunning. To think that he's rated that high, and we have another guy behind him by just a short amount of skills. Plus, coming in, red shirt (I'm guessing) freshman, who could end up being the best, in two years.

This year, it's the start of the real Fickell teams, even though they need some additional scholarship players to reach the potential they are looking to have. This year? Going to be interesting. I won't get upset if they lose a few. Next year, I see them competing at a two or three game higher level.

Their 2025 class is ranked in the top 25 and climbing. I would actually expect more around the 2026 and 2027 seasons to see a full fledged Fickell team. If he's not getting it done then there might need to be some tough conversations. At least on this message board there will be.

 

[Voyageur]

Their 2025 class is ranked in the top 25 and climbing. I would actually expect more around the 2026 and 2027 seasons to see a full fledged Fickell team. If he's not getting it done then there might need to be some tough conversations. At least on this message board there will be.

Growth this year, and even more next year, would turn the Badger program into a magnet for both quality players, and NIL money to support them being there. Nothing increases NIL money more than success, and players who can get face recognition with the public.

I'm actually locked in on this success. Their expansion of recruiting efforts in areas where quality skill players are has been amazingly good. That will fuel a lot of changes, because they're getting to meet people at HS level, and they become spokespersons for your program in many ways. You help them, they help you.

 

[Krabs]

Growth this year, and even more next year, would turn the Badger program into a magnet for both quality players, and NIL money to support them being there. Nothing increases NIL money more than success, and players who can get face recognition with the public.

I'm actually locked in on this success. Their expansion of recruiting efforts in areas where quality skill players are has been amazingly good. That will fuel a lot of changes, because they're getting to meet people at HS level, and they become spokespersons for your program in many ways. You help them, they help you.

Totally agree. They're getting players I never thought they had the chance to. Good stuff!

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Was funny, I was just thinking about the Badger thread and found these new posts. I must have ESPN.

Yesterday the Badgers got some bad news, they lost on of their best defensive players, DL James Thompson Jr. to an upper body injury that will sideline him indefinitely. There was talk of him being a high draft pick in 2025 and possibly even playing himself into a first round pick.

Some odd but I think good news, they hired former NFL head coach Jack Del Rio as a Senior Assistant to Fickell. He may not have had a ton of winning success as a HC (around .500 as a coach), but he is a guy that knows his football. Besides playing as a pro in the NFL, he started coaching in the NFL around 1997.

I agree with you guys, this is another year of working with players he recruited and some that he didn't. I fear the diluting of the conference with all the new teams will actually hurt the Badgers, but Fickell may still be able to recruit with the big guns, I guess we will see by 2025 or 2026.

 

[Krabs]

Was funny, I was just thinking about the Badger thread and found these new posts. I must have ESPN.

Yesterday the Badgers got some bad news, they lost on of their best defensive players, DL James Thompson Jr. to an upper body injury that will sideline him indefinitely. There was talk of him being a high draft pick in 2025 and possibly even playing himself into a first round pick.

Yeah, this was a blow to an already thin DL. We will see where they go from here. They did bring in some transfers, so hopefully that works out.

Some odd but I think good news, they hired former NFL head coach Jack Del Rio as a Senior Assistant to Fickell. He may not have had a ton of winning success as a HC (around .500 as a coach), but he is a guy that knows his football. Besides playing as a pro in the NFL, he started coaching in the NFL around 1997.

I found this weird as well, but can't be horrible to have another knowledgeable guy in the room. What was really odd to me was the timing. Just a few days before the first game.

I agree with you guys, this is another year of working with players he recruited and some that he didn't. I fear the diluting of the conference with all the new teams will actually hurt the Badgers, but Fickell may still be able to recruit with the big guns, I guess we will see by 2025 or 2026.

 

[Voyageur]

One of the major issues the Badgers programs face is the lack of big time NIL money from huge sponsors. Some teams have so much to spread around that it makes it easy to recruit mid-range players, and they are the backbone of a team. Granted, the stars are essential, but that supporting cast needs to be good enough to allow the stars to shine.

I see it down here in Texas. The offensive linemen for the University of Texas, whether being on the bench or playing, are more than likely getting more NIL pool money than guys at Wisconsin are, playing key positions, including pool and personal NIL money.

If we think this Badger team is going to be better than a 10 win team down the road, we're sadly mistaken, unless the NIL money is at least 4 to 5 times as much as it is now, and sponsors from large entities step up and link their money to the player being a Badger.

Fickell and his staff can only do so much, with the talent they can get on board. If this year's team wins 9 games or more, I'm going to be elated. It's going to be tough getting up that far to be honest.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

One of the major issues the Badgers programs face is the lack of big time NIL money from huge sponsors. Some teams have so much to spread around that it makes it easy to recruit mid-range players, and they are the backbone of a team. Granted, the stars are essential, but that supporting cast needs to be good enough to allow the stars to shine.

I see it down here in Texas. The offensive linemen for the University of Texas, whether being on the bench or playing, are more than likely getting more NIL pool money than guys at Wisconsin are, playing key positions, including pool and personal NIL money.

If we think this Badger team is going to be better than a 10 win team down the road, we're sadly mistaken, unless the NIL money is at least 4 to 5 times as much as it is now, and sponsors from large entities step up and link their money to the player being a Badger.

Fickell and his staff can only do so much, with the talent they can get on board. If this year's team wins 9 games or more, I'm going to be elated. It's going to be tough getting up that far to be honest.

Good post and I fully agree.

Mark my words, NIL will kill college sports as we once knew them, even more than we are currently seeing.

To your point, Universities will now be spending a ton of time, energy and funds to actively recruit......NIL Money.

It kind of reminds me of what has happened to politics in the last 50 or so years. It isn't about talent, honesty, integrity, values, bettering the lives of everyone. It's about who has the most money and influence and who can use that to rise to the top of the power pyramid.

 

[PikeBadger]

From what I've seen tonight, I don't see how they get to 6 wins. I see them getting pushed around by just about everyone this fall. Not impressed at all. Just more of the same as last year.

 

[Voyageur]

From what I've seen tonight, I don't see how they get to 6 wins. I see them getting pushed around by just about everyone this fall. Not impressed at all. Just more of the same as last year.

I wasn't impressed either, but I can't help but think that they only threw a generic part of the playbook out there for this game. The same thing will happen in the next game. I think they'll be opening it wide when they play Alabama.

If what we saw last night is all they have, you might well be right where 6 wins would be a pretty good season.

To be honest, it was a boring game to watch. The Air Raid that I've watched has always been more exciting than what this was.

 

[weeds]

I didn't watch last night -- tough day all the way around and was konked out by kickoff. I checked the box score first thing before reading any of the write ups, including the Journal/Sentinel and I was fairly unimpressed BEFORE I even logged in to read your write ups.

Noting Voyageur's comments regarding Texas' NIL money, I couldn't help but think that Poker's comments on the demise of College Football as we know it could very well be the case. I hate to admit that if the Badgers begin to stink due to a lack of NIL money, I guess I don't care much anymore with the proviso that Madison's academic standards don't suffer.

A throwback comment to the 70's and 80's when the Badgers and Northwestern were always the bottom dwellers - ostensibly due to higher academic standards. Alvarez fixed that but, this scenario is a lightning/lightning bug deal ... now we're talking MONEY versus watering down academic requirements.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Tough game to watch as a Badger fan for sure. While they got the win, they very easily could have gotten an L out of that game. The fortuitous bounce of the Badger punt, which ricocheted off of one of their own players, right to a Badger was the turning point.

Listening to Fickell after the game, you could tell he was disappointed with what he saw and said something to the effect of having a lot of work ahead of them to clean things up.

I am still unimpressed with DC Mike Tressel as well as OC Phil Longo. I wish they could bring back Jim Leonhard. Longo's offenses are predictable and conservative. I have no clue how anyone can call his offense an "air raid". Appears to be the standard "run the ball up the middle and when all else fails, try a few short passes."

The Badger defense looked soft and weak in the front, putting very little pressure on the WMU QB. The offense appears to have the typical Badger QB, a guy that doesn't do anything special and will throw 1-2 INT's a game. Nice to have Chez Melusi back, but he is no Braelon Allen.

I would be pretty happy with that performance if I was a Western Michigan fan, they had the Badgers by the throat and let them get away.

All that said, it is the 1st game of the season and a W is just that in the Standings. Maybe it was a good thing that they didn't come out and pummel a team by a 52-7 margin. The coaches and players now know that no game is a cake walk and as Fickell said, lots of work ahead. They are going to need to put in a TON of work before Sept. 14th, otherwise Alabama is going to have a field day with them.

 

[Firethorn1001]

My level of boredom in watching that game was about the equivalent of watching a 2-10 team vs a 4-8 team on Monday night football. Yes, it was on, but I was half watching it. For all the talk about an exciting offense this is basically just more of the same, but with more short passes inside of runs.

 

[Thirteen Below]

Some odd but I think good news, they hired former NFL head coach Jack Del Rio as a Senior Assistant to Fickell. He may not have had a ton of winning success as a HC (around .500 as a coach), but he is a guy that knows his football. Besides playing as a pro in the NFL, he started coaching in the NFL around 1997.

I agree with you guys, this is another year of working with players he recruited and some that he didn't. I fear the diluting of the conference with all the new teams will actually hurt the Badgers, but Fickell may still be able to recruit with the big guns, I guess we will see by 2025 or 2026.

With recruiting and retaining talented players suddenly becoming an even more important factor in building and growing a top-end DI football program than it ever was before (and much more difficult task), having a man with his backrground as a "senior adviser to the head coach" is going to be a very valuable tool.

Del Rio has over 40 years of experience in rhe NFL, half as a player and half as a coach - and over half the coaching experience as a head coach. That resume alone is going to get Badger recruiters into a lot of living rooms that they probably would not have seen without him, and the best recruits (the ones who have legitimate potential to play pro football a few years down the road) are going to be pretty impressed. Thety're going to have faith that he can help them get there, more than a lot of other coaching staffs might.

This is a pretty clever move by Wisconsin. I wonder how long it will be before we see other teams following suit.

 

[lambeaulambo]

I'm probably being a bit optimistic here, but I really like the Badgers chances at going 9-3.

Western Michigan: W
South Dakota: W
Alabama: L
USC: W
Purdon't: W
Rutgers: W
Northwestern: W
Penn St.: L
Iowa: W
Oregon: L
Nebraska: W
Minnesota: W

Western Michigan: W
South Dakota: W
Alabama: L
USC: L
Purdon't: W
Rutgers: L
Northwestern: W
Penn St.: L
Iowa: L
Oregon: L
Nebraska: L
Minnesota: W

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Western Michigan: W
South Dakota: W
Alabama: L
USC: L
Purdon't: W
Rutgers: L
Northwestern: W
Penn St.: L
Iowa: L
Oregon: L
Nebraska: L
Minnesota: W

Taking you off my "Badger Homers" list!

 

[Krabs]

Western Michigan: W
South Dakota: W
Alabama: L
USC: L
Purdon't: W
Rutgers: L
Northwestern: W
Penn St.: L
Iowa: L
Oregon: L
Nebraska: L
Minnesota: W

After watching that 1st game I do feel I have to tamper my expectations and by quite a bit. This very well could end up being legit. I think they will beat Rutgers and Nebraska though.

 

[Krabs]

What a bummer of a game that was. The Badgers couldn't stretch the field with the passing game at all. They are supposed to be more dynamic with the WRs they have. If they can't exploit the likes of Western Michigan it very well could be a long season. The defense clearly could not stop the run either. One lucky bounce on that punt saved the game for them. WM had all the momentum. I legit thought that the Badgers had lost that game until that happened. Much closer than the 28-14 score showed.

They also need to look out for South Dakota. They are ranked #5 in the FCS and definitely could beat some FBS schools. There's no question about that. They beat North Dakota State last season, which is a perennial power in the FCS. They are on the upswing and looking to make some noise nationally. It's a dangerous game if they overlook them.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

What a bummer of a game that was. The Badgers couldn't stretch the field with the passing game at all. They are supposed to be more dynamic with the WRs they have. If they can't exploit the likes of Western Michigan it very well could be a long season. The defense clearly could not stop the run either. One lucky bounce on that punt saved the game for them. WM had all the momentum. I legit thought that the Badgers had lost that game until that happened. Much closer than the 28-14 score showed.

They also need to look out for South Dakota. They are ranked #5 in the FCS and definitely could beat some FBS schools. There's no question about that. They beat North Dakota State last season, which is a perennial power in the FCS. They are on the upswing and looking to make some noise nationally. It's a dangerous game if they overlook them.

I'm going to put that lack luster performance on the coaches. I think the Badgers walked out there thinking it was going to be a cake walk and everyone would be playing by the 4th Q. I didn't see a lot of energy out there in Red and White, but a heck of a lot of it in Brown and Gold.

Fickell, his coaching staff and the players, need to treat every game the same, whether you are playing The Holy Nuns of Nantucket or Alabama. I expect to see a lot more energy and production out there from the Badgers on Saturday against the Coyotes.

 

[Krabs]

I'm going to put that lack luster performance on the coaches. I think the Badgers walked out there thinking it was going to be a cake walk and everyone would be playing by the 4th Q. I didn't see a lot of energy out there in Red and White, but a heck of a lot of it in Brown and Gold.

Fickell, his coaching staff and the players, need to treat every game the same, whether you are playing The Holy Nuns of Nantucket or Alabama. I expect to see a lot more energy and production out there from the Badgers on Saturday against the Coyotes.

I really hope so. As I said above, the Yotes are licking their chops after last week.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I will say this. Since Luke Fickell became the HC and obviously Jim Leonhard left as DC, the Badger defense has been somewhat disappointing. Maybe the talent level has declined or maybe the current coaches just aren't instilling that high-end energy that I am used to seeing out of Badger defenses. Hunter Wohler was about the only guy I saw out there the other night that was playing like his hair was on fire.

 

[Krabs]

I will say this. Since Luke Fickell became the HC and obviously Jim Leonhard left as DC, the Badger defense has been somewhat disappointing. Maybe the talent level has declined or maybe the current coaches just aren't instilling that high-end energy that I am used to seeing out of Badger defenses. Hunter Wohler was about the only guy I saw out there the other night that was playing like his hair was on fire.

They did have a significant injury on the D line. They are also not very deep, so this was a big blow.

Badgers provide injury update on starting DL James Thompson

Things do not look good for the Badgers defensive lineman.

www.buckys5thquarter.com

This guy was supposed to be the anchor of the defensive line. Losing him would be like losing Wohler in the secondary. It hurt a lot.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

They did have a significant injury on the D line. They are also not very deep, so this was a big blow.

Badgers provide injury update on starting DL James Thompson

Things do not look good for the Badgers defensive lineman.

www.buckys5thquarter.com

This guy was supposed to be the anchor of the defensive line. Losing him would be like losing Wohler in the secondary. It hurt a lot.

Yeah, I posted about his loss last week.

Definitely one of their best players on defense and a guy some were saying could potentially play himself into being a first round pick.

This goes back to last season too, the energy level that the defense plays at just seems down. How many Badger linebackers have gone Pro in the last 10 or so years? Seems like every season, there were 1 or 2 LB's that just came out of nowhere. Leonhard was there for 7 seasons and brought a ton of energy on the sidelines. I can't help but think losing him was a bigger blow to the defense than we know. I said it after the game, Tressle's defenses thus far are totally uninspiring to me. I really hope that changes, because if it doesn't, this team is going to have a long season.