2024 Badgers Football

[Voyageur]

That, along with Purdon't being really, really bad at football.

Yes. There's that too.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Badgers looking good in Piscataway!

 

[weeds]

Badgers looking good in Piscataway!

Rutgers had every opportunity but they Piscataway. Didjasee what I did there?

 

[Voyageur]

Rutgers had every opportunity but they Piscataway. Didjasee what I did there?

That was punny.

 

[OldSchool101]

That was punny.

You’re very funny.. smellin’

 

[weeds]

You’re very funny.. smellin’

Ahr...ahr..ahr... I slay me (someone oughtta)

 

[Voyageur]

You’re very funny.. smellin’

Ouch! LOL

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I'm not sure what to make of the Rutgers Football Team after yesterday. Going into the game, everyone was talking about them as being on the brink of finally turning the corner. I didn't see that good of a team yesterday, lots of dropped balls, bad throws and an all around inconsistent team. Which was a nice change of pace, since as of late, that seemed to be what the Badgers were bringing on Saturdays.

Now the bigger question is this. What do we make of this Badger Football team? The last 2 games combined scores was 94-13! I know, it was a home game against Purdue and a road game against Rutgers, but I do see signs of life from Bucky. The offense looks much better since Locke took over the starting QB job and the defense has been pretty good when it has needed to be.

Next week at Northwestern, which team will show up for the Badgers? If it is the one we have seen over the last 2 weeks, they should keep this momentum going. They will definitely need to, because after next Saturday, they are back into the meat of a very difficult 2024 schedule; Penn State, Iowa and Oregon. PSU will be coming off of a bye week and probably ranked #3 in the country when they come to Madison. Oregon should be ranked #2 this week and fortunately for the Badgers, they too have to come to Madison, after the Badgers bye week.

It is actually shaping up to be an interesting season for the Badgers, if they keep improving, they may have a shot at knocking off 2 top 4 teams.

 

[Voyageur]

I'm not sure what to make of the Rutgers Football Team after yesterday. Going into the game, everyone was talking about them as being on the brink of finally turning the corner. I didn't see that good of a team yesterday, lots of dropped balls, bad throws and an all around inconsistent team. Which was a nice change of pace, since as of late, that seemed to be what the Badgers were bringing on Saturdays.

Now the bigger question is this. What do we make of this Badger Football team? The last 2 games combined scores was 94-13! I know, it was a home game against Purdue and a road game against Rutgers, but I do see signs of life from Bucky. The offense looks much better since Locke took over the starting QB job and the defense has been pretty good when it has needed to be.

Next week at Northwestern, which team will show up for the Badgers? If it is the one we have seen over the last 2 weeks, they should keep this momentum going. They will definitely need to, because after next Saturday, they are back into the meat of a very difficult 2024 schedule; Penn State, Iowa and Oregon. PSU will be coming off of a bye week and probably ranked #3 in the country when they come to Madison. Oregon should be ranked #2 this week and fortunately for the Badgers, they too have to come to Madison, after the Badgers bye week.

It is actually shaping up to be an interesting season for the Badgers, if they keep improving, they may have a shot at knocking off 2 top 4 teams.

It almost looks like the plan they started with when Fickell and his crew took over has started to develop. Some of the younger players are getting more field time, and they seem to be getting better. I can't get excited about things yet, but, like you, I'm somewhat optimistic that this might be the beginning of some interesting games.

 

[Krabs]

I'm not sure what to make of the Rutgers Football Team after yesterday. Going into the game, everyone was talking about them as being on the brink of finally turning the corner. I didn't see that good of a team yesterday, lots of dropped balls, bad throws and an all around inconsistent team. Which was a nice change of pace, since as of late, that seemed to be what the Badgers were bringing on Saturdays.

One thing that I had heard from the local beat writers is that Rutgers was susceptible to the run. WI definitely took advantage of that. I'd wager that Rutgers also came into this game a little overconfident. They also relied on their RB for 60% of their offense. You could see the defensive game plan was to shut him down. To answer your question, I think they are a little overrated and weren't prepared for the Badgers.

Now the bigger question is this. What do we make of this Badger Football team? The last 2 games combined scores was 94-13! I know, it was a home game against Purdue and a road game against Rutgers, but I do see signs of life from Bucky. The offense looks much better since Locke took over the starting QB job and the defense has been pretty good when it has needed to be.

I think Locke is getting more and more comfortable and showing the ability he has. He really had only one horrible pass that did result in an interception. Beyond that, he took what the defense gave him and made some good plays.

Next week at Northwestern, which team will show up for the Badgers? If it is the one we have seen over the last 2 weeks, they should keep this momentum going. They will definitely need to, because after next Saturday, they are back into the meat of a very difficult 2024 schedule; Penn State, Iowa and Oregon. PSU will be coming off of a bye week and probably ranked #3 in the country when they come to Madison. Oregon should be ranked #2 this week and fortunately for the Badgers, they too have to come to Madison, after the Badgers bye week.

It is actually shaping up to be an interesting season for the Badgers, if they keep improving, they may have a shot at knocking off 2 top 4 teams.

I think they will take care of business at Northwestern. They've for some reason struggled with them, but I do feel they will take it to them. I do feel it is almost a must win. I don't give them much of a chance vs Penn State and Oregon. I give them a little bit of a shot against Iowa, but feel it is probably a loss. Nebraska is winnable. They are tougher than they have been in the past. MN always seems to be a game. I think they can win that one. Northwestern, Nebraska and MN are probably their best chances at wins here on out.

 

[Krabs]

It almost looks like the plan they started with when Fickell and his crew took over has started to develop. Some of the younger players are getting more field time, and they seem to be getting better. I can't get excited about things yet, but, like you, I'm somewhat optimistic that this might be the beginning of some interesting games.

I agree. As much as I liked Mellusi and was happy he was coming back, Walker and Dupree are just better. Mellusi just was too beat up and lost a step. Unfortunately, he was addition by subtraction. I've also been happy with the young WRs and their play. It feels like Green might be addition by subtraction as well. The young guys seem to be more talented and starting to come around and that includes Locke.

 

[milani]

I'm not sure what to make of the Rutgers Football Team after yesterday. Going into the game, everyone was talking about them as being on the brink of finally turning the corner. I didn't see that good of a team yesterday, lots of dropped balls, bad throws and an all around inconsistent team. Which was a nice change of pace, since as of late, that seemed to be what the Badgers were bringing on Saturdays.

Now the bigger question is this. What do we make of this Badger Football team? The last 2 games combined scores was 94-13! I know, it was a home game against Purdue and a road game against Rutgers, but I do see signs of life from Bucky. The offense looks much better since Locke took over the starting QB job and the defense has been pretty good when it has needed to be.

Next week at Northwestern, which team will show up for the Badgers? If it is the one we have seen over the last 2 weeks, they should keep this momentum going. They will definitely need to, because after next Saturday, they are back into the meat of a very difficult 2024 schedule; Penn State, Iowa and Oregon. PSU will be coming off of a bye week and probably ranked #3 in the country when they come to Madison. Oregon should be ranked #2 this week and fortunately for the Badgers, they too have to come to Madison, after the Badgers bye week.

It is actually shaping up to be an interesting season for the Badgers, if they keep improving, they may have a shot at knocking off 2 top 4 teams.

Bowl Game??

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Bowl Game??

Which one or will they play in a bowl?

The Badgers need to win 2 more games to become "Bowl Eligible". With 6 more games to play, as long as they keep playing like they have the last 2 weeks, I see that as a high percentage of happening. If they don't win another game or only 1 more, they didn't deserve to go to a bowl game anyway.

Now if we really want to be optimistic. If somehow the Badgers run the table and win their final 6 games, they finish the Big10 Season at 8-1 and are playing for a spot in not just the Big10 Championship, but a National Championship Playoff spot with a 13-2 record (if they win out). Of course doing so means they would have to beat the currently ranked #2 (Oregon) and #3 (Penn State), both games are in Madison. Let's face it, that's a tough task, but if they happen to pull it off, everyone will be talking about the Badgers.

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[Krabs]

The Badgers need to win 2 more games to become "Bowl Eligible". With 6 more games to play, as long as they keep playing like they have the last 2 weeks, I see that as a high percentage of happening. If they don't win another game or only 1 more, they didn't deserve to go to a bowl game anyway.

Now if we really want to be optimistic. If somehow the Badgers run the table and win their final 6 games, they finish the Big10 Season at 8-1 and are playing for a spot in not just the Big10 Championship, but a National Championship Playoff spot with a 13-2 record (if they win out). Of course doing so means they would have to beat the currently ranked #2 (Oregon) and #3 (Penn State), both games are in Madison. Let's face it, that's a tough task, but if they happen to pull it off, everyone will be talking about the Badgers.

This next week is almost a must win game. For whatever reason, Northwestern seems to always play the Badgers tough. NW was pretty bad last year and mopped the floor with Bucky. I was at that game unfortunately and it was a huge let down. Start to finish, they were the better team that day. It was ugly. NW is 3-3 right now and clocked Maryland. Now, NW got clocked by Washington and Washington lost to Rutgers. I know you can't put too much into that because each game is it's own story, but I'm just trying to get a feel for what NW is. With all that said, WI is playing well right now and seem to have formed a bit of an identity. I think they really need this one if they want to go bowling. Lose this and they very well could be looking at a 4-5 game losing streak.

Penn State, Iowa, and Oregon will be very tough games to win. Iowa being the most likely. Then they have NB and MN. Both are not gimmes. They need the NW win and then NB or MN. That's the glass empty perspective.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

This next week is almost a must win game. For whatever reason, Northwestern seems to always play the Badgers tough. NW was pretty bad last year and mopped the floor with Bucky. I was at that game unfortunately and it was a huge let down. Start to finish, they were the better team that day. It was ugly. NW is 3-3 right now and clocked Maryland. Now, NW got clocked by Washington and Washington lost to Rutgers. I know you can't put too much into that because each game is it's own story, but I'm just trying to get a feel for what NW is. With all that said, WI is playing well right now and seem to have formed a bit of an identity. I think they really need this one if they want to go bowling. Lose this and they very well could be looking at a 4-5 game losing streak.

Penn State, Iowa, and Oregon will be very tough games to win. Iowa being the most likely. Then they have NB and MN. Both are not gimmes. They need the NW win and then NB or MN. That's the glass empty perspective.

Oh sure, bring me back down to reality!

Yeah, I highly doubt the Badgers run the table. I think when the season is all over though, they will look back at it and see that they played one of the harder schedules in College Football. The only frustrating thing, the games against Bama, Oregon and PSU were all home games and for me, that makes them a potential win.

Anyway, yeah the MildCats are always a Wildcard game for the Badgers. I won't pretend to know a thing about Northwestern this season, but that is a game that Bucky can't look past.

Even though the last 2 W's have come against historically weak teams, Rutgers has played well this season and the Badgers absolutely dominated them on their own turf. Things are looking much better for the Badgers Program than they were 3 weeks ago, but yeah, still too soon to get too excited about it.

 

[Firethorn1001]

If the Badgers could just play bad teams they would be undefeated...

 

[PikeBadger]

This is one of the worst coaching staffs in all of D1 football. These guys suck bad.

 

[milani]

This is one of the worst coaching staffs in all of D1 football. These guys suck bad.

Not sure why but I miss Bielema.

 

[DoURant]

I know it isn't Badgers related, but in other college football news, the QB from Ole Miss, Jaxson Dart went 25-31, 515 yds, 6 TD's today.... WOW!!!

 

[Firethorn1001]

Locke is pretty good if you overlook him consistently hitting the ground 2 yards in front of the receivers, happy feet when he drops back and losing track of at least 1 player on the opposing team seemingly every other pass attempt.

I'm not fire the coaching staff guy.. but this isn't going the way they wanted. They are seemingly getting worse week over week.

 

[Voyageur]

As long as they're stuck using Locke at QB, they are screwed. They guy may practice well, but his game is full of bad decisions at the worst times possible. It gets worse, not better.

I'm not certain they can win another game this season. They need to find a real QB, because Mettauer will not be ready to go next year. He needs one more year of intense work to reach what he needs to be, to complete in the Big 10, and even that isn't guaranteed.

Instead of looking for a transfer QB with huge numbers to run the program, they need to look for one who can direct a pro type offense, without choking when the chips are down. Preferably someone from a program where there is a poor support staff, but he still keeps them in games, because he knows how to maintain ball control.

We also need some help on the defensive line and offensive line. Not just new recruits, but transfer students who can play in our style of offense.

One of the killers we have is that there isn't enough NIL money out there to attract the 5-star can't miss studs. We have to hope that our staff can turn high 3-star recruits and transfers into decent 4-star players, through coaching and hard work.

It's going to be an interesting recruiting season in Madison. We keep losing early recruits who are de-committing from the program, which I believe has more to do with NIL money than anything else.

 

[Krabs]

They are as middling as it gets. It's beat the bad B1G teams and get rolled by the good ones. Well, Iowa isn't even that good, but still. They can't beat the winning teams.

 

[Voyageur]

They are as middling as it gets. It's beat the bad B1G teams and get rolled by the good ones. Well, Iowa isn't even that good, but still. They can't beat the winning teams.

No doubt about it, they got rolled by an average team at best. Iowa didn't beat the Badgers, Locke essentially did, with his horrible play. He will never be the guy who runs the team in this system. Next year we need someone who can read defenses.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

The only hope for the Badger Football team is that all the hype about Fickell being a great recruiter is true. Given that this is his second year as HC, we should start seeing just how that plays out in 2025. I don't have the desire/patience to sift through all the players that Fickell's staff has recruited and how they are playing.

The only Fickell recruit that comes to mind is CB Xavier Lucas. Lucas looked pretty good until he got injured. Not even sure if he has played much since.

I am still not impressed with OC Phil Longo. His play calling is conservative and predictable. DC Tressel can't seem to make easy adjustments to stop what is working for the other team.

A really good litmus test of the programs direction, will happen after this miserable season is over. How many of the top players hit the transfer portal? How many big recruits decommit? IF those numbers are medium to high, Fickell and his staff may not have too many seasons left to prove that they can do it in Madison.

 

[Krabs]

The only hope for the Badger Football team is that all the hype about Fickell being a great recruiter is true. Given that this is his second year as HC, we should start seeing just how that plays out in 2025. I don't have the desire/patience to sift through all the players that Fickell's staff has recruited and how they are playing.

The only Fickell recruit that comes to mind is CB Xavier Lucas. Lucas looked pretty good until he got injured. Not even sure if he has played much since.

I am still not impressed with OC Phil Longo. His play calling is conservative and predictable. DC Tressel can't seem to make easy adjustments to stop what is working for the other team.

A really good litmus test of the programs direction, will happen after this miserable season is over. How many of the top players hit the transfer portal? How many big recruits decommit? IF those numbers are medium to high, Fickell and his staff may not have too many seasons left to prove that they can do it in Madison.

They're current 2024 class is ranked 25th in the nation. All the regular powers are above WI. They are behind Nebraska (23) and Kentucky (24), which kind of surprises me. The 2025 class is ranked 28th right now. Again, your regular powers are above them with a few outliers.

Looking at the transfer portal for 2024, it was ranked 23. A lot of those players are getting significant minutes. Fickell has said himself that they need to stop relying so much on the portal and develop their own players. They are just in a transitional period right now.

You never know how the rankings ultimately play out. It seems it is better than the past. WI under previous coaching was more in the 50 range. It's a totally different landscape with the portal and NIL money.

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