2024 Badgers Football

[Voyageur]

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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Things have changed so much because of NIL. You need the money being there, and if you don't have it, you can't bring in the type of QB who is a top 10 candidate for a Heisman. It's sad it's gone this way, but it has, and we have to live with it.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

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.

See, I kind of disagree with this, in part.

Yes, you can't rely on it. However, it and NIL money has completely changed the recruiting process from season to season for all NCAA Sports. Fickell and his staff need to 100% concentrate on both.

 

[Krabs]

See, I kind of disagree with this, in part.

Yes, you can't rely on it. However, it and NIL money has completely changed the recruiting process from season to season for all NCAA Sports. Fickell and his staff need to 100% concentrate on both.

I agree and I think he is talking a bit out of both sides of his mouth. I think he doesn't have an issue with the portal and will use it. He's already proven that. I think it is to settle current rostered players down and keep them from transferring.

 

[Firethorn1001]

There is nothing good about Locke. Nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada. Locke, go to the transfer portal please.

An average QB wins that for WI.

He must have pictures of Longo with a goat or something

 

[Voyageur]

If Wisconsin had a QB who could be moderately successful, we'd be able to win some of these games we're getting burned in. Today is a prime example. The Badgers could have, and probably should have, beat Oregon, except for Locke's inability to make the simplest plays. He's not only failed, he's made critical mistakes that have totally destroyed drives, and lost games because of them.

If Fickell can find someone who can do the job next year, at a high level, they could be competitive. So, based on today's market for QBs, who has a few million to throw into the pot to get someone on board who could lead them for three years?

NIL is killing teams like Wisconsin. I think you all know about Texas, and here's an article about Oregon and the NIL money out there.

Oregon football has 'unlimited' NIL backing from Nike

Oregon football and Nike founder Phil Knight are in it to win it. And that means, according to a recent report, that the Big Ten program is set to spend in pursuit of a national championship. That's the buzz about the Oregon football program followin

www.usatodayhss.com

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I won't go too overboard with that last quarter of just terrible officiating, but man that was frustrating. The chop block call, which was blatantly not a chop block call, really screwed the Badgers. Instead of a first down and keeping the ball, they are forced to punt it away. At that point I started watching the Oregon O-line. My god man! How many times can they hold someone and not have it called? There was a long run by James to the left, that the LT literally grabbed and tackled a Badger to turn a zero yard gain into a long one.

Even the way the officiating started with the Badgers defense getting called for "delay of game", when they shifted (legally) players on the D-line. The crappy officiating team at least righted that wrong, by later calling the same penalty (incorrectly) on the Oregon defense.

I'm sorry, but that crew SUCKED! There was Pass interference way too many times that wasn't called.

Anyway, can't let the refs cost you a game, you need to go out there and win them yourselves. Give the Ducks defense credit, they are good. However, the Badgers have a terrible QB and Longo has no imagination or any sense of how to run an offense with a below average QB. While I don't want to run my QB all the time, there were quite a few times when a fake handoff to a RB and a QB run in the opposite direction would have picked up a ton of yards, Oregon sold out for the run every time! How do the coaches not see that upstairs?

 

[Firethorn1001]

Even the way the officiating started with the Badgers defense getting called for "delay of game", when they shifted (legally) players on the D-line. The crappy officiating team at least righted that wrong, by later calling the same penalty (incorrectly) on the Oregon defense.

Announcers I think even stated something like 'At least they are consistent. Consistently wrong, but consistent'

College football is losing interest for me. Athletes should be paid, but right now it is just the wild west with NIL.

 

[DoURant]

If Wisconsin had a QB who could be moderately successful, we'd be able to win some of these games we're getting burned in. Today is a prime example. The Badgers could have, and probably should have, beat Oregon, except for Locke's inability to make the simplest plays. He's not only failed, he's made critical mistakes that have totally destroyed drives, and lost games because of them.

If Fickell can find someone who can do the job next year, at a high level, they could be competitive. So, based on today's market for QBs, who has a few million to throw into the pot to get someone on board who could lead them for three years?

NIL is killing teams like Wisconsin. I think you all know about Texas, and here's an article about Oregon and the NIL money out there.

Oregon football has 'unlimited' NIL backing from Nike

Oregon football and Nike founder Phil Knight are in it to win it. And that means, according to a recent report, that the Big Ten program is set to spend in pursuit of a national championship. That's the buzz about the Oregon football program followin

www.usatodayhss.com

Is Oregon going to turn into the Dodgers/Yankees of college football... Best team money can buy?

 

[Firethorn1001]

Is Oregon going to turn into the Dodgers/Yankees of college football... Best team money can buy?

IMHO.. Worse. Would be like the Yankees having contracts with teams to supply their gear then using those profits to fund their own player salaries.

 

[Voyageur]

IMHO.. Worse. Would be like the Yankees having contracts with teams to supply their gear then using those profits to fund their own player salaries.

Since Nike seems to have deep pockets for Oregon, the rest of college football should blackball them, so they would only have Oregon for sports. I'm talking everything, including shoes, and gear. Schools that work with them are foolish at this point, because what they make from their involvement, they use to beat them through the Ducks.

It's too bad it's gone this way, but it has, and it's going to get even worse.

 

[DoURant]

Since Nike seems to have deep pockets for Oregon, the rest of college football should blackball them, so they would only have Oregon for sports. I'm talking everything, including shoes, and gear. Schools that work with them are foolish at this point, because what they make from their involvement, they use to beat them through the Ducks.

It's too bad it's gone this way, but it has, and it's going to get even worse.

NIL should not be paying players to come to your school by any means necessary, with no limitations or structure.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

About fricking time!

Longo fired!

 

[Voyageur]

Where do they go from here? This is only a band-aid for the rest of the season. Next year had better be better than it was this year. The defense played well this year but was let down constantly by the offense. I doubt this will change the problem we have at QB at this point.

Next year, we need a QB that fits the mold of what they want to identify as, not try sticking square pegs in round holes. That's ridiculous.

 

[longtimefan]

Where do they go from here? This is only a band-aid for the rest of the season. Next year had better be better than it was this year. The defense played well this year but was let down constantly by the offense. I doubt this will change the problem we have at QB at this point.

Next year, we need a QB that fits the mold of what they want to identify as, not try sticking square pegs in round holes. That's ridiculous.

They don't know their identity

 

[Firethorn1001]

Surprised me.

Now I'll really be happy if Locke is not under center for the next game. Don't care if that person is deemed 'ready', but whomever it is needs to be someone that is around next year competing for the starting role and that isn't Locke.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Maybe Fickell watched the Packer-Bear game and finally decided that a change in OC would possibly spark their stagnant offense as well?

I have expressed my dislike for Longo for awhile now. I just don't think the guy knows how to work with the players he has. Locke isn't a very good QB, no doubt, but Longo hasn't helped him or the offense with his play calling.

I know some will say "Well the coaches don't throw, catch, block or run the ball, so how can you blame them for not executing?" Well, the coaches work with the players all week and they should know their strengths and weaknesses, Longo didn't seem to do that.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Next year, we need a QB that fits the mold of what they want to identify as, not try sticking square pegs in round holes. That's ridiculous.

They don't know their identity

I agree with both statements and think it is why Longo was fired. Longo decided to run an offense that didn't fit the identity of the offense or the players that he had, but it fit his identity. Locke is not an NFL style QB that reads defenses well and can sit in the pocket under pressure and complete passes. How many short underneath routes to a TE or RB did you see him call? Or QB roll outs with the ability for Locke to tuck and run? Very few of any. Instead, it was "run the ball up the middle and if the run game fails, start throwing medium to long passes."

I would have loved to have seen the Badger offense run at a quicker speed and much like what the Bears ran yesterday. Quick underneath stuff, take what the defense gives you and grind the ball down field.