The Luke Fickell era at Wisconsin has been a tumultuous ride. But over the last month, the third-year head coach experienced a much-needed stabilization. After upsetting then No. 23 Washington and putting up a decent battle against No. 2 Indiana on the road, the tone around Fickell has shifted.
A mere 48 hours before taking on Washington, Athletic Director Chris McIntosh confirmed Fickell would return for the 2026 season. Since then, something in the air has changed, and so has Wisconsin’s play.
Wisconsin has two games left this season, and while the Badgers are no longer bowl eligible, the way they play against Illinois and Minnesota will go a long way in proving whether there has truly been a shift in Madison.
Illinois, which the Badgers play Saturday night at Camp Randall, is 7-3 on the season and comes off back-to-back wins against Maryland and Rutgers. The Fighting Illini are currently sitting at #21, having picked up a key win against USC and are led by former Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema.
While not easy, Wisconsin has an opportunity to better the script on a disappointing season. But to do that, Fickell needs to focus on some key areas.
Finding an identity on offense
Wisconsin’s injury report has been a never-ending revolving door this season. Fickell’s quarterback room has been in constant rotation, ceasing any opportunity to achieve stability at the sport’s most important position.
Center Jake Renfro and running back Dilin Jones — key pieces for the Badgers — both had surgeries during the second by week and are out. Last week's starting running back, Gideon Ituka, who left Saturday’s game on a stretcher with a scary injury, seems to have avoided a long-term injury but may be out against Illinois.
But even with the injury troubles, there may be hope for Wisconsin’s offense.
True freshman Carter Smith led the Badgers to victory over Washington, and in his first start against Indiana, didn’t strongly inhibit Wisconsin's chance to win.
Offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes did a nice job in the first half to establish the run game to help pair with the inexperienced Smith. While Indiana adjusted and ran away with a 31-7 victory, Wisconsin’s strong first half is worth remembering.
While things are currently trending in a more positive direction than at other points this season, Wisconsin needs to find an offensive identity. Since the run game will presumably get a heavier workload, Wisconsin will need to establish a threat from the backfield to keep the Illini defense on its feet.
To do this, Wisconsin’s offensive line, which has been shaky at times, needs to step up.
The Illini defense had nine pass breakups and forced two turnovers on downs last week, stepping up for their underperforming offense. Wisconsin, entering as 9.5-point underdogs against Illinois, will need to bring its best attributes to the table against a tough defense to have a shot at completing another upset.
Aggressive play calling
In their last two games, Wisconsin has shown a sense of urgency, a quality that was sorely lacking for most of the season.
Against Washington, the Badgers executed a fake punt in their own territory. The gutsy decision paid off perfectly, as punter Sean West completed a pass to Jackson Acker for 24 yards.
Against Indiana, Wisconsin went for it on a fourth-and-one in the second quarter, and Smith found a wide-open Lance Mason for a 41-yard touchdown to tie the game.
These are examples of the spark Badger fans have been waiting for. With a bowl game out of the picture, Wisconsin is playing with nothing to lose. They have a greater opportunity to experiment, attack and take risks, giving themselves a fighting chance as the scrappy underdogs. The aggressiveness Wisconsin has shown on offense the last two weeks needs to continue in the final two games of the year.
He has the locker room!
Despite fans booing and chants of “Fire Fickell” raining down on Camp Randall in September and October, Badgers players have consistently backed up their head coach.
“He is our head coach and we are going to fight, scrap and claw for him and we all have 100% confidence in him. And we are going to show up for work every day and give it our all for him,” freshman linebacker Cooper Catalano said after the Washington win.
Defensive lineman Ben Barten appeared in every game this season for Wisconsin’s defensive line and is always quick to back up Fickell for supporting him.
“I was in a very interesting situation with the last staff, and then came in and continued to work,” Barten said. “And Coach Fickell gave me the opportunities. So I owe, like, everything I've done through football to Coach Fick. This staff… has believed in me, so I’m just continuing to fight for them every day.”
Looking back a few more weeks to the Badgers’ hard-fought 21-7 Oregon loss, Fickell said the locker room stuck together, quieting a negative voice.
"You walk into that locker room, as disappointed as you are, as much as you want to lose your mind, and you look at those guys’ eyes, and they are not batting an eye," Fickell said. "They’re not pointing a finger at each other. They’re not arguing with each other.”
That level of honesty from the head coach hints that Fickell’s players still believe in him. There is no sugar coating that those shutout losses against Iowa and Ohio State truly made most of the fanbase question Fickell’s validity as a leader.
But after these past two weekends and McIntosh's vote of confidence, the Badgers are on the climb. The young players seem to want to play for Fickell, and there is growth happening in the program.
Looking Ahead
As the Badgers prepare for the last two games of their season, they are looking more like a team discovering an identity. In November, they have shown they can fight scrappy underdogs with a tough defense and a run-first offense, traits that have historically been central to Wisconsin’s success.
With two emotional and winnable rivalry games left on the table, Wisconsin must continue their recent urgency. If the Badgers come out flat, displaying the product they showed for much of the season, fans will be right to question if the Washington win was a fluke.
But if Wisconsin plays like they have recently, with a chip on their shoulder and an attitude of newfound toughness, they will undoubtedly challenge Illinois and Minnesota for wins, showing that this program is moving in the direction with Fickell at the helm for the foreseeable future.
