What Went Wrong With UW Football

[Mark87]

“I feel like we really don’t have an identity,” Wisconsin linebacker Christian Alliegro said. “It’s just such a weird feeling. I feel like we have no grip in these games.”

“We’ve talked a lot about our identity the past 10 months here with especially our offense,” Wisconsin center Jake Renfro said. “Some of those words that we’ve said might not have been true because it doesn’t show up on tape.”

This is a deep question; obviously, things have gone south. The program, in my opinion, failed to find talent through the portal, and, except for 4-5 guys, our recruiting is not where it needs to be.

A lot of our offensive issues start on the OL. I keep hearing about not recruiting in-state. Hard cold fact, WI HS football isn't putting out the same level of prospects it used to ( a discussion for another day). We have lost a starting QB to injury for the past 3 years. thats not ideal, but the lack of quality depth at QB is undeniable.

I also keep seeing people bitch about the OC and play-calling for the 3rd year. I'll be honest, no one out there could do better with this group. No, bubble screen right is NOT a trick play... either is the fly motion stuff. All standard calls in Power 4 ball. We just can't execute at game speed.

The defensive scheme wasn't that bad, except we had to play zone with these DBs, which led to big plays. The scary part is he shifted into a 4-4 stack, and Iowa still ran over us. That's personal 100%.

This team is bland with no real leaders; the lack of athletes is glaring. Fickell isn't inspiring anyone, and his staff to me is even flatter.

There is a lot wrong at UW and I will agree with LF it's a big fix. Where do they go from here?? Honestly, I think it gets a lot worse than better... feels a lot like 1988.

 

[realitybytes]

it's just such a shame what has happened to this program since the days of alvarez.

 

[Mark87]

it's just such a shame what has happened to this program since the days of alvarez.

I keep seeing that comment as well. Did you know BA was only 65-60 in Big Ten play? Another big issue is that now you have NIL and the portal to deal with AND regular recruiting. WI has multiple levels of problems to work through.

 

[realitybytes]

I keep seeing that comment as well. Did you know BA was only 65-60 in Big Ten play?

but at least his teams competed, and produced some nfl players.

 

[Keg Man]

I agree with Mark. It's a big fix.

I'm not sure who could be getting a better result as a coach.

But, as far as playing:

• The Coaching:
  • Head Coach
    • The players consistently appear unprepared.
    • The players consistently don't show football knowledge, e.g.
      • What the hell they are supposed to be doing
      • Situational awareness.
      • Something is rotten in Denmark, High School players know what they are supposed to be doing and have situational awareness - Some Pop Warner players do.
    • The players almost always show up not fired with enthusiasm.
    • A personal foul penalty before the kick off? How? What does a Badger player have to be giving people the business with? I'd like to know.
    • 2 more personal fouls in the first half?
    • I really though Coach Fick was going to be a no nonsense, tough coach, who had his players prepared, and fired up to play.
  • Offensive Coordinator:
    • The Offensive Coordinator continues to keep trying to do things his players aren't mentally or physically capable of doing - YES THE TRICK PLAYS:
      • No what Mark mentioned aren't trick plays.
      • But, they are not what I'm talking about. I consider these to be trick plays:
        • Flea Flicker - Against 'Bama - we got the first down, but only through amazing effort by a couple of players - not because of the play.
        • The abomination against Miami of OH - The Trick play on approximately O'Neil's third play off the bench that was blown up for a 15-20 yard loss by a Miami of OH player named - Trick. Can't make that up.
        • Wildcats - yes I consider them a trick play. Twice against MI on 3d and short got stuffed for nothing. After the first time, which I hated, let's do it again - and got stuffed worse.
        • The Double Pass pass against Iowa.
          • Your QB has thrown 2 interceptions to Defensive Lineman.
          • You're down 17 - 0 at home, on homecoming, in a must win for the program game, and you call a double pass.
          • OK, it might have just been a bad execution of swing pass, but because of all the other Dumb Ass Stuff he's tried he doesn't get a pass on it.
        • Can't even remember the rest - but once or twice per game he runs some damn trick play on a critical down that gets blown up and kills a drive.
  • Defensive Coordinator:
    • It' not what it used to be, but it's about as good as it can be.
    • If the offense gave it any help at all, we wouldn't be bitching about the defense.
• The Recruiting:
  • Holy Cow
    • We are not recruiting or at least not getting D-1 mentally tough and ready players
      • See above about lost, not knowing what they should be doing, not situationally aware, and not fired up
  • Supposedly, we have kids they are trying to redshirt. We don't have time for that. The upper classmen could hit the portal and nobody will chase them down. We should just start the kids - if they really are there.
  • I understand that Wisconsin has issues with recruiting:
    • It's Wisconsin and not some paradise school in Florida or California
    • We most likely do not offer as much NIL
    • But, there are kids that like WI. They aren't the cream of the crop coming out of High School, they are the 3 stars with an attitude. We used to get them, coach them up, and they'd go at it. Now we're getting - hell, I don't know what we're getting, but it plays like it's scraped off the bottom of the barrel.
    • Shoot, imagine if we just turned into a team that had the 3 stars coached them up who played hard for a transfer in Junior Senior year for big NIL money, we'd have a hungry team. Yea, it would suck to lose the kids, but we'd have a hungry and probably dangerous team being fed by a pipeline of the same.
    • About recruiting WI and the area.
      • I agree with Coach Fick's philosophy that he wanted to get every real player within 300 miles.
        • The philosophy is great. The execution isn't. We aren't getting those players.
      • I agree with wanting every real WI player.
        • We're not getting any real WI players anymore.
• The Players:
  • QB play
    • What can I say it's horrible.
    • Every little glimmer of hope, gets not dashed but smashed shortly after the glimmer.
    • It sucks that we've lost our preferred first string QB every year.
      • But, they haven't been special anyway.
  • The Offensive Line
    • Wow. Just wow.
    • Not one of these guys play like a D1 offensive lineman.
    • Not one of these guys play like they have a backbone.
  • Receivers and Running backs:
    • Because of the above, who knows?
  • Defense:
    • Because of the above, who knows?
  • Overall - too much primadonna

What the hell is this identity?

You're gosh darn WI Football players. That's your identity. Do your damn job. Block! Tackle! Throw the ball, catch the ball, run the ball! Do so with enthusiasm! Don't act like a jackass!

A parting thought. I think Coach Fick is lost. I don't think he can get through to these kids. Somebody posted that he got fired. I think he would be happy to get away from these kids.

Cathartic, but not cathartic enough!

 

[Keg Man]

Wisconsin's lost.

I know I'm a knuckledragger. I wouldn't know how to get through to these kids. I think Coach Fick is like me lost in time. I can see how he's dumbfounded - the kids don't respond.

Luke Fickell after 37-0 loss to Iowa: ‘I’m dumbfounded’

The Badgers were humiliated on their home field on Saturday.

www.buckys5thquarter.com

Know, I'm not saying he's a great coach. I think he's a hell of a lot better than his record at Wisconsin. I don't think he's a NIL Era Coach. I think he is the no nonsense wrestler nose guard dammit block dammit tackle be tough we'll get through this coach who's message is not getting through to kids playing pokeman or something.

AND, I'm not saying he should get a pass. I'm just saying he's not the coach for the kids in the WI program. And, part of that is on him for not recognizing that while recruiting them. Whatever the problem, his way, which I think would have me running through walls, is not even getting Badger players to crochet.

 

[Crease Creature]

I hate that this is the comparison that needs to be made, but:

Cignetti is 17-2 at Indiana, and just beat Oregon in Eugene. Was also hanging with Ohio State for a bit last year. Curt is also a major a-hole. He's also been at IU one less season that Fickell has been in Madison.

This comes back on the Athletic Department as much as anything. Wisconsin really seems to be dragging its behind on doing what needs to be done in today's CFB landscape. I hate what college ball has become as much as anyone, but at some point Kellner Hall needs to see the reality. Gard and the bball program seem to have a good handle on it. Hockey looks good this year. Women's sports are plugging along.

But McIntosh doesn't seem to have a clue as to what football needs these days. The AD is the only other person who has any share of the blame. To see people still saying "Chryst didn't leave them any talent" is asinine. That was over three years ago. The roster could have been completely turned over 5 times since then.

It's like we're waiting for what we want the NIL rules to be, and are set up to have great success once that day comes, if it ever does. There's no plan on what to do in the interim other than to keep bringing in below-standard athletes and hope they develop. I don't say that as a knock against any of these guys, I think they are trying hard. But their coaches are not helping.

 

[Mark87]

I hate that this is the comparison that needs to be made, but:

Cignetti is 17-2 at Indiana, and just beat Oregon in Eugene. Was also hanging with Ohio State for a bit last year. Curt is also a major a-hole. He's also been at IU one less season that Fickell has been in Madison.

This comes back on the Athletic Department as much as anything. Wisconsin really seems to be dragging its behind on doing what needs to be done in today's CFB landscape. I hate what college ball has become as much as anyone, but at some point Kellner Hall needs to see the reality. Gard and the bball program seem to have a good handle on it. Hockey looks good this year. Women's sports are plugging along.

But McIntosh doesn't seem to have a clue as to what football needs these days. The AD is the only other person who has any share of the blame. To see people still saying "Chryst didn't leave them any talent" is asinine. That was over three years ago. The roster could have been completely turned over 5 times since then.

It's like we're waiting for what we want the NIL rules to be, and are set up to have great success once that day comes, if it ever does. There's no plan on what to do in the interim other than to keep bringing in below-standard athletes and hope they develop. I don't say that as a knock against any of these guys, I think they are trying hard. But their coaches are not helping.

Can't really compare CC, Indiana was bankrolled by Mark Cuban who helped buy their NIL players... If some rich boosters want to do that great...otherwise we are what we are. I bet we hire another coach and don't get the funds it's the samething all over again.

 

[GBP4EVER]

Is not that guy on Social Media from Barstool Sports Big Cat claim he's a WI booster? I wonder if that's just talk by him and if he really is a fan put money were mouth is when it comes to the NIL.

 

[HowardK4]

but at least his teams competed, and produced some nfl players.

This is what dumbfounds me. Last week at Michigan, the players didn't appear to give up - but then the play calling at the end of the game looked like the coaches gave up (had a few people ask me about what I thought) - but I was hoping that the players wouldn't give up vs Iowa. unfortunately vs Iowa, they looked competitive for the first few minutes of the game, but as soon as that first INT happened, and Iowa scored - the players gave up. There is no identity to this team, nothing for them to cling to so they're lost and then they just give up.