Luke Fickell may be the coach under the brightest pressure entering 2026, even with Lincoln Riley already living on the hot seat at USC.
Riley’s situation in Los Angeles is still a major talking point, but the temperature around Wisconsin is even higher. Fickell, who will be on the opposite sideline when USC meets the Badgers in 2026, is the one facing the more urgent test.
“It seems like now or never for the former CFP head coach. When Fickell made the move from Cincinnati to Wisconsin, it seemed like he was on top of the world as one of the most coveted young coaches in the nation.
Now, after two straight down years with the Badgers, it seems more like he's out of his depth. This is a make-or-break year that could determine both the fate of the program and Fickell.
He had better hope that new transfers and changes within the squad can help this program. Otherwise, next year, we may be talking about a different coach filling his shoes in Madison.”
That’s the reality around Madison after a rough 2025 season, one that had plenty of people around the Big Ten and across the national college football landscape expecting Wisconsin to move on from Fickell. Instead, the administration gave him another year.
Now he has to make that year count. A bowl game is the minimum standard, and 7-5 is mentioned as a possible benchmark if he wants to keep his job into 2027.
For USC, the message is simple: there should be no excuses in that matchup. If the Trojans can’t get past Fickell’s Wisconsin team, it would point to something going badly wrong.
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USC Is In A Battle It Cannot Afford To Lose For Local Star
Hayden Koo has become one of the more closely watched local names in USCs recruiting orbit, and for good reason. The four-star wide receiver from Tustin has drawn attention from a long list of programs that includes Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, BYU, Stanford and UCLA, but the Trojans have made a clear push of their own as they try to keep one of Southern Californias better prospects close to home. Koo was on campus for The Opening Finals and later took part in an invite-only USC prospect camp, where he worked out with coach Chad Savage and came away with an offer.
The next stretch of the recruiting calendar could matter a lot here, because Koo is planning to take game-day visits this season even though nothing is locked in yet. USC is one of the schools he wants to see, and the late-September home date against Oregon is already on his radar, which gives the Trojans a chance to make a stronger impression in front of a local target who still has plenty of options. For USC, the appeal is obvious: keeping a top California receiver from drifting elsewhere is exactly the kind of battle it cannot afford to lose. [Read more 🡒]
USC Ace Mason Edwards Just Delivered A Huge Draft Moment
Mason Edwards rise at USC ended with the kind of draft moment that confirms just how far his college career came. After missing most of the 2025 season because of injury, the former Trojans pitcher returned in 2026 and turned himself into one of the most dominant arms in the country, finishing with 8 wins, a 2.07 ERA and 15.9 strikeouts per nine innings while anchoring USCs staff.
The season also brought national recognition, with Edwards emerging as a finalist for the National Pitcher of the Year Award and earning Baseball Americas pitcher of the year honor. His performance made him the highest-drafted USC player since Brad Boxberger in 2009, and now he heads into the Athletics minor league system with the sort of momentum that can change the early shape of a pro career. [Read more 🡒]