The coaching carousel is always lurking in college football, and the pressure points shift fast. A few seats are already getting scorching, but there are also coaches who came into the year under the microscope and have managed to buy themselves some breathing room.
Luke Fickell in particular has changed the tone around Wisconsin. A lot of people wondered why the Badgers would keep him around after he went 16-21 in his first three seasons, but Wisconsin stuck with him and leaned into this season.
So far, it’s looked like the right call. The Badgers are 4-1 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play, and the win at Penn State stood out as a major turning point for Fickell and the program.
Wisconsin has gone back to the physical, hard-nosed style it built its identity on, and Colton Joseph gives the offense something it has lacked for a while at quarterback. The next stretch will be a real test, though, with all three of Wisconsin’s upcoming opponents currently ranked in the Top 25.
Even so, this team has made itself a difficult matchup in the Big Ten.
Dave Aranda has also moved out of danger territory for now at Baylor. His time in Waco has felt uneasy for much of the last few years, especially after that 12-2 season and Big 12 Championship in his second year, but the Bears have opened this season in a much more promising way.
Their road win over Arizona State two weeks ago was the kind of result that changes the conversation, and Baylor backed it up with DJ Lagway throwing for just over 300 yards and four touchdowns. Lagway is in the middle of a prove-it season of his own, and he’s settling in more and more in Jake Spavital’s offense.
Baylor’s only loss came in Week 1 at Auburn, a game that came down to a two-point conversion and was as messy as a typical opener. Aranda’s defense held up in that one, and Lagway was limited after hurting his ankle early in the game.
If Baylor had pulled that off, the noise around Aranda would look very different right now. As it stands, the Bears have a path to 8-1 before a difficult final three-game run against BYU, Texas Tech, and Houston, and that makes Aranda’s position look safe for the moment.
Bill Belichick has also steadied things at North Carolina, even with all the drama away from the field in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels picked up Belichick’s first Top 25 win on Saturday at Pitt, and they’ve shown more than enough to suggest this is a real football team.
They lost, but they also gave Clemson a strong fight and pushed Notre Dame as well. North Carolina didn’t enter the season with huge expectations, and the big assignment for Belichick in Year 2 was showing clear improvement from Year 1.
By that measure, he has done exactly that.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Needed This Jalen Brown Message After Another 2027 Recruiting Jolt
Jack Thelens decommitment was the kind of recruiting hit that can make a fan base start looking twice at the rest of the class, especially when it comes on the heels of any other roster uncertainty. For Wisconsin, the timing made the 2027 group feel a little more fragile than it had just days earlier, and it put a spotlight on the other young pieces the staff still has in the fold.
Jalen Brown helped calm some of that anxiety by reaffirming his commitment after transferring to an out-of-state prep school, a move that could have easily sparked doubts if he were looking for an opening to back away. Brown has drawn notice for his steady development and a versatile skill set that gives him long-term value, with the kind of flexibility that could let him fit in at multiple spots down the road. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Commit Kingston Allen Is Dominating Amid A New Recruiting Twist
Kingston Allens senior season has only strengthened the case for why Wisconsin wanted him in the first place. The Badgers running back commit has piled up huge numbers with multiple games of more than 250 rushing yards and five touchdowns, and he has kept stacking up production while carrying one of the most productive workloads in the state. He also owns Wisconsins state record for rushing touchdowns, a mark that underscores just how dominant he has been on Friday nights.
Allens big year has naturally drawn more attention from around the Midwest, with visits to Ohio State and Minnesota leading to offers from both programs. Even with that added recruiting traffic, he remains committed to Wisconsin for now, giving the Badgers plenty to monitor as his profile keeps rising. For Wisconsin, the appeal is obvious: a back who is producing at a historic level while still being in play for a few of the regions biggest programs. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins Upset Chances May Hinge On One Huge UCLA Change
UCLAs quarterback situation has changed dramatically just as Wisconsin heads into one of its most interesting Big Ten road tests of the season. The Bruins lost starter Nico Iamaleava to a season-ending injury, which means the Badgers now have to prepare for a different offensive look and potentially multiple backup quarterbacks seeing action. On the other side of the ball, UCLA has made its living by taking advantage of mistakes, with a defense built around forcing turnovers and flipping field position.
All of that makes the Rose Bowl setting feel even bigger for Wisconsin, because this will be UCLAs first home game as a ranked team in years and the atmosphere is expected to be lively. For the Badgers, the challenge is not just adjusting to an unfamiliar offense, but doing it in a building where the energy figures to be a factor from the opening series. The margin for error should be slim, and the game may come down to which team handles the uncertainty better. [Read more 🡒]