Luke Fickell’s biggest win at Wisconsin just earned him national recognition.
Following the Badgers’ wild 24-20 comeback over Penn State, Fickell was named the Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant National Coach of the Week. It’s the first time he has won the award since arriving in Madison.
Wisconsin had to claw back from 17 points down to pull off the road shocker, finishing the job with two late fourth-quarter touchdown drives and a defense that kept slamming the door. The offense wasn’t spotless, but it did enough in the moments that mattered. The defense, meanwhile, turned in the kind of fourth quarter that can flip a season’s mood in a hurry.
The victory stands as the biggest one yet under Fickell. It also comes at a time when Wisconsin has started to look far more comfortable against ranked teams than it did earlier in his tenure.
Fickell’s past success with the Bear Bryant award came at Cincinnati in 2021, when he was named Bear Bryant National Coach of the Year after leading the Bearcats to a 13-1 record and a College Football Playoff berth.
The Badgers had already taken steps forward against ranked opponents last November, when they beat Washington and Illinois at Camp Randall Stadium for Fickell’s first ranked wins at Wisconsin. This latest result is even louder: a road win over Penn State, in one of the toughest places to play in the country.
It also looked lost late. Wisconsin hadn’t won at Penn State since 2003, and with under eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Badgers were staring at another defeat after Colton Joseph’s third interception. ESPN’s Analytics had Penn State at a 98.5 percent chance to win at that point.
Instead, Wisconsin flipped the script. The defense forced four three-and-outs in the fourth quarter, and the offense answered with back-to-back touchdown drives to close it out.
That finish has brought a wave of national attention, with Wisconsin just missing the AP Top 25 and Fickell taking home Coach of the Week honors.
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Wisconsin Just Sent The AP Poll Debate Into Overdrive
Wisconsins upset of No. 13 Penn State did exactly what a statement win is supposed to do, but it still did not quite push the Badgers into the AP Top 25. They remain unranked in the latest poll, yet they landed 102 points and now sit at the top of the received votes list, which is about as close as a team can get without actually cracking the rankings.
The path back in is clear enough, even if it is not guaranteed. If Wisconsin takes care of Michigan State next and gets a little help elsewhere, next week could finally be the one where the Badgers break through. For now, the poll debate they sparked after beating Penn State is still very much alive. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Suddenly Has A Chance To Prove Penn State Was No Fluke
Wisconsins upset at Penn State did more than grab attention around the Big Ten. The Badgers walked out of Beaver Stadium with a 24-20 win, their first there since 2003, and suddenly the conversation around the program changed from surprise to scrutiny. Beating a ranked opponent on the road is one thing, but backing it up is where a team starts to earn real credibility.
Now Wisconsin gets a chance to show that performance was no one-off as it heads into a matchup with Michigan State as a double-digit favorite. The line reflects how much stock the market is putting into the Penn State result, and it puts the Badgers in a spot where expectations are no longer about hanging around. For Wisconsin, the next game is less about the upset itself and more about proving it says something real about where this team stands. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Faces A New Kind Of Pressure After Its Penn State Stunner
Wisconsins comeback at Penn State gave Luke Fickell the kind of road win that can change the feel of a season. Down 17-0 and staring at a tough afternoon in a hostile building, the Badgers rallied to knock off the No. 13 team in the country, a result that stands as one of the clearest markers yet of progress in this era. Even so, the reward has been more about momentum than recognition, with Wisconsin still sitting outside the AP Top 25 as it turns its attention to the next Big Ten test.
Michigan State comes to Madison for the conference home opener carrying its own concerns, including an injury to key player Cam Edwards and a recent stretch of uneven play. For Wisconsin, the new pressure is obvious: after a statement win, there is less room to treat anything as a stepping stone. The Badgers now have to show that the Penn State rally was not just an emotional peak, but the start of something sturdier as the schedule keeps tightening. [Read more 🡒]