Wisconsin’s opener against Notre Dame didn’t end the way Badgers fans wanted, but not everyone came away discouraged. Montee Ball watched the first half and saw enough to believe this group has a real chance to be something better.
On ESPN Madison, the former Badgers running back was direct about where he thinks this team is headed.
"I don't want to beat a dead horse but I want for the players to know this, I want for the fans to understand, this is gonna be a really good Wisconsin football team," Ball said. "They know if they wanna turn this program around, this is the year to do it. And I'm excited to watch that."
Wisconsin did look like Wisconsin for a stretch. The defense was active and disruptive, and the offense, even while the run game never really got rolling, still moved the ball with patience and purpose. For a while, the Badgers held their own against a Notre Dame team loaded with talent.
Then the second half happened, and the Irish pulled away in a way that made the final score look far uglier than the early tone of the game suggested.
Still, there was enough in the performance to leave some Badgers supporters and alumni feeling encouraged. The physicality showed up.
The line play looked better in spots. And for a team trying to change its direction, that matters.
Luke Fickell sounded similarly upbeat after the game, even if he didn’t have a clean explanation for how things unraveled after halftime.
“I found out a lot of things. I’m not saying it’s all great, that’s for sure," he said. “We grow from this and I’m telling you, we’re gonna be in a good place.”
That said, one game against a Notre Dame roster Wisconsin was never expected to match up with perfectly doesn’t settle much of anything. The Week 2 home matchup with an overmatched FCS opponent won’t answer many questions either.
If Ball’s prediction proves right, it’ll be because the offensive line keeps taking steps after a shaky opener, the secondary sharpens up and gets more comfortable in man coverage, the front seven keeps wrecking things up front, and Colton Joseph builds on the flashes he showed against the Irish.
If Ball is wrong, the warning signs are already easy to spot. The line could stall out again.
Injuries could keep piling up, or PJ Wilkins could continue to struggle in pass protection at left tackle. Joseph could remain exciting but turnover-prone.
Jeff Grimes’ offense could keep searching for rhythm. And on defense, a promising pass rush could fade while the back end continues to give up problems despite looking improved on paper.
In Other News...
Badgers Made An Early Statement Against The Champs For One Big Reason
Against the defending national champions, Wisconsin showed early that it could absorb a punch and keep swinging. The Badgers dropped the opening set to Texas A&M in a five-set volleyball match, but their offense found its rhythm as setter Charlie Fuerbringer kept the middle attackers involved and the teams defense held up in the long rallies that turned the match into a grind.
What helped swing the night was the presence of Decelise Champion, who made a significant impact after entering the match and gave Wisconsin another layer it needed with Jaela Auguste and Grace Egan unavailable. Even without that full lineup, the Badgers looked composed in the biggest stretches, a good sign for a team trying to stack wins while learning how to finish against elite competition. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Commit Kingston Allen Keeps Fueling A Ranking Debate
Kingston Allen keeps giving Wisconsin fans another reason to watch the 2027 class closely. The Badgers commit has been piling up huge numbers early in his high school career, building a rsum that already puts him in rare company among young running backs. Even with that production, national recruiting services still have him listed outside the very top tier, with 247 Sports slotting him at No. 150 overall and as a four-star.
The disconnect is what makes Allen such an interesting name to track from Wisconsins side. His weekly output suggests a player doing far more than just holding serve against expectations, and it raises the familiar recruiting question of whether some prospects are being judged more by ranking inertia than by what they keep showing on the field. For the Badgers, the appeal is obvious: if he keeps producing at this rate, the debate around where he belongs nationally is only going to get louder. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Is Proving It Can Survive Early Tests The Hard Way
Wisconsins volleyball schedule has wasted no time asking for answers. The Badgers opened the season against four top-10 opponents and went 1-3 in that stretch, a gauntlet that could have shaken a lesser group. Instead, they steadied themselves at home with wins over No. 17 Florida and Auburn, moving to 3-3 while holding onto a No. 6 ranking and showing they can absorb early adversity without losing their place among the sports elite.
The latest test added another layer of proof, as Wisconsin handled No. 19 Texas A&M in a five-set match and kept building momentum ahead of a meeting with Texas. What has stood out so far is not just that the Badgers have survived the schedule, but that they have done it against ranked opponents in a way that keeps their rsum pointed in the right direction. The next challenge should say even more about where this team stands when the caliber of opponent only keeps rising. [Read more 🡒]