Wisconsin’s win over Penn State gave Luke Fickell and his staff something they have spent much of this season chasing: a performance that looked complete.
The Badgers’ 24-20 victory came after a rough first half, but the group came out of the break and played some of its best football since Fickell arrived. The pass game started to hum, the run game did its part and the defense kept the whole operation from slipping away. For one night, Wisconsin looked like a team capable of matching up with anybody.
That doesn’t erase the larger story of the season, though. Even with a 3-1 start, inconsistency has been the thread running through Wisconsin’s year.
The trenches have taken plenty of heat, with the pass rush struggling to produce wins, the run defense wobbling at times and the offensive line not offering the kind of steady platform the staff wants. Colton Joseph has also drawn his share of criticism.
He has had some very good moments, but the volatility has been hard to ignore.
The quarterback conversation is where the noise gets loudest, especially with Joseph sitting 17th of 18 Big Ten quarterbacks in PFF grade through Week 4. Still, that alone does not make a change simple.
There’s no guarantee either Duece Adams or Ryan Hopkins would immediately be an upgrade, even if both have their supporters. Adams has flashed in practice, and Hopkins’ talent is no secret to Badger fans, but neither has Joseph’s game experience.
That makes sticking with Joseph the obvious move for now.
There are other spots where Fickell could consider a shuffle, but even there the case for change is not overwhelming. PJ Wilkins has been near the bottom among Big Ten tackles in PFF grade, and there is at least an argument for giving Logan Simmons a look. But that kind of move carries risk too, and Wisconsin does not seem positioned to overhaul things just for the sake of it.
The backfield is a different conversation. Abu Sama III has been the steady lead option, but the room has enough depth to keep things flexible.
Some around the program would like to see Darrion Dupree and Bryce Jackson get more work, and the good news for Wisconsin is that the setup already allows for that kind of rotation. It’s a committee by design, and that structure has value.
Keeping Sama, Dupree and Jackson involved can preserve the offense’s versatility and force defenses to keep adjusting.
So for all the talk about missing ingredients, the answer in Madison may not be some sweeping lineup change. Wisconsin has room to tweak, but not much reason to tear anything up right now.
In Other News...
Luke Fickell Knows Wisconsin Cant Keep Winning Like This
Wisconsin came away with a huge win over Penn State, but the film gave Luke Fickell plenty to worry about afterward. The Badgers survived despite losing the turnover battle 3-1, with quarterback Colton Joseph throwing all three interceptions, and they also had to scrape by on the ground in a game where the rushing edge was razor-thin. Fickell made it clear the result mattered, but the formula did not look like one Wisconsin can lean on for long.
The bigger concern is sustainability. Wisconsin finished with only a one-yard edge in rushing yardage and was outperformed when the quarterback run game was stripped out, a sign the offense still has work to do if it wants to control games instead of just hang around in them. Fickell pointed to ball security and the rushing attack as the areas that have to improve moving forward, which is a fair reminder that even a win like this can feel more like a warning than a breakthrough. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins Two LA Matchups Suddenly Carry Very Different Threats
With Wisconsin working through a demanding Big Ten slate, the trip out to Los Angeles is starting to look less like a single swing through two marquee programs and more like two games with very different levels of danger. The Badgers already have a tough one looming against No. 14 Iowa, and now the other West Coast stops are taking on new meaning as the conference race tightens.
UCLA has surged to 4-0 under new coach Bob Chesney and earned a spot in the Top 25 behind strong play on both sides of the ball, while USC remains a far more complicated read under Lincoln Riley. The Trojans have been drawing criticism for their defense and the fallout from a controversial player incident, and with Washington, Penn State and Wisconsin all on the schedule, the pressure around that matchup is only growing. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Now Has A Chance Fans Have Been Waiting On
Wisconsins win over No. 13 Penn State gave the Badgers a resume-building result and pushed them to 3-1, but it still was not enough to get them into the AP Top 25. They landed at No. 26, just outside the poll, which leaves them right on the doorstep of the kind of national recognition fans have been waiting to see again.
Michigan State comes to Madison next, and Wisconsin is favored to handle the Spartans at home. A victory would give the Badgers another chance to strengthen their case and possibly crack the Top 25, turning last weeks breakthrough into something even bigger as the season starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]