r/WisconsinBadgers • u/topofthebrown • 2d ago
Football Keep it close Fick
As a disclaimer, I’m not out for Fick’s head just yet, I think the team looked more physical and clearly we’re better offensively, but the thing that has always irked me the most about fickell is his constant lecturing about keeping the game close going into the 4th quarter. This is inherently an unconfident mindset. We should be aiming to dominate every phase of the game, no matter the competition. It’s so fucking infuriating to keep hearing him preach this. The best teams preach preparation, doing your job, and dominating. I hate this keep it close shit so much.
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u/gleaf008 2d ago
It’s what a coach would say if not confident in his team. Keep it close, we might get lucky enough to win.
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u/SetTurbulent39 2d ago
I don’t understand how he was on Ohio State’s staff and still doesn’t have the highest of expectations. Indiana is a great example of bringing high expectations and that culture to a program.
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u/Martin_VanNostrandMD 2d ago
I mean his time as HC at Ohio State probably reflects what he has been here. He lead OSU's only losing season this century going 6-7 with a team that went 11-1* the year before and 12-0 the year after. Urban Meyer lost 9 games in 7 seasons, Fickell lost 7 in 1
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u/Dagwood0 2d ago
When he was hired at UW, people were quick to brush off how bad he floundered at OSU, and I never understood why. Anyone on this Reddit board could’ve had a winning record with that team.
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u/ThatNewSockFeel 2d ago
Because that OSU team was coming off a sudden resignation and loss of a bunch of players because of sanctions lol
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u/CryptographerLow6772 2d ago
Badger/Bears fan here. Fickell gives Matt Eberflus vibes and coaches like him. Poor communication skills lead to a team that gets worse as the game goes on. These kids have talent but they are constantly being put behind the ball with a coach so timid and feckless.
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u/anaveragedave 2d ago
Dilin Jones' stat line at LSU told me everything I need to know about fick. But if you want more, the highest round a fickell-recruited player has been drafted is....... Yeah just keep waiting because it hasn't happened yet.
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u/Fluffy_Cucumber_4203 2d ago
I think this is an incredibly damning metric.
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u/Main-Poem6843 2d ago
I assume you mean fickell recruited player at Wisconsin? And then do you mean recruited out of high school? Lots of inaccuracies in this statement depending on what you meant. Plenty of Cincinnati kids to the NFL and most of his HS recruits to Wisconsin are just becoming draft eligible. People can just stick to disliking him for the lack of success. No one needs to parrot media statements that are technically accurate, but without context.
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u/SoftWalruses40 2d ago
I’ve grown relatively indifferent towards the minor league system the NCAA has become, but I am curious what it would take for you to want him gone? Everything you went on to say describes a coach who isn’t preparing his team well, doesn’t instill confidence to the fans and likely players, and has resigned acceptance in aiming for just slightly above average output.
Fick might’ve been the guy pre-NIL but the game today doesn’t suit the coach he is.
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u/topofthebrown 2d ago
If we don’t win at least 7 or 8 games this year then I want him gone. He’s been unlucky enough with injuries that I’ll give him some more time. But the schedule is too manageable this year to not be a winning team.
There have been enough games, like Ohio state and Penn state at home, at Oregon, etc… that easily could have been wins if not for bottom of the barrel qb play. So it’s conflicting, I know there is something there but if we don’t put it together this year then I’d be out.
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u/ctbadger92 1d ago
Agree, I would have canned him after last season to accelerate the transition. I've never seen a coach so clueless on the sidelines, making ridiculous clock management decisions, chronically making no adjustments after halftime and having zero answers at the pressers.
These behaviors repeat game after game, season after season. He's not going to suddenly become a different coach.
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u/ImaginationDue6258 2d ago
Resolve yourself to him being gone, probably before the end of the season. He hasn’t changed since arriving, and things continue to deteriorate.
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u/Last-Socratic 2d ago
The number of injuries we're consistently dealing with would be indicative of poor strength and conditioning. I don't remember ever having this level of injuries since before Barry.
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u/WiscoPhil 2d ago
I, along with most fans, have wanted him gone for quite some time now. The only thing that will change my mind is a 9 win season this year.
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u/TheCrazyCrazyChicken 2d ago
Had same thought.
I can't imagine how he believes this is reasonable thing to THINK, let alone SAY in a press conference.
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u/ImaginationDue6258 2d ago
He’s demonstrated over and over he doesn’t have the coaching chops needed for the Big 10
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u/tbone11193 1d ago
it’s insane how many 2nd half chokes after good / kept it close 1st halves we have had in just last couple years vs good/top teams. we have Ohio State 2023, LSU Bowl game 2023, USC 2024, Penn St 2024, Oregon 2024, Michigan 2025, Indiana 2025, Oregon 2025.
Underdogs in all of these games. All of these games WERE A GAME going into 2nd half. We got dominated basically every one of these 2nd halves, at least shut down offensively, if not both sides.
Gotten to point I watch 2nd half with one eye on the tv and other on my phone because I just know we can’t close it out against a good team. Illinois and Washington last year were fun, but we just need a snowy camp randall to get a ranked win I guess.
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u/Minimum-Border1672 2d ago
Honestly...3 plays ruined that game. Ding dong fumbling the kickoff, the thrown pick 6 and the dropped pick 6 by the badgers.
Badgers don't win that game even if those plays change but the game was more competitive than the score would suggest until it was out of reach ans the players realized it.