One insider thinks the Wisconsin Badgers have a high ceiling in 2023
The Wisconsin Badgers have made giant leaps in recruiting since Dec. 1st. New head coach Luke Fickell and his prestigious staff have flipped recruiting and transfers who want to play high-quality football in Madison. One ESPN insider thinks the Badgers can climb very high in Fickell’s first season.
According to Kevin Flaherty with 247 Sports, Paul Finebaum said recently on Sports Center that the Badgers could reach the College Football Playoff next season:
“Considering the Cinderella story, this is very difficult,” Finebaum said on SportsCenter Tuesday. “But if you go outside the top 25, I’m going to land with what I think is one of the best coaches in college football — he just went from Cincinnati to Wisconsin — I’m speaking of Luke Fickell. Yeah, it’s a long shot and they had a terrible season this year — that’s why they changed coaches.
But I looked at their schedule and they have — it’s manageable. It’s not easy — they go to Washington State early, but they have Ohio State at home and they don’t have Michigan. And when you can avoid one of the big two in the Big Ten, you have a chance. So, yeah, I’ll go out on a limb and nobody will remember this a year from now. But Wisconsin — an outside shot at crashing the party.”
It’s a stretch but not impossible
Finebaum’s comments stand and direct contrast to ESPN’s early rankings for 2023. They don’t even place the Wisconsin Badgers in the Top 25. They should be in the Top 25, but the College Football Playoff would be hard for Fickell to make in his first year.
However, it’s not impossible. Wisconsin will have Braelon Allen back on the team for next year. Transfer quarterback Tanner Mordecai will have plenty of stud transfer wide receivers to throw to next fall. Fickell has been to the CFP before.
Let’s not forget TCU. TCU finished its 2021 season with a 5-7 record. Head coach Sonny Dykes was able to turn around the program and lead them to the College Football Playoff in his first season.
However, Badgers fans should be happy to see improvement next season. While the CFP is undoubtedly a goal in the future, going to the Big Ten championship game is a more realistic goal for next season.