The Wisconsin Badgers have dropped the last and final chance this season to secure a bowl game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
For the first time in the last 23-years, Wisconsin will not make a bowl game after finishing with a 5-7 record with a tough loss. Wisconsin has also not dropped below an even record to finish the season in quite some time, which is a notable blemish on the 2024 season. The Badgers have nothing to do at this point but prepare for the future and begin to make hard decisions as changes are likely to occur shortly into the future.
What Went Wrong During the Wisconsin Badgers Loss to Minnesota?
While nobody, including the Wisconsin Badgers, want to talk about the loss it truly does need to be mentioned.
The Wisconsin football team entered the game with an excellent to chance to not only defeat a rival, but also to continue to etch themselves into the history books. However, the Badgers must now figure out what led to such a historic streak being snapped, and how can it be prevented moving forward.
The loss started and ended in the minds of the Wisconsin players, as the Badgers looked mentally unprepared for a heated rivalry game. Minnesota did not just beat Wisconsin, but they dominated the Badgers for the majority of the game and showed a clear gap between the two teams at times.
The Wisconsin offense could not move the football whether it was on the ground or through the air against the Golden Gophers defense. Quarterback Braedyn Locke may have avoided an interception, but overthrew multiple open receivers throughout the game that hindered the success of the offense. The receiving unit also had some difficulties, with a few routes seemingly being the incorrect one at times judging by the reactions of the players involved.
On defense, Wisconsin actually looked like a solid unit for the majority of the game and plenty of credit should be given to the Minnesota offense. Quarterback Max Brosmer looked rather solid at times, dropping passes right into areas where the Wisconsin defenders would not be able to make a play. Running back Darius Taylor also looked unstoppable on the ground and it often took multiple players to bring down the athlete.
The Wisconsin Badgers 22-Year Bowl Streak Has Been Snapped, What Happens Next in Madison?
Unfortunately, all great things must come to an end at some point and even the bowl streak was bound to be snapped. While it hurts because of the high hopes the fans had for coach Luke Fickell and the Badgers, the streak was bound to eventually be snapped.
Fickell is unfortunately the coach that must hold the weight of a snapped 22-year streak upon his shoulders, and that could be seen in the emotion the coach had on his face during the final postgame press conference.
The Badgers had been trying to make something work for the past two seasons without having the correct personnel to do so, and at times it looked as though it nearly worked. Unfortunately, the players are often the ones who face the brunt of the attacks when something goes wrong which has been seen with Locke this season.
However, the Wisconsin Badgers have had a number of players playing a style of football they are not used to, and that was proven in the results as production went down across the board during the 2024 season. Wisconsin now must go back to the drawing board to decide how they will handle the next scheme change, and what possible roster changes will have to be made to make the new scheme work this time around.
How do the Wisconsin Badgers Move Forward Following the Loss, Snapped Streak?
For the Wisconsin Badgers, moving forward will mean many changes are likely to occur in Madison and that involves becoming more athletic.
A new offensive coordinator is also bound to join the program, but many other staff changes could potentially take place depending on how the loss and broken streak has been taken internally. The “Air-Raid” experiment did not work in Madison, and whether it was due to the wrong cast or the wrong director, a clear change is needed.
Wisconsin will not only make changes to the play-calling, offense, and scheme but also to the incoming targeted players as coach Luke Fickell eyes a more compatible unit next season. Having talent on a team is excellent, but when the talent cannot fully blossom then it is simply wasted, which has been seen with some fan-favorite players this season.
The Wisconsin Badgers need to become a more athletic team and the lack of pressure and explosiveness off of the edge on defense is a perfect example. The defensive line has arguably been the weakest unit for Fickell the past two seasons, but the determined coach will likely work to solidify more sacks during the 2025 season.
The Badgers are going to have to begin to look even harder for those freak athletes and recruits who have physical advantages in addition to already being great students of the game. Finding those players will be difficult, but reaching a higher level of athleticism across the board is needed to contend with top teams moving forward.
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