The Wisconsin Badgers are on their bye week, trying to recover from a six-game losing streak that has carried deep into conference play this season.
After wins in their first two games, the Badgers have
lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide, Maryland Terrapins, Michigan Wolverines, Iowa Hawkeyes, Ohio State Buckeyes, and the Oregon Ducks, all by at least 14 points.
Now, sitting at 2-6, things don’t get any easier for the Badgers, who have the Washington Huskies, Indiana Hoosiers, Illinois Fighting Illini, and the Minnesota Gophers left on the schedule.
With the massive slide, the biggest question surrounding the Badgers this season has been the future of head coach Luke Fickell. That prompted Athletic Director Chris McIntosh to give a vote of confidence in an interview with select reporters before publicly sharing support for Fickell in a letter addressed to the fans.
Fickell has disappointed in his three-year tenure with the Badgers, going 15-19 to date, including an 8-15 record in conference play. His staff has recruited at a high level, but struggled to put a competitive product on the field, specifically offensively, as injuries at the quarterback position have been a theme.
Still, it seems that Fickell is trending towards earning a fourth year at Wisconsin to try and right the ship with increased financial support. Regardless, CBS Sports said that Fickell, alongside Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze, has the hottest seat in the country currently.
“In this November update of job security, a panel of six CBS Sports experts rated the still-standing coaches on a 0–5 scale. The composite scores offer a sharper view of job security across the sport.”
“Auburn’s Hugh Freeze and Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell lead all coaches with the dreaded 5.00 ratings — the hottest seats in the country and denoting ‘win or be fired.’”
Freeze and Fickell are the only two with 5.00 ratings in CBS Sports’s latest installment of evaluating the job security of every college football head coach.
Others creeping up high on the list include Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell (4.83 rating), Baylor Bears head coach Dave Aranda (4.5 rating), and Maryland Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley (4.33 rating).
While the hope for this season is bleak at the moment, Fickell does have a big opportunity with an increased budget next year, although the team faces yet another rough schedule. But, the clock is ticking for success, which has yet to come for the Badgers head coach.
