Woefully overmatched vs. Alabama, Luke Fickell is running out of excuses in big games
Backups playing roles on offense are no excuse for the Wisconsin Badgers' latest debacle against a top-tier opponent.
It’s become a refrain all too familiar for the Wisconsin Badgers. Another chance to knock off a blue-blood opponent. Another chance at a massive, potentially season and program-altering win.
And yet again, another deeply troubling display of football. Another embarrassment in front of a national audience. Another one of Luke Fickell’s teams getting put in its place, clearly outclassed by a more cohesive, talented program.
Look, one does not simply walk into Tuscaloosa and upset Alabama. Especially not as an unranked, three touchdown underdog. This is business as usual for the Crimson Tide; they’ve now won 86 straight home games against unranked opponents.
But forget Alabama — you’re lucky to beat any team on the road playing like Wisconsin did Saturday afternoon.
It’s the same old song for the Badgers against a big time opponent. And in year three, Fickell is fresh out of excuses.
Yes, his offensive line is completely ravaged by injuries, and he’s once again forced to work with a backup quarterback. That predictably gave the offense issues in just about every facet: Wisconsin generated just 209 total yards, allowed four sacks and scored on just one of its nine drives.
However, that can’t be the excuse when the rest of your team is also completely overmatched and underprepared.
The Badgers’ backups certainly struggled, showing their warts clear as day. Quarterback Danny O’Neil threw two interceptions, the first of which was an especially brutal read/throw. Backup center Kerry Kodanko was forced into the game with Jake Renfro momentarily writhing in pain on the turf, and he immediately got blown up and surrendered a sack.
But it was the performance of the starters, more specifically those considered to be leaders and some of the better players on the team, that ultimately undid Wisconsin in Tuscaloosa.
To single a few players out, cornerback Ricardo Hallman was cooked by Crimson Tide wideout Isaiah Horton on an easy red zone touchdown pass. Riley Mahlman was discarded by edge defender LT Overton, allowing a sack on third-and-long. But up and down the two-deep, the Badgers were bested rep after rep after rep.