David Hookstead
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It sounds like Luke Fickell would appreciate Wisconsin fans tapping the brakes a bit when it comes to expectations.
The Badgers open the season in less than a month, and it will be Luke Fickell’s first regular season game with the team.
Wisconsin stole him from Cincy after firing Paul Chryst. After three straight years of mediocre play on the field, the Badgers made a much needed change.
Hype has hit a deafening level. Fans can’t wait for the Fickell era to be rolling, but it sounds like he wants everyone to relax.
Is Luke Fickell encouraging fans to dial back expectations?
Will the Badgers go 11-1 in the regular season? Is 10-2 more realistic? Could Wisconsin make the CFP in year one? Fans are asking all those questions and Luke Fickell is now making one thing clear, it’s not going to happen overnight.
“I think for us and the development of what we’re doing, it’s not trying to get there in week one, right. There is a process to what we do, and sometimes when you haven’t been there in awhile, all the focus becomes on the destination. And it’s not put into the process and what it takes to do that. You’ve got to start somewhere and I believe we’ve got the right nucleus, the big guys up front in particular. We’ve got a running back. I just think we’ve got some things walking in the door that give us the opportunity to have success. Now, we’ve got to grow upon that and build upon that,” Fickell told RJ Young in a recent interview.
Wisconsin fans have insanely high hopes for Fickell.
Let me translate Fickell’s comments for everyone. He’s not-so-subtly telling fans that there’s going to be a transition period.
The team isn’t going to turn into the next Alabama dynasty in year one, and it’s insane fans would expect that to happen.
Remember, the Badgers are installing a completely different offense.
“It will look different. We all hopefully understand that and brace ourselves for that. It definitely looks different, but I don’t think when you really get down to it, the brass tacks of things, that it’s that much different. It’s still about the game that’s won up front. It’s still about the big guys. Yes, it might be a little more balanced,” Fickell previously told Josh Pate.
New offenses, generally speaking, don’t click right away. That’s even truer when you factor in the reality of Wisconsin having to completely retool the QB room and add new receivers.
Prepare for some tough moments on the field.
Now, that doesn’t mean the Badgers might not roll. There’s a good chance the Badgers will be favored in 11 out of 12 regular season games. The only one the team definitely won’t be is against Ohio State. Other than that, the schedule couldn’t have shaken out better for Luke Fickell’s first year. Badgers fans will get a look in a few weeks, and as a Wisconsin man, I can promise you the boys are fired up. Only time will tell whether or not the hype is justified.
