There are a lot of parallels between the 2022 Iowa Hawkeyes and the 2022 Wisconsin Badgers.
Both squads badly underperformed relative to expectations. The Badgers finished worse than the Hawkeyes with a 7-6 record. That was after Wisconsin had gone 9-4 the year prior. Neither team was able to make it back to the Big Ten Championship game.
Both teams underwent change over the offseason, but the Badgers underwent a more radical overhaul. They actually moved on from head coach Paul Chryst midway through last season. Instead of promoting defensive coordinator and interim head coach Jim Leonhard, they opted to make a splash in the offseason. They hired former Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell in the hopes that he can take Wisconsin to that next level as a team.
For years, the Badgers have been a really good squad, but never a true national contender. They could compete in the Big Ten but weren’t ever a true national championship threat. The hope is that with a trendy coach like Fickell, one who has been to a College Football Playoff, Wisconsin can take that next step and become a true national powerhouse.
Here’s a look at radically new Wisconsin.
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