Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell told reporters that he shared a clear message to his team after it suffered a 42-10 blowout loss to No. 4 Alabama on Saturday:
“If you haven’t had your a** whooped before, you just did,” Fickell explained. “It’s a good old-fashioned ass-whooping, at home, which hurts.”
Related: Takeaways from Wisconsin’s demoralizing loss to No. 4 Alabama
The blunt assessment came after mistakes plagued the Badgers the entire afternoon. Wisconsin lost two fumbles, missed a field goal and turned the ball over on downs. Alabama turned those four miscues into 28 points — the difference in the game.
The humbling final score tempers expectations for the rest of the season. Wisconsin faces a brutal Big Ten schedule with games against No. 11 USC, No. 8 Penn State, Iowa, No. 9 Oregon and No. 23 Nebraska. Improved play will be necessary to emerge with bowl eligibility.
Badgers fans certainly hope this loss is Wisconsin’s low point of the season. Otherwise, big-picture questions about the future of the program will persist.
Luke Fickell on what he told the #Badgers: “If you haven’t had your ass whooped before, you just did…It’s a good old-fashioned ass whooping, at home, which hurts.”
— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) September 14, 2024
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