Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell joined the Jim Rome Show on X yesterday and discussed the Badgers’ upcoming 2024 season.
One big topic of conversation was the Week 3 home contest against top-ranked Alabama. The game is a big test for the Badgers before Big Ten play, and can serve as a valuable measuring stick for where the program and team stands.
Related: Analyzing Big Ten football 2024 preseason position group rankings
Fickell echoed that sentiment, noting the game is in a perfect place in the Badgers’ 2024 schedule as the team looks to establish itself in the new national landscape.
“Ultimately [the matchup] gives you an opportunity to figure out and measure where you are,” Fickell said on Rome’s show. “I don’t know that we can put it in a better spot…It’s going to be one of those opportunities where we’ll find out where we are. And you need that. I think as we go into the new era of the playoff system where you have 12 teams, it’s a better outlook looking at it forward and understanding that you need to be challenged early in the year, especially when you’re young and developing a program.”
“You need to be challenged early in the year.”
@CoachFick on playing Alabama in September. pic.twitter.com/SPPIfhXIhF— Jim Rome (@jimrome) June 10, 2024
Fickell’s comments focus on the Badgers and their development now in year two in his tenure with the program. It did not include the context on the opposing sideline: legendary head coach Nick Saban retired this offseason, leading to former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer taking over. The Crimson Tide are in a transition period, and they figure to be better late in the season than they will be early.
Alabama does enter the season ranked No. 5 in ESPN SP+‘s metric and as one of the preseason favorites in the SEC. As Fickell said, it will be a significant challenge.
This Week 3 matchup is one of several challenging games on the Badgers’ 2024 schedule. The team will be tested early, and also tested throughout the year. Other big-time games include Week 5 at USC, Week 9 vs. Penn State, Week 10 at Iowa, Week 12 vs. Oregon and Week 13 at Nebraska.
The Badgers enter the 2024 campaign with tempered expectations due to that schedule. But improvement is still expected in year two under Fickell and offensive coordinator Phil Longo.
A win against Alabama would be a springboard for the Wisconsin program entering the sport’s new conference and postseason landscape.
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