Wisconsin football has always been a model of consistency, and had 22 consecutive winning seasons — until yesterday. The Badgers’ loss to Minnesota sends them to a 5-7 record and a sub-.500 record for the first time since 2001. And while Wisconsin was never competing for national championships, they could always be counted on as a tough team to beat. Not in 2024.

Wisconsin had owned the second-longest streak of winning seasons, behind only Boise State, who has 26 straight seasons. That all came crashing down on Friday night, along with countless other reasons to forget 2024…

Not only did that streak end, so too did the 22-year bowl streak (unless by some miracle they get an invite at 5-7.) After reaching 5-2, it seemed all but certain the Badgers could squeeze out one more win over their last five, but everything fell apart down the stretch.

Wisconsin also went 0-3 in trophy games this season, losing to Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota during a five-game losing streak to end the season. It was a hard reality to face, especially for seniors.

Luke Fickell extended his losing streak against ranked opponents to 0-6 since taking over the head coaching job at Wisconsin as well. Things won’t get any easier in 2025 either with Ohio State, Oregon, Alabama and Michigan on the schedule.

Overall, what could’ve gone wrong, went wrong. It’s been a season to forget, but with so many streaks and traditions coming to an end, it will be hard to put this one out of memory.

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (FOX 9) – Some unexpected snow in western Wisconsin led to multiple crashes on Interstate 94. 

What we know

The National Weather Service says the snow formed from steam coming from a factory in Menomonie. 

READ MORE: Wisconsin crashes reported in area hit by factory-induced snowWI 

The Wisconsin Highway Patrol tells FOX 9 that the snow on I-94 only stretched for 10 miles. It caught one tow truck driver near Eau Claire by surprise when he got a tow call.

“We got our first call, and they said it was white-out conditions and to take your time, to be careful, I looked out the window and the sun was shining,” said Eric Rehberg Manager of Chad’s Towing and Recovery. 

Police say there were a total of 16 crashes, one of them with serious injuries. Phones at Chad’s Towing and Recovery were ringing off the hook. 

“We probably were in the 20 to 25 calls,” said Rehberg.

Wisconsin State Troopers closed off the highway for three hours, from 11 a.m. till about 2 p.m. The snow on Highway 94 only spanned for 10 miles.

“One side of town didn’t have any snow, and the roads were dry, and the middle part of town had four inches of snow and cars in the ditch and into each other all over the place,” said Rehberg. 

How did this happen? 

The National Weather Service reports that snow formed from steam coming from a factory in Menomonie, adding that conditions were in a “sweet spot” for snow formation to come from supercooled water droplets. 

The result was a narrow 100-mile plume of snow.

“I read that this morning, and I wasn’t sure what to think about that. I guess it’s possible,” said Rehberg. 

FOX 9 reached out to one factory in the area to see if they knew what the source of the steam was, but no administrative staff were available.

Wisconsin football’s season is sunk.

And it’s a program that’s facing uncharted waters after Friday’s dreadful showing in its 24-7 loss to Minnesota in the regular-season finale.

No bowl game. A losing season. Questions about the coaching staff. Questions about the roster.

The season has actually been sinking for some time, but the Badgers still had a chance to salvage whatever was left of it with a win over Minnesota.

It was a rivalry game. It was at home. And it was for a chance to play in a bowl game, something that every Wisconsin team has played in for the last 22 years.

Instead, the Badgers lost for the fifth straight time behind an offense that is no longer recognizable to players from the past. Wisconsin also suffered its third consecutive defeat at Camp Randall Stadium and fourth this season.

Former Wisconsin football players have been following the season closely and speaking out in disgust on social media as the losses have piled up. Like the fans at Camp Randall Stadium on Friday, they again let their feelings be known about the direction of the program as Wisconsin finished the 2024 season 5-7.

Here’s a sample of the reactions from the likes of Brian Calhoun, Braelon Allen, Sojourn Shelton and others:

Takeaways from: Wisconsin’s 24-7 loss to Minnesota at Camp Randall Stadium