You don’t need anonymous coaches to tell you that Wisconsin football was a mess in 2025.

But sometimes it helps to hear how bluntly the rest of the league sees it.

In Athlon Sports’ 2026 College Football Preview, one Big Ten coach did not exactly dance around the issue.

“They scored 81 points in nine conference games. I don’t care who your quarterback is. That speaks to a lot of bigger issues than just the quarterback position,” an anonymous Big Ten coach told Athlon Sports.

“There are teams in the conference who could not throw a single pass and score more than nine points per game. It also speaks to, defensively, your ability to make turnovers, and special teams, your ability to make kicks. I thought it was a whole package thing.”

That is harsh, but it’s also hard to argue with.

Wisconsin absolutely had quarterback problems last season. Maryland transfer Billy Edwards Jr. got hurt. Danny O’Neil was forced into action, then got hurt. Hunter Simmons had his turn, but couldn’t take care of the ball. Carter Smith eventually entered the picture. It was not a normal year at the most important position on the field, and that context matters.

By season’s end, Wisconsin had become the first Badgers team since 1956 to have four different quarterbacks attempt at least 10 passes in a season, and the only Big Ten program to do so in 2025.

But the quarterback carousel also exposed something deeper.

The Badgers finished 132nd nationally in offensive EPA per play, 131st in EPA per dropback, and 115th in EPA per rush, per Game on Paper. They ranked 135th nationally in scoring offense at 12.8 points per game, averaged 253 yards per game, and threw for just 136.4 yards per contest.

That is not just bad quarterback play. That is system-wide dysfunction.

The offensive line had very little depth and was constantly shuffled. The run game never became reliable. The passing game lacked answers. Wisconsin could not consistently create explosives, sustain drives, or put players in position to steal easy yards. At some point, injuries stop being the explanation and start becoming part of a larger failure to adjust.

And while the offense deservedly absorbed most of the criticism, the defense wasn’t without fault either. Wisconsin finished dead last nationally in turnovers forced with just five interceptions and one fumble recovery, ranked 73rd in defensive EPA per dropback, and struggled to defend the pass consistently. The pass rush improved, and the run defense was great, but the complementary football simply wasn’t there.

The next anonymous coach took that criticism a step further.

“Truthfully, I was surprised that both Wisconsin and Maryland decided to run it back with their head coaches,” another anonymous coach told Athlon Sports. “I wasn’t really impressed with either one of those teams. It almost felt like they didn’t really know who the next guy was gonna be, so they decided they’d rather have a year to prepare a move like that.”

Plenty of Wisconsin fans probably felt the same way when “Fire Fickell” chants started raining through Camp Randall Stadium.

Luke Fickell is 17-21 at Wisconsin, including 10-17 in Big Ten play. The Badgers have missed back-to-back bowl games, failed to produce an NFL Draft pick for the first time since 1978, and looked a lot closer to being a bottom-feeder in the conference than a serious contender.

In the midst of all those struggles, the athletic director, Chris McIntosh, publicly backed Fickell and promised more financial resources to the program. Then, to Wisconsin’s credit, the Badgers responded by knocking off AP Top 25 opponents Washington and Illinois down the stretch, showing there was still enough belief inside the locker room to finish the year with some fight. That, coupled with a significant roster investment through NIL and the transfer portal, bought this staff another chance.

Now there is no hiding from the expectations.

FanDuel has Wisconsin’s regular-season win total at 6.5, which feels closer to the national perception of this team. But given the schedule, the roster investment to raise the talent floor, and the years this staff has already had to build its program, seven wins should not be the ceiling.

Eight or nine wins should be on the table.

Wisconsin has seven games at home, including a neutral-site opener against Notre Dame at Lambeau Field, avoids several of the Big Ten’s heavyweights, and draws a schedule that’s far more manageable than the gauntlet this program navigated a year ago. If the increased investment was truly the missing piece, there is little room left for excuses.

And with Shawn Eichorst now stepping in as athletic director, the dynamic changes. McIntosh, who hired Fickell, was tied to him and publicly backed him through some difficult moments, is now with the Big Ten. Eichorst has deep Wisconsin ties and likely isn’t eager to make a coaching change and pay a sizable buyout figure before it’s necessary, but this is no longer the administration that made the original hire.

Fickell got the resources. He got another offseason. He got a schedule that gives them a legitimate opportunity to take a step forward.

Now he and his staff have to deliver.

At this point, there isn’t much left to sell besides results.

We appreciate you taking the time to read our work at BadgerNotes.com. Your support means the world to us and has helped us become a leading independent source for Wisconsin Badgers coverage.

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Three children died after a boat capsized on Wisconsin’s Geneva Lake during inclement weather on the eve of the US’s semiquincentennial celebrations, and seven other people had to be rescued by emergency responders, according to officials.

A recreational motor boat with 10 passengers, including four children, sank on Friday afternoon as the boat “attempted to navigate to safety as weather conditions deteriorated” amid an intense, sudden storm, the city of Lake Geneva police department said in a statement.

First responders rescued one child and six adults – but three children were reported missing. They were later recovered yet pronounced dead after rescuers administered life-saving measures.

Officials confirmed that all four children were wearing lifejackets at the time of the capsizing, which officials said was a “reminder how quickly severe weather can develop on area waterways”.

“We strongly urge all boaters to closely monitor weather forecasts, remain vigilant of changing atmospheric conditions and seek safe harbor immediately when threatening weather approaches,” the police department said.

Police said the identities of the victims could not immediately be released as an investigation into the capsizing continued.

Lake Geneva officials declared a state of emergency due to Friday’s intense storm conditions.

Storm damage was reported throughout the Lake Geneva area, a popular destination for summer recreation. The small southern Wisconsin town draws tourists annually, particularly during the summer months, due to its proximity to Geneva Lake.

Harsh winds toppled trees and power lines, damaging buildings in the area, the local undersheriff Tom Hausner said during a news conference.

Hausner added that the officials received several 911 calls reporting damage as well as people trapped in buildings and seeking assistance. Hausner noted that deputies were delayed in responding to some calls due to fallen power lines and other debris.

“Power lines are all over the place. We are urging people to stay away,” Hausner said during the press briefing.

At least one person sustained minor injuries after being hit by a toppled trees.

Friday’s storm came as much of the US has otherwise experienced extreme heat heading into Saturday’s Independence Day holiday. An estimated 250 million people were told to expect to encounter dangerous levels of heat as temperatures soar nationwide amid the Fourth of July weekend marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence from the UK.