Finding positives for the University of Wisconsin football team of late isn't an easy task.
Little has gone right in the Badgers' four-game losing streak this year, or in their eight-game skid against Big Ten Conference opponents that dates back to last season. One result of these struggles can be construed as a positive, however: The potential distraction of Wisconsin's coach being a 20-plus-year Buckeye doesn't matter much as No. 1 Ohio State comes to town.
4 observations after rewatching Wisconsin football's ugly loss to Iowa
Wisconsin (2-4, 0-3 Big Ten) coach Luke Fickell has plenty else to worry about besides alma mater being on the other sideline. He survived another Sunday after being outclassed at Camp Randall Stadium for the second time in three weeks, but his seat is on fire in his third year at the helm.
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Talk of upsetting the Buckeyes (6-0, 3-0) took a backseat to more discussion surrounding what is wrong with the Badgers as well as Fickell's job status at Monday's news conference.
"I'm not going to change people's minds outside of (the locker room), results obviously change people's minds," Fickell said. "So to go out there and start some campaign of some sorts like, the truth the matter is, we got to go game by game.
"(Outsiders) could be mad at me, they can be down on me, that's perfectly fine, but don't be down on those guys in that locker room, those guys that that wear the 'W,' the guys that go out there. They can scream and holler if they don't make a play that they want them to make, but they got to be able to support them. And I think that's the most important thing, is recognizing what are you really supporting? And what do you really love? For me to sit here and worry about all those other things, there's not enough time in the day. There's not enough energy in the day."
Here are three things that stood out from Fickell.
1. QB situation again cloudy
The Badgers didn't practice as extensively as they have on other Sundays this year, Fickell said, so he didn't have answers on injury situations for players like running back Darrion Dupree, quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., wide receiver Trech Kekahuna and safety Preston Zachman.
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Fickell also didn't have much to share about the quarterback spot. He said Saturday that starter Hunter Simmons likely should've been benched.
"Can't answer that just (yet) at this point in time," Fickell said about the starter at QB. "I wouldn't know, we got to see the health of everybody. So that's one of those things that not having a Sunday to see where we were, we also didn't give those guys opportunities to do a ton of things as well. That'll be big for us as we get rolling into Tuesday, so I don't have an exact on that just yet other than there'll be some version of, 'Hey, let's see what we've got.' There's a little bit of a competition that's always got to be able to go on."
Sophomore Danny O'Neil, who started twice and played extensively in the two games Edwards was injured in, still is an option.
Fickell also clarified his words on Edwards' return from Saturday.
"I don't have any questions on Billy of any sorts or anything like that, was not trying to make any point like that (Saturday)," Fickell said. "We want Billy to be 100% or as close to 100% in order to be able to protect himself. At some point in time, that's going to fall on the shoulders of him as well. And so we don't question anything about that. We would love to have him out there. We would love to have him in the preparation, but we've also put ourselves in that position a few weeks ago that probably, I'm not saying set us back, but probably set him back a little bit. And that was a mistake on my part because I told you guys I got to save Billy from himself, and my job to continue to do is to save Billy from himself again, so that when we do get him back we have him back for what we would feel like is the duration of the year."
2. Playing the Buckeyes is chance to cut loose
Wisconsin was a 26.5-point underdog against Ohio State as of Monday afternoon.
Fickell said the Badgers have "nothing to lose" Saturday at Camp Randall.
"I think that sometimes some of the things that hold us back is just our own selves, in a way," Fickell said. "That, look, we try to be perfect. And the recognition that if you're going to go out there and you're going to do anything against the No. 1 team in the country, you can't be held back by being perfect, because being perfect is not going to get us what we need to get. And so I think some of that, hopefully even the things that have happened the last few weeks, at some point in time, hopefully some of the pressure comes off of recognition, recognizing what's holding us back and what's going to help us move forward.
"So I think it's twofold: It's being up for the challenge, understanding the challenge, but then be willing to understand like this is a game of imperfection, and the only way to get better at the game is to play it faster. And when you're in the perfect mindset, it doesn't allow you to do that. And against a team like this that you can't be perfect, I think it's gonna give us a little bit of a level of spark, that's what I believe."
3. Luke Fickell a fan of the new transfer portal system
Fickell isn't always the most open with his thoughts on college football's ever-changing rules. However, he expressed support of the changes to the transfer portal finalized last week.
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The portal will be open to all eligible players once per year, Jan. 2-15, instead of twice per year. Wisconsin lost two winter window transfers in the spring window this year -- receiver Mark Hamper and tight end Tanner Koziol.
"I think it's a good move that we've got one," Fickell said. "To get much more into it, I don't know that is the time or the place, but nonetheless, one portal window is the way to go, there's no doubt. And hopefully we can stick to that. I'm not even sure, January 2 to the 15, or whatever it is, that'll be a big, big time in college football."
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