With less than 100 days until Notre Dame football kicks off its run to the national title, Irish fans were reminded how little regard rival coaches hold for Luke Fickell. The Wisconsin Badgers’ head coach was already expected by many to be a lame duck coach in 2026. This year’s Athlon Magazine snippets from anonymous coaches about various opponents showed that some Big Ten assistants are absolutely mystified that Fickell still has a job.
Each year, Athlon polls opposing coaches for every single team in college football. Generally, they are in the same conference since they tend to know the subject material better. Of course, for the Irish, it’s not clear where the anonymous coach comments came from, but they were glowing, calling CJ Carr better than No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick and former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Rather than glowing comments about Wisconsin and Luke Fickell, those anonymous sources were absolutely brutal about a team that has the misfortune of opening a make-or-break season against a Notre Dame team that’s already a heavy favorite.
“They [Wisconsin] scored 81 points in nine conference games. I don't care who your quarterback is,” Athlon quoted the anonymous Big Ten assistant as saying. “That speaks to a lot of bigger issues than just the quarterback position. There are teams in the conference who could not throw a single pass and score more than nine points per game.”
Luke Fickell’s Wisconsin pressure makes Notre Dame football opener even bigger
Just in case some fans thought the Badgers’ problems are over as they’ve tried to revamp the offense, the opposing coach also believes Wisconsin’s defense wasn’t very good.
“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...”
Because it was a “whole package thing,” the rival coach then really let loose on what he thought about Fickell.
“Truthfully, I was surprised that both Wisconsin and Maryland decided to run it back with their head coaches. 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."
That review certainly doesn’t sound like something Wisconsin fans want to hear ahead of a game against a Notre Dame team looking to compete for the national title. The Irish are also especially dialed into starting fast this fall after their 0-2 opening to the 2025 season is why they suffered a college football playoff snub.
In Fickell’s defense, the recruiting this offseason has been good enough that it’s possible the vibe around Madison is better than it has been since his first season. Still, considering what a hot name the Wisconsin coach was when he was hired, it sure seems like Notre Dame is getting him at just the right time. The game, which takes place in Green Bay’s Lambeau Field, could be the beginning of the end for a coach needing a big 2026 to keep his job.
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