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Wisconsin Badgers fans frustrated with Luke Fickell's conservative approach vs Ohio State

The Badgers didn't play aggressive against Ohio State in a game where Wisconsin didn't have anything to lose.
Cam Wilhorn|
Aug 28, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell looks on during the first quarter against the Miami (OH) RedHawks at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Aug 28, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell looks on during the first quarter against the Miami (OH) RedHawks at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin came into Saturday's game against No. 1 Ohio State as massive underdogs. You'd think Luke Fickell and his team would play aggressive with nothing to lose.

Instead, Wisconsin went conservative, forgoing an opportunity to score points late in the first half and opting to run out the clock.

That decision, paired with passive defensive play-calling and a focus on chewing clock, had Badgers fans in and out of Camp Randall fuming.

It was part of a larger theme from Saturday's contest, with Wisconsin lacking the necessary aggression to compete with a team as proficient as Ohio State.

Passive performance

Underdogs typically want to take more chances, needing to convert on less-than-ideal situations to keep up with their superior opponents.

That's nowhere near how Fickell and his staff approached Saturday's David-vs-Goliath matchup. Cornerbacks gave Ohio State's talented wide receivers plenty space at the line of scrimmage, and Buckeyes' quarterback Julian Sayin took advantage.

In the first half alone, he went 23-for-26 for 235 yards and two touchdowns.

Yet, Wisconsin continued to pound the rock, with running backs Dilin Jones and Cade Yacamelli averaging less than three yards per carry.

Despite the offensive and defensive approaches clearly not working, Wisconsin didn't stray from its game plan: chew clock and keep it as close as possible.

That was clear in the time of possession numbers, with Ohio State holding the ball only 10 seconds longer than Wisocnsin in the first half.

To make matters worse, the Badgers gave up on an opportunity to try and put points on the board coming into halftime.

Puzzling end-of-half decision left fans baffled

Wisconsin's defense got a stop late in the second quarter, with Ohio State's kicker missing a 38-yard field goal. The gave the Badgers the ball at their own 20 with two timeouts remaining and 1:07 left on the clock.

Wisconsin ran the ball three straight times before punting, with the Buckeyes calling multiple timeouts to stop the clock.

Ohio State led by 17 and was set to receive the ball to start the second half.

Instead of trying to build some momentum and trim the deficit ahead of halftime, Fickell packed it in and headed to the locker room to a shower of boos.

Fans on social media echoed the sentiments heard in-stadium.

It's the latest in a concerning trend. Wisconsin had three timeouts and trailed Michigan by 14 at the end of the first half when they allowed the Wolverines to run out the final 2:42 without using a single timeout.

Against Alabama, Wisconsin didn't call a timeout during the Crimson Tide's near-five-minute touchdown drive that made it a 21-0 lead. Instead, the Badgers got the football back with 45 seconds left and ran one play before letting the clock hit zero.

With the Badgers current and future outlook growing bleaker by the week, Fickell's consistent docile approach makes an upset, or even a competitive game, feel out of reach.

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Cam Wilhorn
CAM WILHORN

Cam Wilhorn is a University of Wisconsin School of Journalism Graduate and Wisconsin native. He's been covering Wisconsin sports since 2023 for outlets like BadgerBlitz.com, Badger of Honor and The Badger Herald.

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