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'Fire Fickell' chants return to Camp Randall on Badgers' first drive vs Ohio State

Wisconsin Badgers fans were back to expressing their frustration with the state of the football program in record time against Ohio State.
Lorin Cox|
Oct 18, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Christian Alliegro (0) tackles Ohio State Buckeyes running back Bo Jackson (25) in the first quarter at Camp Randall Stadium.
Oct 18, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Christian Alliegro (0) tackles Ohio State Buckeyes running back Bo Jackson (25) in the first quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin Badgers fans were back to expressing their frustration with the state of the football program in record time against Ohio State.

The Badgers hadn't even finished their opening drive of the game before fans in Camp Randall Stadium brought back loud "Fire Fickell" chants.

They first began in Week 4 against the Maryland Terrapins, when Wisconsin trailed early against a team they were favored to beat.

Then last week against Iowa, the chants returned after the Hawkeyes took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.

Related: NIL funding is no excuse for Wisconsin Badgers football struggles under Luke Fickell

With No. 1 Ohio State in town, Badgers fans didn't even wait until there was a deficit on the scoreboard.

Wisconsin received the opening kickoff, and after three plays of offense, they gained nine yards and brought the punt team on out on 4th and 1 from their own 34 yard line.

The decision to take the offense off the field and not go for the conversion brought out the boos and the "Fire Fickell" chants after less than two minutes of game time.

It was a short fuse for Badgers fans, who already came in with low expectations as massive underdogs.

That could be why the fan base wanted to see Fickell be more aggressive in that situation, given how Wisconsin had very little to lose in this matchup.

The punt ended up taking a friendly roll that temporarily rewarded the head coach's decision, but the long field didn't make a different for Ohio State to still drive down and score a touchdown on their first drive.

The booing and chants will continue until something changes.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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