Despite entering the season with low expectations for Wisconsin football, the Talkin’ Badgers After Dark crew was shocked by the disaster inside Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday. Without concrete answers available, an hour of soul-searching ensued.

The Wisconsin Badgers have big questions to answer, but the program’s first-ever loss to the Maryland Terrapins should not be left in the rearview mirror. From the offensive line to the defensive secondary, there was plenty of blame to be assigned after the 27-10 defeat.

Ultimately, the buck stops with the head coach in a major college football program. A sixth-consecutive Big Ten loss has left Wisconsin at a crossroads. Self-imposed lofty expectations have left the Badgers to oversell and underdeliver. Nonetheless, financial realities leave UW with no easy path forward.

In the short term, that path still includes two-thirds of the 2025 college football season to play. Those eight games are crucial data points in evaluating Wisconsin’s coaching staff, players, and fan support.

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