Talkin’ Badgers: A Wisconsin Badgers Football and Basketball Podcast

On this week's episode of Talkin' Badgers, we’re diving into listener questions for a mailbag session, but first, we have to talk about the Wisconsin Badgers football team's tough 38-21 loss to No. 13 USC.

The Badgers are now 2-2 on the season and still winless under Luke Fickell against ranked teams, sparking frustration from fans and even some former players. With a 1-3 Purdue team coming up, the pressure is mounting to right the ship.

Join Cooper, Ryan, and me as we tackle everything from the quarterback situation to offensive struggles. Could any redshirt/transfers be on the horizon, and is it time to start planning for next year? Plus, we’ll share thoughts on whether the program could potentially miss a bowl game and where Wisconsin goes from here.

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On this week's bonus episode of Talkin' Badgers, we sit down to discuss our listener's mailbag questions about the Wisconsin Badgers football team.

Topics range from the potential disconnect between head coach Luke Fickell and offensive coordinator Phil Longo to expectations for Braedyn Locke as he steps in for the injured Tyler Van Dyke at quarterback, a little recruiting, and even an interesting thought-provoking exercise at the end.

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True Classic Tees: Home of the softest, most comfortable, and form-fitting men's clothing on the market. True Classic is a must-own. Follow this link and use promo code BADGERNOTES for 25% off your next True Classic order.

BadgerNotes Newsletter: Everything You Need to Know About the Wisconsin Badgers Football & Basketball Before Your First Cup of Coffee, Delivered Straight to Your Email. Subscribe here: badgernotes.substack.com

Homefield Apparel: Follow the link below and Use Promo Code BADGERNOTES for 15% off your next Homefield apparel purchase: Visit: www.homefieldapparel.com

Autograph: Want to earn rewards for listening to this podcast? Download the Autograph: Fandom Rewarded app and use referral code: badgernotes.

Kadens Wish: Kadens Wish, part of Make a Wish Wisconsin, is granting life-changing wishes for children battling critical illnesses. You can be a part of making that difference. Head over to Kadenswish.org to donate to become a small part of the solution.

On this week's episode of Talkin' Badgers, we’ve got some tough conversations to have today because Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers football team just suffered their worst home loss in 16 years to No. 4 Alabama, losing 42-10 at Camp Randall.

It wasn’t pretty, and now the Badgers are sitting at 2-1 heading into the bye week before a trip to USC. So the big question is—where do we go from here, especially now that it's been confirmed starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke is out for the season with a torn ACL?

So, we discuss what Wisconsin football should be working on during the bye week. This week, in particular, offers a huge chance to reset and try to tailor their offense to Braedyn Locke's skill set.

Then, we talk about the worst-case scenario in 2024. If the dam breaks, at what point do you start playing for next year? How do you handle that fine line between competing now and prepping for the future? Could the program's lengthy bowl streak potentially be in jeopardy?

Support Talkin' Badgers by checking out our sponsors!

True Classic Tees: Home of the softest, most comfortable, and form-fitting men's clothing on the market. True Classic is a must-own. Follow this link and use promo code BADGERNOTES for 25% off your next True Classic order.

BadgerNotes Newsletter: Everything You Need to Know About the Wisconsin Badgers Football & Basketball Before Your First Cup of Coffee, Delivered Straight to Your Email. Subscribe here: badgernotes.substack.com

Homefield Apparel: Follow the link below and Use Promo Code BADGERNOTES for 15% off your next Homefield apparel purchase: Visit: www.homefieldapparel.com

Autograph: Want to earn rewards for listening to this podcast? Download the Autograph: Fandom Rewarded app and use referral code: badgernotes.

Kadens Wish: Kadens Wish, part of Make a Wish Wisconsin, is granting life-changing wishes for children battling critical illnesses. You can be a part of making that difference. Head over to Kadenswish.org to donate to become a small part of the solution.

On this week's episode of Talkin' Badgers, we've got a loaded show for Wisconsin Badgers football fans because there’s a lot to unpack.

Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin football team may be sitting at 2-0, but let’s not kid ourselves—this start hasn’t exactly been what we’d call dominant. Coming off a 27-13 win over South Dakota, and after that too-close-for-comfort showing against Western Michigan, it’s safe to say the Badgers have left some meat on the bone.

First, we discuss the Wisconsin Badgers football team’s identity under Phil Longo. This offense seems like it's still trying to find itself, and we attempt to get to the bottom of it. I'm of the opinion there isn't much of anything you can point out that this offense can hang its hat on for two weeks.

Then, we’re going into Buy or Sell: Does the offense have another gear? Have we seen this offense at full capacity yet, or are we in for more? I’m throwing that one to Jason Long—does he think the best is yet to come?

Next, we’ll hit the defensive side of the ball with Ryan Eilers. Can this defense be disruptive enough to make this a game? We’ve seen flashes, but is it enough to compete against the big dogs (like Alabama) on the schedule?

Last but not least, Cooper, being the straight shooter he is, talks about how bad the Bama beatdown is going to be. Now, I’m not saying it’s a foregone conclusion, but after two subpar outings, we’ve got to ask—what’s going to happen when the Badgers take on a team like Alabama?

Support Talkin' Badgers by checking out our sponsors!

True Classic Tees: Home of the softest, most comfortable, and form-fitting men's clothing on the market. True Classic is a must-own. Follow this link and use promo code BADGERNOTES for 25% off your next True Classic order.

BadgerNotes Newsletter: Everything You Need to Know About the Wisconsin Badgers Football & Basketball Before Your First Cup of Coffee, Delivered Straight to Your Email. Subscribe here: badgernotes.substack.com

Homefield Apparel: Follow the link below and Use Promo Code BADGERNOTES for 15% off your next Homefield apparel purchase: Visit: www.homefieldapparel.com

Autograph: Want to earn rewards for listening to this podcast? Download the Autograph: Fandom Rewarded app and use referral code: badgernotes.

Kadens Wish: Kadens Wish, part of Make a Wish Wisconsin, is granting life-changing wishes for children battling critical illnesses. You can be a part of making that difference. Head over to Kadenswish.org to donate to become a small part of the solution.

The Talkin' Badgers crew sat down to discuss what we saw from Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers football team in their too-close-for-comfort 28-14 win over Western Michigan at Camp Randall in Week 1.

Now, we don’t have to tell you—this one wasn’t as smooth as Wisconsin fans had hoped. There were moments where it felt like this game could’ve slipped right through the Badgers' fingers if not for a lucky bounce on that punt from Atticus Bertrams that was recovered by safety Austin Brown.

Against our better judgment, we take a Glass-half-full approach—there were some good things to take away from this game. Offensively, we saw a few flashes of what this team could potentially be when the running game found some rhythm and was able to sustain drives.

Defensively, the Wisconsin Badgers made some key stops when it mattered, showing some grit even when things got tight. But is that enough to feel good about where this team is heading? We’ll touch on that.

Then, we’ve got the glass half-empty part of the show. Let’s be real—there’s plenty to be concerned about. The inconsistency on offense, specifically in the red zone, some trouble on the defensive line, and, of course, the fact that this game was a lot closer than it should have been.

We’ll break down where the cracks are and what needs to change before Wisconsin gets into the meat of the schedule.

And finally, I’ve got a hot take about the Badgers coaching staff that I need to get off my chest. This might ruffle some feathers, but that’s what we do here. So stick around for that—it’s coming up in the ladder half of the show.

Will Jason Long, being the level-headed guy he is, talk some reason into me?

Support Talkin' Badgers by checking out our sponsors!

True Classic Tees: Home of the softest, most comfortable, and form-fitting men's clothing on the market. True Classic is a must-own. Follow this link and use promo code BADGERNOTES for 25% off your next True Classic order.

BadgerNotes Newsletter: Everything You Need to Know About the Wisconsin Badgers Football & Basketball Before Your First Cup of Coffee, Delivered Straight to Your Email. Subscribe here: badgernotes.substack.com

Homefield Apparel: Follow the link below and Use Promo Code BADGERNOTES for 15% off your next Homefield apparel purchase: Visit: www.homefieldapparel.com

Autograph: Want to earn rewards for listening to this podcast? Download the Autograph: Fandom Rewarded app and use referral code: badgernotes.

Kadens Wish: Kadens Wish is granting life-changing wishes for children battling critical illnesses. You can be a part of making that difference. Head over to Kadenswish.org to donate to become a small part of the solution.

Talkin' Badgers season 2, episode 1: The crew talks about Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers football team ahead of their Week 1 matchup against Western Michigan at Camp Randall.

First, we get into the Badgers quarterback competition between Tyler Van Dyke and Braedyn Locke and why that choice was made, along with any potential future long-term ramifications from that decision.

I give my take on the Wisconsin football team's running back room. Could it be better than it was in 2024? Then we get into some buy or sell: Is the offensive line depth a problem?

After that, we talk about what we THINK we know about Mike Tressel's defense entering the season. Will the pass rush be enough to overcome the lack of depth on the defensive line?

Finally, the boys wrap up our weekly Wisconsin Badgers ramblings by taking a look at this week's odds on Fanduel and making our picks.

Support Talkin' Badgers by checking out our sponsors!

True Classic Tees: Home of the softest, most comfortable, and form-fitting men's clothing on the market. True Classic is a must-own. Follow this link and use promo code BADGERNOTES for 25% off your next True Classic order.

BadgerNotes Newsletter: Everything You Need to Know About the Wisconsin Badgers Football & Basketball Before Your First Cup of Coffee, Delivered Straight to Your Email. Subscribe here: badgernotes.substack.comHomefield Apparel:

Follow the link below and Use Promo Code BADGERNOTES for 15% off your next Homefield apparel purchase: Visit: www.homefieldapparel.com

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Badgernotes After Dark episode 42 is live, and Dillon, Coop, and Ryan talk about Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers basketball team beginning summer workouts and the questions we have now that the roster is set.

The Boys Are Back!!

On this week's episode, we lead off with the Wisconsin Badgers Football team re-flipping an in-state defensive lineman.

Then we get into Greg Gard and the Wisconsin men's basketball program filling their final scholarship spot with an Eastern European Tower!

Lastly, the boys go down memory lane and discuss our Top 5 Wisconsin Badgers QBs

As always, we close with our Big DAWG(s) of the week, and What Are We Doing Here?!

Badgernotes After Dark episode 39 is live, and Dillon, Coop, and Ryan talk about Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers football wrapping up spring practice — focusing on what the offensive two-deep looks like. 

We go position group by position group and discuss how confident we are in each room and whether or not we're comfortable with the depth. 

Spoiler: the fellas have some differing opinions on who they think the Wisconsin football program's QB1 will be when the season starts. 

Then, we wrap up our weekly Wisconsin Badgers ramblings by handing out our Big Dawgs of the Week recipients and sharing our "What are we doing here?" moments since the last time we had a beer together. 

Support Badgernotes After Dark by Checking Out Our Sponsors! 

True Classic Tees: Home of the softest, most comfortable, and form-fitting men's clothing on the market. True Classic is a must-own. 

Follow this link and use promo code BADGERNOTES for 25% off your next True Classic order.

BadgerNotes Newsletter: Everything You Need to Know About the Wisconsin Badgers Football & Basketball Before Your First Cup of Coffee, Delivered Straight to Your Email. Subscribe here: badgernotes.substack.com

Homefield Apparel: Follow the link below and Use Promo Code BADGERNOTES for 15% off your next Homefield apparel purchase: Visit: www.homefieldapparel.com

Earn rewards for listening to this podcast. Download the Autograph: Fandom Rewarded app and use referral code: badgernotes

Playback Sports: Join the BadgerNotes After Dark watch party and stream Wisconsin Badgers Football and basketball games in a virtual bar-like setting by following this link.

Badgernotes After Dark episode 38 is live, and Dillon, Coop, and Ryan talk about the Wisconsin Badgers basketball team bouncing back and adding Camren Hunter, Xavier Amos, and John Tonje from the transfer portal.

Is Greg Gard starting to cook? People are talking.

Then, we pivot and talk about the Wisconsin Badgers football team having just two players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, three if you choose to include Isaac Guerendo, which we do. Then, each of us picks which Badgers' undrafted free agent we think will most likely make a 53-man roster this upcoming season.

Per usual, we wrap up our weekly Wisconsin Badgers ramblings by handing out our Big Dawgs of the Week recipients and sharing our "What are we doing here?" moments since the last time we had a beer together. All that and much more on episode 38 of Badgernotes After Dark. 

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True Classic Tees: Home of the softest, most comfortable, and form-fitting men's clothing on the market. True Classic is a must-own. Follow this link and use promo code BADGERNOTES for 25% off your next True Classic order.BadgerNotes Newsletter: Everything You Need to Know About the Wisconsin Badgers Football & Basketball Before Your First Cup of Coffee, Delivered Straight to Your Email. Subscribe here: badgernotes.substack.com

Homefield Apparel: Follow the link below and Use Promo Code BADGERNOTES for 15% off your next Homefield apparel purchase: Visit: www.homefieldapparel.com

Earn rewards for listening to this podcast. Download the Autograph: Fandom Rewarded app and use referral code: badgernotes

Playback Sports: Join the BadgerNotes After Dark watch party and stream Wisconsin Badgers Football and basketball games in a virtual bar-like setting by following this link.