The Jump Around

The Wisconsin Badgers closed their season with a 17-7 loss to Minnesota, dropping the Axe for the fourth time in the last five meetings and finishing the year at 4-8, their worst record since 1995. With back-to-back losing seasons under Luke Fickell, fans are searching for answers.

On this week’s edition of The Jump Around, Jim Rutledge & Pablo Iglesias break down everything from the rivalry disappointment to what Wisconsin needs to fix heading into 2025.

We cover:

🪓 Another Axe Game loss — What went wrong vs. Minnesota?

😬 Season emotions — frustration, disappointment, or something deeper?

📺 Clip of the Week: Barry Alvarez believes the turnaround can happen quickly

🔮 How fast can Wisconsin rebound? How many wins next year?

📝 National Signing Day 2026 discussion

🔍 Most important positions to target in the portal and in recruiting

Plus:

🔥 Wisconsin Twitter Portal topics

• Melvin Gordon being “Lane Kiffin’ed”

• Texas fans melting down about the CFP

At 1:00 PM, former Badgers star Brian Calhoun joins the show. The 2005 All-American discusses:

His perspective on the state of Wisconsin Football

What the team needs to regain national relevance

And more!

📺 Watch live on the ESPN Madison & ESPN Milwaukee YouTube channels

🔔 Like, comment, and subscribe for weekly Badgers content, interviews, and analysis.

The Badgers are BACK… or are they?

Wisconsin football rolled No. 21 Illinois 27–10 behind a breakout performance from Darrion Dupree, who ripped off an 84-yard touchdown, and Darryl Peterson, who dominated with three sacks and took home Big Ten Player of the Week honors.

In this week’s edition of The Jump Around, we break down everything you need to know heading into Axe Week as Wisconsin prepares for its rivalry showdown against Minnesota. Luke Fickell kept his press conference simple, respect the tradition, win the Axe, but what does this game really mean for the program?

We discuss:

Are the Badgers officially back?

Optimism levels heading into the offseason

Is the Minnesota game season-defining for Wisconsin?

What Luke Fickell has proven so far in Year 2

Clip of the Week: Jay Vilai knocks the M off the helmet

At 1:00 PM, former Badgers safety Collin Wilder joins the show, a proud Minnesota hater, to preview the rivalry, break down the vibes inside the locker room, and give his keys to keeping the Axe in Madison.

After a promising first half, the Wisconsin Badgers ran out of gas against #2 Indiana, falling 31-7, and Luke Fickell’s postgame message was clear: the team needs a killer instinct.

On this week’s episode of The Jump Around, the crew breaks down the latest on the Badgers’ offense, the future of Carter Smith at quarterback, and where the program stands heading into matchups with Illinois and Minnesota.

🏈 Topics This Week:

Fickell’s “killer instinct” message & reaction to the Indiana loss

Carter Smith’s performance - QB1 of the future or another transfer portal search?

Is it insulting to be compared to Illinois?

Wisconsin Twitter Portal: Vakos vs Lahm, favorite Big Ten villains, and returning transfers

Special guest Evan Cohen (ESPN Radio’s Unsportsmanlike, UW alum) on Fickell’s future, fan trust, and in-state recruiting

📺 The Jump Around streams live Thursdays at 12:30 PM CT on ESPN Madison & ESPN Milwaukee - your home for all things Badgers football.

The Badgers finally did it — Wisconsin football earned its first ranked win under Luke Fickell (and first since 2021) with a gritty 13-10 victory over Washington.

On today’s episode of The Jump Around, the crew breaks down what the win means for the direction of the program and whether it signals a genuine turning point for Fickell’s first era in Madison.

🏈 Topics This Week:

How Wisconsin’s defense — led by Cooper Catalano & Mason Posa — carried the day

Carter Smith’s performance and whether he’s truly the QB of the future

Mason Posa’s bold “National Title Contenders” quote 🔥

A look ahead to Wisconsin vs Indiana with Brewers & BTN voice Jeff Levering

Plus: Wisconsin Twitter Portal, Big Ten rivalries, and some Veteran’s Day shout-outs

The Wisconsin Badgers offense has hit rock bottom — ranked 125th in passing and near the bottom of the Power Four. With Carter Smith rumored to start at quarterback, The Jump Around crew debates whether Luke Fickell should hand the keys to the freshman and start planning for the future.

NBC’s Nicole Auerbach joins the show to give her national perspective on the Badgers, the growing pains of Fickell’s first seasons, and how Wisconsin fits into the modern college football landscape.

Plus:

🏈 Could former Badger Jason Eck be a better fit than Fickell as head coach?

🔥 JJ Watt’s frustration on The Pat McAfee Show - are former players turning on the program?

🏀 A quick look at Wisconsin basketball’s 96-64 win and John Blackwell’s breakout performance.

💻 The Matt Brown Saga on Twitter - why can't Badgers fans have anything nice?

📺 The Jump Around airs Thursdays at 12:30 PM CT on ESPN Madison & ESPN Milwaukee

It’s Pablo Iglesias & Jim Rutledge on The Jump Around! Today, they discuss Wisconsin football super-donor Ted Kellner standing by Luke Fickell and Chris McIntosh despite the Badgers’ struggles... should fans trust the process?

They break down Kellner’s comments from Jim Polzin’s BadgerExtra article, debate the future of Wisconsin football, and tackle the big questions:

Should the Badgers recruit more in-state talent?

What’s the truth about the NIL and transfer portal changes coming next year?

Plus, former Badgers safety Collin Wilder joins the show to share his thoughts on the state of the program and his best memories from Madison.

It’s Pablo Iglesias & Jim Rutledge on The Jump Around! Today, they discuss the feeling that Luke Fickell still seems like an outsider in the state of Wisconsin despite it being year three of his tenure. They also try to hammer down what the bigger issue is with Badgers football right now: the NIL/recruiting or the coaching itself? UW seems to answer that question differently than most... Riley takes the fellas into the Wisconsin Twitter Portal with some broader questions about college football and some preseason disrespect towards Badgers basketball from national pundits. Finally, Wisconsin basketball legend and UW Hall of Famer Jordan Taylor joins the show! He talks being teammates with Ben Brust, his time at Wisconsin, why he's incredibly high on this year's Badgers team, and much more!

It’s Pablo Iglesias & Jim Rutledge on The Jump Around EXTRA! Today, they discuss the hopeless state of Wisconsin Badgers football and the letter of support that AD Chris McIntosh sent out to Badgers fans and alumni this morning. It seems like Fickell is sticking around for at least the rest of the season... what does that mean for the Wisconsin football program?

It’s Pablo Iglesias & Jim Rutledge on The Jump Around! Today, they discuss the hopeless state of Wisconsin Badgers football heading into Saturday's game versus No. 1 Ohio State at Camp Randall. What's going to be at stake with the 1994, 1999, and 2000 Rose Bowl teams in town, what did Barry Alvarez have to say about the lack of PRIDE for this football team, and how much is the Wisconsin administration losing by not firing Luke Fickell sooner rather than later? They also discuss The Athletic ranking Wisconsin football as the most HOPELESS program in college football and the latest proud UW alums calling out Wisconsin's administrators to DO SOMETHING about Luke Fickell and this program! Then, Wisconsin Badgers football legend David Gilreath joins to talk about the 15th anniversary of his 2010 team upsetting No. 1 Ohio State and his iconic opening kickoff TD return!

It’s Pablo & Jim on The Jump Around! Today they ask the question, which stat is more damning in the Luke Fickell era, his 0-8 record against Top 25 teams or his 2-4 record in trophy games? They quickly recap the Michigan game before previewing potentially the Badgers most winnable game the rest of the season against Iowa. The guys also talk about the incredibly low over/under for Wisconsin's game this weekend, which, while typically for Iowa, may reflect how inept the Badgers offense has been this season. Finally, Riley takes the guys into the Twitter Portal involving some Big Noon, RBU, and coaching comparison conversations before former Wisconsin punter, host of Kyle, Brust, and Nortman, and fake punt extraordinaire Brad Nortman joins the show!