Last year, after a debacle of an upset home loss to former head coach Bret Bielema and the Illinois Fighting Illini. Wisconsin Badgers athletic director shocked the world. He fired head coach Paul Chryst. And then came another shocker at the end of the regular season. Interim head coach and defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard was considered a shoo-in for the full-time gig. Yet he was passed over for Cincinnati HC Luke Fickell. A deeper College Football betting look reveals these changes were a long time coming.
College Football Team Preview 2023 Wisconsin Badgers
| Odds to Win National Championship: | +7000 |
|---|---|
| Odds to win Big Ten Championship: | +800 |
| Over/Under Win Total: | 9 |
2023 Wisconsin Badgers Schedule
- Aug 26 OPEN DATE
- Sept 2 Buffalo
- Sept 9 at Washington State
- Sept 16 Georgia Southern
- Sept 23 at Purdue
- Sept 30 OPEN DATE
- Oct 7 Rutgers
- Oct 14 Iowa
- Oct 21 at Illinois
- Oct 28 Ohio State
- Nov 4 at Indiana
- Nov 11 Northwestern
- Nov 18 Nebraska
- Nov 25 at Minnesota
2023 Wisconsin Badgers Preview
Four years ago, the Wisconsin Badgers landed 5-star quarterback Graham Mertz. Mertz promised to be a different kind of quarterback. In comparison to the typical game managers that have won so effectively at UW. Instead, Mertz was too much for the Badgers. Wisconsin never had such a highly recruited quarterback in their offshore betting system.
It is true that head coach Paul Chryst tried to open up the offense for Mertz. But in doing so, the Badgers lost their bruising mentality and ground game. The once-focused program faltered as a hybrid. Of great concern was that recruiting was not up to par. Wisconsin became a slightly above .500 team. So Chryst was shockingly fired. Luke Fickell will try and break through the traditional gravity of the Wisconsin program.
It’s a new College Football Betting era in Wisconsin. Namely, Luke Fickell took over as the program’s head coach following a successful stint at Cincinnati. The former Ohio State player is no stranger to life in the Big Ten. Thanks to his background with the Buckeyes.
Fickell has a chance to get his tenure started fast as the preseason favorite to win the West Division. New play-caller Phil Longo should open the offense from his Air Raid roots. But this unit still goes through running back Braelon Allen. In comparison, the defense returns eight starters and should be one of the best in the Big Ten.
Wisconsin began playing football in 1892. But UW did not become a consistent winner until the early 1990s when Barry Alvarez founded a new era of glory. Since their 1993 Rose Bowl and Big Ten championship, the Badgers have missed a bowl game only twice. Consider the Badgers finished in the final national rankings every season but eight since 1998. Wisconsin has had six Big Ten titles since 1993 and five division titles since 2011.
Known as the Godfather, Alvarez retired as head coach in 2005. But he remained as athletic director through 2019. He firmly established a formula that has sustained success through three head coaches and tough competition.
Previously, head coach Paul Chryst epitomized a perfect fit. Chryst grew up in Madison and was a UW quarterback. He led the Badgers to two final top ten national rankings and four in the top 25. But current athletic director Chris McIntosh, a UW alum, former player, and assistant AD, believes the Badgers are capable of more. In turn, McIntosh believes that Luke Fickell’s task as the new head coach.