Former Wisconsin linebacker shares extensive thought on state of Badgers program

Wisconsin fell 38-21 to No. 11 USC on Saturday, dropping to 2-2 on the season and 0-1 in Big Ten play.

A common theme postgame has been collective unhappiness about the state of the team and the program under Luke Fickell. Many have shared their criticisms, highlighted by notable program alumni.

The latest former Badger to express his displeasure is linebacker Jack Cichy. Coincidentally, he was the reason Wisconsin defeated USC in the 2015 Holiday Bowl.

Here is Cichy’s string of posts on X from Sunday. His focus is on the defensive side of the football:

Cichy’s thoughts on Wisconsin’s current defensive scheme carry weight. He was a multiyear starter in the Badgers’ signature 3-4 scheme — first under Dave Aranda in 2015 then Justin Wilcox in 2016.

Wisconsin’s problem on defense against USC was not its scheme. Badger defenders were in position all afternoon. They were consistently beat 1-on-1 by bigger and more physical USC receivers. Still, it’s hard to disagree with the thought the Badgers defense is regressing under Mike Tressel and Fickell. Maybe not severely, but enough to be far from the dominant unit that many need it to be.

Cichy’s perspective on Wisconsin’s current ‘air raid’ comes as no surprise, and is shared by many — especially former players. More and more weeks of struggles, especially in picking up short-yardage runs, has led to more and more program alumni voicing their unhappiness.

Thoughts from notable program alumni do not mean everything. If Wisconsin picks up a few consecutive wins and shows some progress, much of the current state will be forgotten. But they do matter. The timeline on the Fickell era to find success will only be sped up by a collective displeasure with the state of affairs.

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