There wasn’t much to write home about for Luke Fickell and Co. on Saturday.
Ohio State’s defense pummeled the Wisconsin offense, as the Buckeyes handed the Badgers their second consecutive shutout loss at Camp Randall Stadium by a score of 34-0. Fickell, whose seat continues to heat up with each passing loss, was disappointed by his offense’s performance in yet another embarrassing loss for the Badgers.
“I'm incredibly disappointed. In a lot of things, obviously, the scoreboard is probably the most notable. And to not find a way to put points on the board, that will never give us a chance. So we know we have to find a way to be able to do that. And we got to get a hell of a lot better at it. But there are some bright spots. I'm not going to sit here and sugarcoat things.” – Wisconsin Head Coach Luke Fickell
As has been the case for much of Fickell’s tenure, the Badgers have faced injury woes throughout the 2025 campaign. Those struggles were apparent against the Buckeyes on Saturday, most notably at the quarterback position, as signal callers Hunter Simmons and Danny O’Neil each saw moments in which they were banged up.
With injuries all over the field, Fickell dug deep into his roster for answers and expressed pride in the way his team battled despite being overmatched by Ohio State’s talent.
“Young guys, freshmen, have been thrown out there against the No. 1 team in the country. But I'll be honest with you, I think that's collectively as good a team as I've prepared for or played against in all phases. Just across the board, the way they play offensively and defensively in special teams as well. On top of the talent that they have. And to see some of those guys compete and not bat an eye, I think that's what we're going to have to continue to build around.” – Wisconsin Head Coach Luke Fickell
Ohio State’s defense issued yet another dominating performance — pitching its second shutout this season — while the Badgers failed to score for the second time in as many games.
Facing an uphill battle, Fickell didn’t make excuses for his offense’s struggle to move the ball against Ohio State’s menacing defense.
“I mean, that's, I think, the top-rated defense in the country. And I'm not taking away that we didn't score points. And I'm not taking away that I don't know how many yards we had before the last series, 60-some yards. You know, as we went into it, there were things that we knew we had to be able to spread the thing out. We had to be able to throw the ball, and some of those short passes, like we did in the second series, they got picked off.” – Wisconsin Head Coach Luke Fickell
While Fickell’s offense withered against the Ohio State defense, he also had his hands full with the Buckeyes’ potent passing attack.
Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin gashed the Badgers’ secondary for 393 yards and four touchdowns while completing 36 of 42 pass attempts. Wide receivers Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith set the tone for Sayin, with Tate hauling in six receptions for 111 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Smith added 97 yards on nine catches.
“I mean, I think we're out there with two freshman corners against probably the best wide receiver crew that I've seen. I mean, maybe when we played LSU a few years ago. And you've got freshman corners that happen to go battle and compete against those guys.”– Wisconsin Head Coach Luke Fickell
Things don’t get much easier for Wisconsin next week, as the Badgers head west to play No. 8 Oregon at Autzen Stadium. On the flipside, the Buckeyes will enjoy their second bye week this season, with the team’s stretch run to the College Football Playoff on the horizon.
