After a second-half collapse that led to a 38-21 loss to USC on Saturday, Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin football team (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) tumbled 13 spots in ESPN’s updated SP+ rankings for Week 5.
The Badgers, who ranked 53rd with a 5.3 rating entering the week — fell to 66th with a 3.6 rating following their loss to the Trojans at LA Memorial Coliseum. Phil Longo’s sputtering offense is currently rated No. 92 by SP+, while Mike Tressel’s defensive unit sits at a more respectable No. 27.
The slide — which looks like it has the potential of getting much worse — only adds to what has been a challenging 2024 season for Wisconsin.
Even in the first two games of the season, Wisconsin struggled mightily in non-conference wins over both Western Michigan and South Dakota at home before getting taken to the woodshed against Alabama and blowing a second-half lead against Lincoln Riley and company on the road.
Losing starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke for the season to a torn ACL didn’t do anything to help matters. In his absence, redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke is getting a chance to prove he’s the QB of the future but offers limited upside for an already struggling offensive attack.