Wisconsin Coach Luke Fickell to Face Alma Mater Ohio State, Shifts Focus to Team Performance

Undefeated Ohio State hopes to secure tenth successive victory against Wisconsin, whose coach, Luke Fickell, emphasizes team effort over his personal connection with his former school.

• Wisconsin Coach Luke Fickell, a former Ohio State nose guard and interim head coach who played and worked at Ohio State, will lead the Badgers against his alma mater, emphasizing the importance of focusing on team performance rather than his personal history.
• This is not the first time Fickell faces his former college as he previously coached Akron in 2001 and Cincinnati in 2019 in games against Ohio State, experiences that underscored for him the importance of directing the spotlight to the players over the coaches.
• The upcoming match is crucial for Wisconsin as Ohio State has dominated the series, winning their last nine meetings, including a 52-21 rout last season. The Badgers' last victory over the Buckeyes came in 2010.
• Wisconsin enters the game with momentum after recently overcoming a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit to secure a 25-21 victory at Illinois, marking their first Big Ten win after trailing by at least 14 points since 2018.
• Several members of the Wisconsin coaching staff have ties to Ohio State, including Defensive Coordinator Mike Tressel who is the nephew of Jim Tressel, and Cornerbacks Coach Paul Haynes who was an assistant coach at Ohio State from 2005-11.

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