COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football’s path back to the top of the Big Ten Conference becomes a little tougher each day, and you can add Wisconsin’s hire of Luke Fickell to the list of impediments. ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported the Badgers had targeted the former OSU player, assistant and interim head coach. Fickell went 6-7 that season leading the Buckeyes, then 57-18 in six seasons with Cincinnati. Last season, the Bearcats became the first Group of 5 program to be invited to the College Football Playoff semifinals. At one time it appeared Wisconsin would promote Jim Leonhard, the alum and defensive coordinator serving as interim head coach since the firing of Paul Chryst. Instead, athletic director Chris McIntosh grabbed one of the most respected coaches in the country and one with a proven track record of lifting a program to national status. Fickell’s hire adds further perspective to…
Continue Reading: Wisconsin hires Luke Fickell, further challenging Ohio State football in a bolstered Big Ten
