Wisconsin Badgers football coach Luke Fickell could be on thin ice in Madison, per oddsmakers

It is an understatement to suggest Luke Fickell's tenure in Madison has been anything but stellar because it hasn't.

A 5-7 season this past year fell far below expectations for the Wisconsin Badgers, who failed to make a bowl game and suffered several head-scratching defeats. This included a season-defining collapse in mid-October as the Badgers needed just one win to clinch bowl eligibility. Instead, they lost their final five games to end the season.

All of them came against teams that had clinched bowl eligibility, which included taking then-No. 1 Oregon, the eventual Big Ten champion, to the wire.

Entering this fall, something has to give. And oddsmakers, plus college football pundits like 247Sports' Brad Crawford and CBS's Tom Fornelli, agree.  According to FanDuel's over-under win totals, getting to a bowl game would be considered a bonus in Madison. As of Wednesday, it's set at 5.5, meaning if a bettor takes the over, the Badgers must win six games.

At a minimum, Crawford predicts the Badgers will lose at least six games—all against ranked opponents. 

This would suggest the Badgers drop games against the Michigan Wolverines, Alabama Crimson Tide, Iowa Hawkeyes, Illinois Fighting Illini, Ohio State Buckeyes and Indiana Hoosiers. All of which were either bowl-eligible or made the College Football Playoff, with the Buckeyes winning a national title at season's end.

📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp  

Fornelli was generous toward Fickell, including him in a recent CBS Sports list of the top 68 Power Four coaches.

Fickell, who came in at No. 40 on this year's preseason list,  has much to prove to increase his Big Ten stock.

"That 23-spot tumble is the largest of any coach remaining at a Power Four school," Fornelli wrote. "Simply put, the first two years in Madison haven't gone as hoped, as he's 13-13 overall. If we include his lone season at Ohio State, Fickell is 19-20 as a Power Four coach, including 11-15 in the Big Ten. He can still rebound in a major way if Wisconsin has a good season, but it's tough to justify placing him higher than this right now."

Wisconsin's schedule is anything but breathable. In fact, it'll likely find out how competitive it'll be by Week 3 when it travels to play the Crimson Tide Saturday, Sept. 13.

If the Badgers get a few breaks, it could pay dividends. If not, doomsday in Madison is a distinct possibility.