USC football has a better, more talented team than the Wisconsin Badgers. However, Wisconsin has a hot-seat head coach, Luke Fickell, who will feel the acute need to pull a big upset and save his job. College Sports Wire noted that the heat is on in Madison:
"The Luke Fickell era in Wisconsin has been nothing but disappointment. The Badgers have earned a bowl game just once in his tenure, and last season, they finished 4-8 and near the bottom of the Big Ten. It's been a rough tenure for a coach that was incredible at Cincinnati, as he has a 17-21 record at Wisconsin compared to a 57-18 record at Cincinnati.
"There was a big reason why Fickell hasn't been fired yet. Athletic director Chris McIntosh hired him instead of program legend Jim Leonhard in 2022, so he had to make sure Fickell had plenty of grace to make things work. Now that McIntosh is gone, I'm not sure if Shawn Eichorst is going to be as lenient. Wisconsin opens up with Notre Dame, but they don't have to play Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State, or Michigan. Fickell can't afford to fail this season again."
A desperate team, playing at home and being pushed by a hot-seat coach. USC needs to gear up for that Wisconsin game, which occurs between the Penn State and Ohio State showdowns on the Trojans' schedule. If USC isn't on guard, the Trojans could absorb a season-shattering loss.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Big Ten season preview: USC has to expect Wisconsin's very best game
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