There are officially 100 days until the start of the college football season, and the Wisconsin Badgers are in the dead period of the offseason, with quite some time to go before Fall camp.

It’s still a crucial period for the Badgers with official visits coming up, but the more important storylines are about the 2026 season, as Wisconsin is in dire need of a bounce-back year. The Badgers are in the midst of one of their roughest patches over the last few decades, as they’ve struggled to produce wins in the new NIL world and a growing Big Ten.

This offseason produced the most change we’ve seen yet under head coach Luke Fickell, as the Badgers brought in over 30 players from the transfer portal, loading up on talent there with their increased resources. Now, the hope is that it can translate to wins.

With 100 days away from Week 0, ESPN wrote their top storylines for the 2026 season, which included predictions, must-see games, hotseats, rising coaches, and more.

Unsurprisingly, Fickell was listed as one of the top five coaches on the hot seat, coming in at No. 3.

“Fickell’s hefty contract has helped secure his job despite Wisconsin’s troubling performance dip, but he also had support from athletic director Chris McIntosh, who boldly hired him in late 2022. McIntosh’s surprising exit to the Big Ten makes it even clearer that Fickell must deliver wins in 2026. Wisconsin’s overall administrative flux makes a coaching change tricky, but the program also can’t afford further on-field slippage. Fickell is just 17-21 at Wisconsin.”

At No. 3, Fickell is ahead of Maryland’s Mike Locksley (No. 4) and South Carolina’s Shane Beamer (No. 5), while falling behind Baylor’s Dave Aranda (No. 2), and Florida State’s Mike Norvell (No. 1).

Not only did ESPN list Fickell on the hot seat, but they also linked one of the top five rising coaches to the Badgers: New Mexico’s Jason Eck.

Eck, considered the No. 2 rising coach on the list ready for a Power 4 job, has seen success at both Idaho and New Mexico, going 9-4 at the latter in Year 1.

“He has won at challenging programs — Idaho and New Mexico, going 35-17 — and has the right mix of coaching chops and personality that will entice Power 4 athletic directors,” ESPN wrote of Eck.

“Eck’s roots at Wisconsin as a former offensive lineman under Barry Alvarez are hard to ignore, given the potential opening there. The 48-year-old also would be a natural fit in the Big 12, as he has spent most of his career west of the Mississippi River.”

The Badgers are hoping that things finally turn around in 2026 with a significant investment in the roster, and they’ll face what looks like an easier schedule on paper after a rough one in 2025. If not, there will be a ton of difficult questions to answer next offseason.