PHOENIX (AP) — The Luke Fickell period at Wisconsin can have a gentle opening.
Fickell will probably be on the sideline in opposition to Oklahoma State on Tuesday night time in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. Most of the most important selections, like naming a beginning quarterback, will probably be made by interim coach Jim Leonhard and the opposite present Badgers coaches.
“There’s been a lot of things that these guys have gone through this entire season,” Fickell mentioned. “The last thing they need in this three-week period of preparing for a bowl game is to have more change. Me being there enough is probably change for them, so we tried to keep everything intact as much as they have done.”
Wisconsin fired Paul Chryst in early October after a 2-3 begin. The Badgers (6-6) grew to become bowl eligible for the twenty first straight season by beating Nebraska, then lured Fickell away from Cincinnati, the place he led the Bearcats to the College Football Playoff final yr.
While Fickell has been attempting to fill out his teaching workers, the present coaches have been working the sport plan — and coping with numerous gamers who declared for the NFL draft or entered the switch portal.
It’ll even be Leonhard’s ultimate sport with Wisconsin; the longtime defensive coordinator introduced he gained’t be part of Fickell’s workers.
“It would be pretty arrogant of me to walk in here and think I could make a better decision in three weeks than what they have seen over a long period of time,” Fickell mentioned.
Oklahoma State (7-5) is seeking to construct some momentum for subsequent season after fading down the stretch this yr.
Oklahoma State climbed to No. 7 in the AP Top 25 after profitable its first 5 video games, then the Cowboys misplaced in double time beyond regulation to eventual CFP participant TCU and beat Texas earlier than the season spiraled.
Oklahoma State misplaced 4 of its ultimate 5 video games to shut out the season, together with 48-0 to Kansas State. The Cowboys are in a bowl sport for the seventeenth straight season.
“Well, the good news with young people nowadays, they are really resilient and so they’ve practiced really hard,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy mentioned. “We’ve got a great culture at Oklahoma State. We’ve had it a long time.”
QUARTERBACK CAROUSEL
Both groups will probably be changing their beginning quarterbacks from the common season.
Wisconsin’s Graham Mertz, the starter the previous three seasons, entered the switch portal and is headed to Florida. That leaves fifth-year senior Chase Wolf and freshman Myles Burkett, who had a mixed six go makes an attempt this season.
Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders additionally entered the switch portal after 4 years because the starter. The offense will now be in the fingers of Garret Rangel, a succesful passer who doesn’t have the identical elusiveness as Sanders.
Rangel threw for 482 mixed yards and two touchdowns in begins in opposition to Kansas and West Virginia this season.
“Spencer is a pretty electric guy on his feet, moving around,” Gundy mentioned. “Rangel moves around OK and can avoid the rush and make some plays with his feet, but certainly not like Spencer.”
FOOTBALL IN A BASEBALL VENUE
The Guaranteed Rate Bowl moved to Chase Field in 2016 whereas Arizona State’s Sun Devil Stadium was being renovated and hasn’t left the house of the Arizona Diamondbacks since.
The Guaranteed Rate Bowl is considered one of 4 present bowl video games performed at a baseball stadium and has a novel look, with the top zone alongside the primary bottom line and short-term stands in the outfield.
“I’ve seen the game. I’ve seen other bowls that have done that, so I’m looking forward to it,” Gundy mentioned. “I heard the players talking about they were excited about playing in a Major League Baseball stadium.”
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