Wisconsin Football players terrorized by inflatable cow prank

The Wisconsin football social media and video staff had some fun at the expense of some players and coaches. And they did it in pitch-perfect fashion for the flagship program of a state known for cheese and diary products.

The inflatable cow costume, complete with a painted human face sticking out to add to the odd, off-putting nature, clearly caught a number of Badgers off guard. Probably a safe bet that a few will be visited by the cow in their nightmares.

Even coaches weren’t off limits, though new head coach Luke Fickell was nowhere to be seen.

Camp scaries 🐮 pic.twitter.com/xs72tkQ6Hg

— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) August 8, 2023

The best reaction might’ve been from who appears to be graduate safety Travian Blaylock, who after his initial shock appeared ready to take a swing at the cow, should it be an assailant needing dispatching.

Blaylock reinforced this as he let the adrenaline wear off.

“You would’ve got lit up,” Blaylock said as everyone laughed at his start.

He was fortunately not alone, as plenty of Badgers were given a serious jump by the truly off-putting cow.

Be there no doubt that Fickell and Wisconsin are taking seriously the charge of getting back to competing for Big Ten titles. But it seems pretty clear they know how to keep it loose during fall camp, too.

A least one person thinks Wisconsin can take off in Year 1 under Fickell

TCU came out of nowhere to shock the college football world last season, going all the way to the national championship game in Year 1 under Sonny Dykes. ESPN analyst Greg McElroy sees similarities between Wisconsin entering this season and TCU entering last season.

The Badgers have a first-year head coach in Fickell who has already proven that he can win at an elite level.

Fickell took Cincinnati to the College Football Playoff in 2021, and McElroy wouldn’t be surprised if he takes Wisconsin to the CFP at some point, too, possibly as early as this season.

“I’m so excited about this marriage right now,” McElroy said Tuesday afternoon on SportsCenter. “When you look at what Luke Fickell is bringing to Wisconsin, I think about TCU last year. And there are some parallels where you have a program that’s proud and historic and has won a lot of games. But it got a little stale down the stretch. That’s what I think Luke Fickell is bringing to Wisconsin. A lot of energy. A new offensive identity.”