Barry Alvarez isn’t happy with the state of Wisconsin football.

Alvarez is the man responsible for making Wisconsin a national power. He won three Big Ten national titles in the 1990s, and led Wisconsin to three Rose Bowl victories before retiring after the 2005 season to focus on being the athletic director in Madison.

Prior to Alvarez’s arrival, Wisconsin was viewed as a joke. His arrival sparked a nearly three-decade run of many double-digit win seasons, Rose Bowls and Big Ten titles.

That all feels like a lifetime ago at this point. Luke Fickell is 13-13 in his time at Madison, and the Badgers finished this past season a pathetic 5-7. Fans are on the verge of full revolt, and I don’t blame them. The Badgers faithful deserves a lot better.

You know who knows that statement is true? Alvarez, and he’s not holding back with his assessment of the program.

“This spring practice is important because after having a losing season, there has to be a pride in this team that they want to come back and bounce and be relevant again…These guys have to fight there ass off to get back in that groove, and I hope they understand that. They have a responsibility. I don’t like where we are right now. They need to bounce back, and put this program back where it belongs,” Alvarez said during a Tuesday interview on ESPN Madison.

You can watch his full comments below, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

Major credit to Alvarez for coming out and saying what many of us are thinking. It’s easy to criticize people outside your own home. It’s a lot harder to criticize those you are tied to.

Alvarez is the most famous coach in Wisconsin football history. He’s now on the record flaming the state of the program. There are many Wisconsin fans who completely and totally agree with him.

That includes myself.

Wisconsin fans are simply not going to tolerate having a program that is garbage. It’s not going to be allowed, and Fickell’s runway for patience and growth has just about run out.

He’s either going to show significant improvement in the next season or two, or his seat is going to be scorching hot. Now, do I think he’s on the verge of getting fired right now? I’ve been clear about this before. The answer is no, but two more bad seasons and it’s a wrap.

What do you think about Fickell’s future with the Badgers? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.