| 01 January 2012
The Grandaddy of Them All, the Rose Bowl, features its traditional matchup between the champions of the Pac-12 and Big 10. This year that means 11-2 Wisconsin goes up against 11-2 Oregon in a matchup of Big 10 brawn against Pac-12 speed.
Both teams are seeking a signature win on the big stage as Oregon lost in the Rose Bowl to end the 2009 season and in last year’s national championship game. Wisconsin made the Rose Bowl last year but succumbed 21-19 to unbeaten TCU.
Oregon had lofty hopes of making it back to the title game this year but was badly outplayed by LSU in the season opener. The Ducks responded by winning their next nine games and vaulting themselves back into national title contention, but a 38-35 loss to USC ended their national championship hopes. Still, Oregon reached its third-straight BCS bowl after defeating UCLA in the Pac-12 championship game.
Wisconsin started the season 6-0 before suffering back-to-back last-minute losses to Michigan State and Ohio State. The Spartans scored on a Hail Mary pass at the end of regulation that was initially ruled short of the end zone but was overturned by replay. Ohio State completed a 40-yard touchdown pass with 20 seconds left to shock the Badgers with a 33-29 victory. Wisconsin didn’t let those heartbreaking victories ruin its season, however, as the Badgers rattled off a five-game winning streak and got their revenge on Michigan State in the first-ever Big 10 championship game to earn a second-consecutive Rose Bowl berth.
Key matchup: Each team’s defense against the other’s offense
Oregon RB LaMichael James (L) and his Wisconsin counterpart, RB Montee Ball (R, white)
Both defenses are in for a long day. Whichever defense is able to make a play and hold up the most will determine the outcome of this game. Wisconsin and Oregon both like to wear down opponents with their running game, but they go about it in different ways. Oregon has a stable of fast, elusive backs and wears down opponents with its frenzied, up-tempo offense. Wisconsin runs a more traditional offense but pummels opponents with big running backs running behind a massive offensive line. Stacking the line of scrimmage won’t work as both teams have competent quarterbacks who can hurt you through the air. Wisconsin’s Russell Wilson and Oregon’s Darren Thomas combined to throw 61 touchdowns and only 9 interceptions this season, and both can make plays with their legs.
Why you should watch: These are two of the best teams in the country, and this is one of the best matchups of the season, let alone the bowl games. Both teams can light up a scoreboard; Oregon was third in the country at 46.2 points a game while Wisconsin was right behind them in fourth place at 44.6 points. The contrast in styles is attractive: Oregon’s speed and pace against Wisconsin’s brawn and power. There are a bevy of talented players who will be playing in this game. Oregon’s LaMichael James rushed for 1,646 yards and 17 touchdowns this year while averaging a Division I-best 149.6 yards a game. His backups are playmakers, too, as Kenjon Barner chipped in 909 yards on the ground and 11 touchdowns while De’Anthony Thomas contributed 1,011 combined receiving and rushing yards with 14 touchdowns and was the team’s leading receiver. Thomas also scored twice on kickoff returns. As if that wasn’t enough, Darron Thomas threw for nearly 2,500 yards with 30 touchdowns.
On the Wisconsin side, running back Montee Ball was a Heisman finalist and led the nation with 1,759 rushing yards. He scored 32 rushing touchdowns and 38 overall, leaving him six short of Barry Sanders’ single-season mark of 42. Quarterback Russell Wilson completed 72.5 percent of his passes for 2,879 yards with 31 touchdowns and only three interceptions.
Why you shouldn’t watch: The only reason not to watch this game is if you don’t like watching college football… or if you have a family emergency.
Prediction: This is a tough one to call. I predict it’s going to be a high-scoring shootout full of big plays. Wisconsin is sixth in the country in scoring defense, allowing only 17 points a game, but the Badgers have not faced an offense as explosive and frenetic as Oregon’s. Wisconsin’s mammoth offensive line will wear down the smaller Oregon defense, and those long, ground-out scoring drives will keep the Wisconsin defense fresh. Still, Oregon ran all over another team that it similar to Wisconsin in Stanford. The Cardinal had an elite quarterback in Andrew Luck and a powerful running game running behind a talented, physical offensive line, yet none of that mattered as Oregon won by 23 points. Wisconsin has a more potent ground game, but the Ducks have seen this type of team before. It’ll be a close, high-scoring affair, but Oregon will emerge victorious.
