Currently riding a five-game winning streak, No. 10 Wisconsin (11-2, 6-2 Big Ten) will travel to the Rose Bowl for the second straight year. The difference between last season and 2011: The Badgers will arrive in Pasadena with two of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the nation.@@http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/m-footbl/sched/wis-m-footbl-sched.html@@
Last season, Gary Patterson and TCU used a brilliant game plan and timely playmaking to win a defensive standoff, 21-19. However, that Wisconsin team was led by a trio of skilled running backs and captained by a reliable (but limited) quarterback in Scott Tolzien.
“I think as a coach, you just learn to live in the year that you’re in,” Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema said. “Everyone wants to draw comparisons to other years, but you just really truly embrace and enjoy the opportunity that you have on a year-to-year basis.”@@http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/bielema_bret00.html@@
This season, the Badgers arguably have the most commanding offense in the country. Wisconsin is among the top of the pack in scoring (44.62 points per game, 4th in NCAA), rushing yards per game (237.38, 10th in NCAA) and third-down conversion rate (54.14 percent, 3rd in NCAA). Furthermore, its primary playmakers — running back Montee Ball and quarterback Russell Wilson — are having individual seasons for the ages.@@http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/team/1028@@
Ball is first in the country in scoring (17.54 points per game) and fourth in rushing (135.31 yards per game). In his first season as the program’s feature back, he’s displayed outstanding power, vision and balance, accumulating 1759 rushing yards, including 32 rushing touchdowns. But Ball’s not a one-dimensional threat; he’s also been a major factor in the passing game, racking up 20 receptions for 255 yards and an additional six touchdowns.@@http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/individual/1011@@
Wilson, who transferred from North Carolina State to Wisconsin this season, is currently second in the nation in passing efficiency, trailing only Robert Griffin III of Baylor. The next three players on that list: fellow Heisman hopefuls Case Keenum, Kellen Moore and Heisman finalist Andrew Luck. Wilson has racked up 2,879 yards and 31 touchdowns on the season while throwing only three interceptions.@@http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/individual/1005@@
“He’s a great quarterback, great player,” said Bielema. “Offensively, I’ve never seen anybody be able to do the things that he’s been able to do this year. He’s just a great person, a great fit for our program.”
Wisconsin’s only two blemishes on the season came in back-to-back games in October against Michigan State and Ohio State. The matchup against the Spartans was an instant classic for most outside of Madison; the Badgers fell on a last-second Hail Mary pass that sent shockwaves across the nation and shuffled the BCS rankings. Marred in a hangover from that devastating defeat, Wisconsin lost another heartbreaker on a late touchdown pass against Ohio State in their next game.
“We were thinking national championship, national title game,” cornerback Aaron Henry said to the Wisconsin State Journal. “For us to lose the way we did in those two games, it was definitely devastating. But we knew we could still have a special, special season if guys could continue to stay on the right track.”@@http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/wis-m-footbl-mtt.html@@
The Badgers eventually righted the ship and got revenge with a 42-39 win over Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game. But with conference play in the rearview mirror, Wisconsin must now begin preparation for an Oregon offense that’s special in its own right.
The first order for defensive coordinator Chris Ash will be to stop the run. The Badgers have been relatively successful at doing so this season, finishing with 138.0 rushing yards allowed per game. That being said, every individual on Wisconsin’s staff recognizes that stopping the Ducks’ stable of skilled running backs presents a distinctive and demanding task.@@http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/ash_chris00.html@@
“Oregon is such a unique system offensively,” Bielema said. “That’s gonna present obviously a very big challenge for us. I think the part that is intriguing more than anything is, these bowl games you wanna have unique matchups. And for us to be able to play Oregon in this environment, it’s gonna be so unique that it’s gonna draw a lot of attention.”
Wisconsin will also be wary of the Ducks’ second-year starting quarterback, Darron Thomas. Much like Wilson, Thomas rarely makes a mistake (30 touchdowns versus six interceptions) and will look to use the run to set up explosive passing plays that have become a staple of Chip Kelly’s quick-strike offense.@@http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/individual/1005@@
One advantage for Wisconsin’s defense is its offense’s style of play. Oregon traditionally goes with a no-huddle approach that takes miniscule amounts of time off the game clock (the Ducks average 25:03 of possession per game, last in the NCAA). In contrast, the Badgers attack with a grind-it-out approach that attempts to eat up time and pound the opponent into submission.@@http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/team/1039/p3@@@@http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20111205/WIS020101/111205128/Wisconsin-Badgers-Oregon-Ducks-different-ways-run-up-point-totals@@
“Chip (Kelly) and I talked last year, it is kind of the exact opposite ends of the spectrum,” Bielema said. “They want to run as many plays as they can, and we want to try slow it down as best as we can.”
One thing’s for sure: the Badgers are up to the task of returning to Pasadena. Wisconsin has taken its bumps in 2011 and will head to the Rose Bowl knowing it has rebounded from past setbacks.
“It’s great, especially with all we’ve been through,” cornerback Marcus Cromartie said to the Wisconsin State Journal. “We took two hard ones and a lot of people were talking down. They didn’t really believe in us. We just rallied around each other.”