Rose Bowl 2012: 5 Strengths, 5 Weaknesses for the Wisconsin Badgers

As the (11-2, 6-2 Big Ten) No. 10 Wisconsin Badgers prepare for their final game of the 2011 season, there are a few areas where the Badgers are more than capable of overwhelming their opponent, but there are also areas where the Badgers will be lacking and will have to find answers for before the Rose Bowl kicks off.

The Badgers will need to play precise defense and clock-controlling offense if they want to fight off the (11-2, 8-1 Pac 12) No. 5 Oregon Ducks. Wisconsin has a size advantage at the line positions and also have some big-play skill players that will make the Ducks miss.

The question for Wisconsin will be whether they can fight off the speed of the Ducks and stop the big-play bleeding that has occurred and forced their two losses.

The Badgers have a great shot at earning a win in this year’s Rose Bowl, and here are the five strengths and weaknesses that will help or hurt them attain that goal.

Offensive Line: Strength

Wisconsin has one of the most effective offensive units in the country this season.

One of the biggest strengths that make the Badgers so dangerous offensively is their offensive line. Their line averages 325 pounds and is more than just heavyweight and space fillers.

The Badgers offensive line is athletic for big men and are more than able to clear the first level of the defense and march into the second level to make even wider rushing lanes for their running backs. Wisconsin has been extremely effective rushing the football, and they will attempt to continue with that theme in this game.

The Badgers have the edge up front but look for the Ducks to bring in the New Year with pressure to Russell Wilson and a focus on Montee Ball from the backfield.

The Badgers have to be prepared to match up nose-to-nose and play strong assignment football for the edge to matter. 

Lack of Speed: Weakness

Last season, the Badgers finished the year with a loss in the Rose Bowl to TCU.

The Horned Frogs finished the season undefeated in a tough game that ended at the final whistle. The major edge that TCU appeared to have over the Badgers in the game was speed.

The Badgers were more than athletic and were much larger at the point of attack than the Horned Frogs, but the Badgers couldn’t seem to stop the speed rush of the Horned Frogs despite the apparent size advantage that Wisconsin carried.

Wisconsin knows what happened a season ago, and they will no doubt be prepared for the speed that Oregon will bring to the field, but at the end of the day, the Badgers may not have the ability to prepare for the advantage that the Ducks will bring.

At this point, the edge falls to the Ducks.

Offensive Backfield: Advantage

The Wisconsin backfield has played host to two of the most explosive offensive players in college football this season.

Russell Wilson has finished his college career with a bang completing 72.5 percent of his passes and throwing 31 touchdowns and only three interceptions. Wilson also added 320 rushing yards and five touchdowns to his stat line.

Montee Ball has exploded for the Badgers this season rushing for 1,759 yards and 32 touchdowns. He also added 255 receiving yards and six touchdowns throughout the season showing his ability to make plays in multiple roles for the Badgers offense.

Backup running back James White is another option for the Badgers as he has rushed for 683 yards and six touchdowns in mop-up duty this season. The Badgers have a dangerous duo in Wilson and Ball and have the talent to fill any role needed if the situation calls for it.

The Ducks will have a tough time stopping this downhill rushing attack of the Badgers as the offensive line size will likely be the advantage needed to separate the Badgers from the Ducks. 

Big-Play Tendency: Weakness

The Wisconsin defense was expected to be a major part of the Badgers' success coming into the 2011 season.

The Badgers have been successful in stopping the majority of its opponents and have been strong defensively throughout the season, but the Badgers seem to have a tendency to give up big plays.

The Badgers will need to ensure that they play proper assignment football and don’t find themselves caught up in the play-action that Oregon will likely attempt to use. The Badgers have given up big passing plays, but they have held well against the rush.

Oregon will be in good position to attempt to build their rushing game through the play-action passes that Wisconsin will likely over defend.

If Wisconsin can avoid giving up the big plays, they stand a great chance at winning this season's Rose Bowl.

Ball Control: Advantage

Oregon is a quick-strike football team.

They want to hit the end zone fast and hard constantly. Wisconsin is a downhill rushing team that will benefit from ball control. The Badgers could steal an edge in the game using their rushing attack to grind out critical yards and forcing Oregon to keep their offense on the sideline.

The Badgers have the ability to make quick-strike plays happen, but they will not be consistent enough with big plays against Oregon for them to attempt to take the game into a shootout.

If the Badgers can keep the game low scoring, they will have accomplished a major task and will have likely owned the majority of the game clock.

Conditioning: Weakness

Wisconsin will be in great shape for this football game.

They will be ready to face the Ducks and will be in their best shape of the season. The Ducks will be in just a little bit better shape however. There's no substitution to the real deal when facing a top-level offense, and the Badgers will simply not be able to simulate the fast-paced attack of the Ducks.

Oregon will look to use their fast-paced offense to grind down the Badgers and take over the game late. If the Ducks are able to keep Wisconsin moving constantly on the field, they will come out with a victory.

The Badgers will hope to stop the Ducks and force inconsistency, but if they can’t keep the Ducks off rhythm, it will be a long night for Wisconsin.

Red-Zone Offense: Advantage

The Wisconsin Badgers have put together an amazingly efficient red-zone offense this season.

The Badgers have scored in 95.71 percent of their red-zone attempts. The Badgers know how to put points on the board once they're inside the 20-yard line.

Wisconsin will find a way to drive the field offensively, but the Ducks will have to keep the Badgers at bay. If Wisconsin lands inside the red zone of the Ducks, they will earn points.

Wisconsin will look to win the field advantage and will attempt to push their rushing attack into Ducks' territory often. 

Pass Protection Against Oregon: Weakness

The Badgers' offensive line is one of the strongest in the country and will undoubtedly help the Wisconsin running backs to have big games against Oregon. The one part of the game that the Badgers may struggle is in the pass protection.

The Badgers will be facing one of the fastest defenses they have seen all season, and the Ducks will attempt to use that to their advantage. The Ducks will bring multiple blitzes in an attempt to beat the slower offensive linemen off the football.

Wisconsin will have its biggest struggle attempting to stop the pass-rush blitz against Oregon. If the Badgers are unable to consistently keep the Ducks away from the backfield, they will not be able to find consistency in their offense.

Wisconsin will have to protect Wilson better than ever this season.

Big-Play Receivers: Advantage

The Badgers are not only a big-play rushing offense.

The Badgers have a wealth of big-name players on the outside that are more than capable of making plays for Wisconsin in the passing game. Guys like Nick Toon and Jared Abbrederis have caused havoc for opposing defenses as they have a size advantage over most defenders.

Oregon has a decent defensive backfield, but the Ducks are no match for the talent that Wisconsin will bring on the outside.

This should be a focus for the Wisconsin offense as they're more than capable of creating mismatches and relying on Russell Wilson to make plays and get the Badgers a wealth of yards with the vertical passing game. 

Inconsistency in the Kicking Game: Weakness

The Badgers have had some spotty performances from its kickers so far this season.

Freshman Kyle French and senior Philip Welch have split time for the Badgers, but neither has been overly consistent and accurate.

If there's one thing that will always come back to bite a team it's special teams.

The Badgers will need consistency in the kicking game as it is very possible that the game could finish with the Badgers needing to find a big play from the kicking game.