Rose Bowl 2012: Wisconsin Will Win Wild Shootout in Pasadena

The Wild West will live on at the Rose Bowl when the Wisconsin Badgers take down the prolific Oregon Ducks on Monday. 

Savor every last second of this game, because some awful TV watching is right around the corner. The BCS title game featuring defense and little else is threatening to put us all to sleep shortly. 

In what will be the polar opposite of such things, Oregon and Wisconsin meet for what will be a touchdown bonanza in the 2012 Rose Bowl. 

It's hard to pick just one thing to like about either team. They both run and pass well, and the Ducks add a no-huddle strategy that is a joy to watch. What this game comes down to is defense. Seeing as how Oregon doesn't employ one, Wisconsin gets the edge in a close game. 

First off, Oregon is going to make this game tough on Wisconsin defenders. I will take their run defense by a nose against Oregon stopping the same thing on the other side of the ball. 

While LaMichael James in no doubt one of the best running backs in the nation, Montee Ball offers a nuanced approach to the run game. He isn't going to beat the best in a footrace, but he has tremendous instincts in finding holes and lateral moves that are amazing to watch. 

Oregon may tire the Badgers with the no-huddle, but Montee Ball and quarterback Russell Wilson will have the Ducks defense befuddled all game. 

I will give the Oregon defensive line an edge in what has been a great season for Wade Keliikipi, but Wilson's versatility should stretch the field as the game unfolds. 

A game that will be as close as this will come down to critical tackles, and the Wisconsin linebackers tackle extremely well. Oregon will have to settle for small bursts of yards as not much gets past Wisconsin in tackling blunders. 

The Badgers are no doubt facing their doppelganger in offensive prowess, but they have the edge and will show that by the end of an amazing game. 

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