Rose Bowl 2011: 10 Things To Know About the Wisconsin Badgers
It's official: the Badgers are heading west.
With a share of the Big Ten title and the highest BCS ranking of any team in the conference, Wisconsin has earned the right to play on college football's biggest stage, the Rose Bowl, on New Year's Day.
Bret Bielema's Badgers will face the TCU Horned Frogs of the Mountain West, who find themselves headed for Pasadena by virtue of being the third-ranked team in the BCS.
This particular Wisco team has had a rather remarkable season, leaving college football pundits plenty of material to work with in analyzing how this matchup will break down.
Here are 10 things everyone should know about Wisconsin, heading into the Grand Daddy of Them All.
Offensive Line Burrows in the Trenches
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Wisconsin's biggest on-field advantage, regardless of the opponent, is its massive offensive line.
Led by senior tackle and Big Ten Lineman of the Year Gabe Carimi and fellow All-Big Ten selection John Moffitt, the Badgers' unit up front is arguably the best in the nation.
This group has allowed a mere 11 sacks in 12 games in pass protection, while opening up gaping holes in the run game to clear the way for the nearly 3,000 yards rushing compiled by Badger 'backs this season.
In short, Wisconsin's O-line is dominant.
A Stable Loaded With Talented Running Backs
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Of course, the efforts of the offensive line would be for naught if it weren't for Wisconsin's talented trio of tailbacks running behind it.
This bunch is about as diverse as they come, giving coach Bret Bielema plenty of options when it comes to keeping the opposition off balance.
For tackle-busting, there's junior John Clay, last year's Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and an absolute load at 6'1" and 255 pounds, who put up 936 yards and 13 touchdowns this season despite missing two games due to injury.
For speed and elusiveness, there's freshman James White, the 2010 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, who, at 5'10" and 198 pounds, is nearly impossible to catch.
And for everything in between, there's sophomore Montee Ball, who at 5'11" and 236 pounds spun his way to 864 yards and 17 touchdowns this season.
It's no wonder the Badgers piled up nearly 3,000 yards on the ground.
Scott Tolzien: A Madison Dream
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Lost amidst the hoopla surrounding Wisconsin's running game has been the stellar play of quarterback Scott Tolzien this season.
The senior from Rolling Meadows, Illinois is fourth among quarterbacks in efficiency (169.8) and has managed to throw for 2,300 yards and 16 touchdowns (against just six interceptions) despite captaining a patently run-first offense.
As such, Tolzien's contribution to Wisconsin's offense is invaluable, as he provides the Badgers with a legitimate passing attack to divert some defensive pressure from the team's smash-mouth running game.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Lance Kendricks: Holding on Tight
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Of course, like any quality quarterback, Scott Tolzien has someone who makes his throws look good.
Tight end Lance Kendricks has been just that guy for Wisconsin, leading the Badgers in catches (39), receiving yards (627) and receiving touchdowns (five).
Not bad for the 6'4" senior from Milwaukee, who is a finalist for the Mackey Award, which is given to the top tight end in the country each year.
Wisconsin Weaponry Makes Badgers' Offense Explosive
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All of the players previously mentioned have fulfilled crucial roles as cogs in the unstoppable machine that is the Wisconsin offense.
Consider, for a moment, that the Badgers put up 520 points this season—an average of 43.3 per game (fourth in the country)—with an offense predicated on a smashmouth running attack.
Not a spread option like Oregon's, or a shotgun offense like Boise State's. Or a pass-happy attack like Oklahoma State's.
Instead, Wisconsin has out up 70 or more points three times this season, including an 83-point outburst against the Indiana Hoosiers, with Scott Tolzien handing the ball off play after play.
Imagine how many points the Badgers would score with someone like Arkansas' Ryan Mallett or Stanford's Andrew Luck under center.
Offensive Coordinator Paul Chryst Puts It All Together
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Behind the scenes, Badgers offensive coordinator Paul Chryst has orchestrated all of this talent into a beautiful and harmonious whole.
For his efforts, Chryst was selected as a finalist for the Frank Broyles Award, which is given to the best assistant coach in the college game this year.
Unfortunately, Chryst didn't come away with the prize.
Instead, it was given to Gus Malzahn, conductor of the Cam Newton-led offense at Auburn.
Pretty good company to be keeping.
Badgering the Opposition with Defense
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With all the praise for Wisconsin's success going to the offense, it's easy to forget that the Badgers defense isn't half-bad either.
After all, defensive coordinator Dave Doeren has directed the 22nd-ranked unit in the land.
This talented group, led by the likes of All-Big Ten defensive end J.J. Watt, has done the job for the Badgers this year, limiting opposing offenses to 323.5 yards and 20.5 points per game this season.
Watt is just many of talented players on Wisconsin's D, as indicated by the presence of six Badger defenders on various Big Ten honor rolls.
Bret Bielema: Winning the Big Ten Way
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Above it all is head coach Bret Bielema, who has accrued a 49-15 record since taking over for coaching legend and current Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez in 2006.
Bielema is a Big Ten guy all the way, having played and coached for the Iowa Hawkeyes before latching onto the program in Madison.
As such, Bielema's Badgers win their games the same way Woody Hayes' Buckeyes and Bo Schembechler's Wolverines did back in the day, with stifling defense and a physical ground attack.
Refilling Wisconsin's Bowl of Roses
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It's fitting, then, that Bielema has the Badgers back in the Rose Bowl for the first time since 2000.
In those days, Wisconsin had Barry Alvarez, Bielema's highly successful predecessor, stalking the sidelines, and Heisman Trophy winner and two-time Rose Bowl Game MVP Ron Dayne wreaking havoc on the field.
Now, 11 years later, Bielema's boys will look to keep Wisco's winning streak in the Grand Daddy of Them All Alive, stretching it to four while extending the team's overall string of consecutive wins to eight.
Turning a Tie at the Top into Triumph
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Wisconsin wasn't the only team in the Big Ten that thought it deserved to play in the Rose Bowl Game on New Year's Day.
The Badgers split the 2010 Big Ten title with Ohio State and Michigan State, but took the bowl berth by virtue of having the highest BCS ranking of the three at the end of the season.
Hence, Wisconsin goes into the game with the added pressure of representing a tradition-heavy conference with two other teams just as worthy, at least on paper, of playing in the Grand Daddy of Them All.
Should the Badgers fall to the Horned Frogs, there will be streams of second guesses floating through the Midwest until the end of January, and perhaps beyond.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
