Wisconsin vs Michigan State: Does the Winner Stand a Chance Against Oregon?

Football fans in Indianapolis have had to endure a rough few months, as the Colts have been absolutely unwatchable this season without star quarterback Peyton Manning at the helm.

Luckily for them, tomorrow night’s first ever Big Ten championship game, which will be played at the home of the Colts, Lucas Oil Stadium, will be a rematch of one of the most exciting games of the 2011 college football season.

Wisconsin and Michigan State took things down to the wire, when the two met in East Lansing back on Oct. 22, and an improbable, last-second hail mary pass, which became one of the most indelible highlights of the year, ended up being the difference in Michigan State’s 37-31 victory. 

Now, a little over a month later, the two teams will be back at it again, only this time, with a Big Ten championship and a berth in the Rose Bowl on the line.

You can bet that the Badgers will have payback on their minds, but the Spartans are a tough and balanced team, and they’ll be ready for Wisconsin's best shot.

In all likelihood, it will be Oregon, which is favored to win tonight’s Pac-12 championship game by over 30 points against an overmatched and undeserving UCLA team, who will be awaiting the winner of the Big Ten championship game out in Pasadena  . 

The Ducks have one of the most explosive offenses in the country, led by the dangerous backfield foursome of QB Darron Thomas and running backs LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner and De’Anthony Thomas.

Oregon currently ranks third in the country in scoring offense and sixth in total offense, averaging 46 points and 510 points per game.

Obviously, whichever Big Ten team makes it to the Rose Bowl is going to have its hands full.

The question is, though, which team would match up better with the Ducks: Wisconsin or Michigan State? 

Wisconsin has one of the most powerful and productive offenses in the country, led by QB Russell Wilson, RB Montee Ball and an offensive line that looks like it’s made up of five of Paul Bunyan’s illegitimate sons.

The Spartans, on the other hand, have relied on their stout defense, which ranks in the top 10 nationally in both scoring defense and total defense, to get them where they are today.

So which team would be better equipped to handle the Ducks: The one with the high-powered offense that can run with them, or the one that has the sturdy defense to contain them?

I personally think Michigan State would be the best possible opponent for Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

With seasoned senior quarterback Kirk Cousins leading the way, the Spartans are deadly enough in the passing game to really stretch Oregon’s defense.

Plus, we’ve seen the Ducks struggle when they’ve had to go up against great rushing defenses this season (LSU and USC).

The bottom line is, given that the Big Ten has only two Rose Bowl victories this century, the conference is going to need to send its most capable challenger out to Pasadena this year. 

While both Wisconsin and Michigan State are both capable of beating Oregon in the Rose Bowl, I would have to say that the Spartans are the ones that have the best chance of actually taking down the Ducks in Pasadena.