Oregon Ducks: 5 Early Factors in Their Bowl Date with Wisconsin

Now that Wisconsin has won the Big 10 championship, the Ducks know they are in for a battle against the Badgers in the Rose Bowl. 

For Oregon, this is their third straight BCS bowl game and a return to the Rose Bowl where they lost to Ohio State two years ago. 

On the other hand, the Badgers return for the second straight year and look to redeem last years loss to TCU. 

With the game almost a month away, here is a look at five early factors that could determine the outcome of this year's Rose Bowl. 

Ducks Defensive Line

Towards the middle of the season, the Oregon defense was truly finding their rhythm, but down the stretch, they have suffered some injuries and have provided some inconsistent efforts.

When the Ducks take on the Badgers in the Rose Bowl, many will expect Wisconsin to pound the ball with the run game. If the Ducks hope to win this game, the defensive line must be able to find a way to stand up to the huge Wisconsin offensive line. 

Chip Kelly's Offense

Of all the things that Coach Chip Kelly has accomplished at Oregon, one thing that has evaded him is a BCS win. 

In his first year, Kelly led the Ducks to a conference title, but came up short against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. The following year, the Ducks went undefeated only to again come up short against Auburn in the national title game.

This year, Kelly is back in a BCS game, and if he hopes to shake the stigma of underperforming offenses in bowl games, the Ducks' attack must hit all cylinders in the Rose Bowl. 

Tackling Russell Wilson

As Michigan State found out in the Big 10 conference championship, getting to Russell Wilson is one thing, tackling him is another. 

One thing that Oregon must do is not only apply pressure to Russell Wilson, but the key will be to bring him down when you get to him.

Too many times Wilson escaped and made big plays against the Spartans. If the Ducks can take him down and prevent those sandlot plays, they will be in good shape. 

The Drops Must Stop

As the Ducks have come down the stretch, they have been inconsistent and yet still have put up big point totals. One thing that has plagued them is the dropped passes by their wide receivers.

When the Ducks and Badgers go head to head, the Ducks will need to open up rushing holes by throwing the ball. If the Ducks' wideouts can hold on to the passes that come their way, the Ducks could roll up a lot of points and ease the pressure on their defense. 

Fast. Hard. FINISH.

The motto for Oregon—"Win the Day"—has been categorized by the idea of fast, hard and finish. The Ducks must come into the Rose Bowl and live up to this mantra. 

For the past three seasons, the Ducks have played fast and hard, but they have yet to finish the season with a signature win. 

This is the Ducks' third opportunity to cap off their season with a BCS bowl win, and if they want to avoid the stigma of not being a national contender, the Ducks must finish this season.