The Wisconsin Badgers finished 8-5 on the year and 4-4 in the Big Ten. Head coach Bret Bielema accepted a job at Arkansas, so former Wisconsin coach and current athletic director Barry Alvarez will return to the sideline to coach this game. Alvarez took Wisconsin to the Rose Bowl three times, and won them all. The Badgers rely on a powerhouse ground game led by touchdowns machine Montee Ball, the Doak Walker Award winner as the nation’s top running back. Ball could not quite match his brilliant 2011 season, when he finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, but he still piled up 1,730 yards and ran for 21 touchdowns to become the NCAA career leader with 82 touchdowns. Ball rushed for 202 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 70-31 drilling of Nebraska in the Big Ten Conference title game as the Badgers rebounded from back-to-back overtime losses to end the regular season. Ball has some help in the backfield, as RB James White had 109 yards and 4 touchdowns and RB Melvin Gordon added 216 yards rushing, as Wisconsin gained 539 yards rushing against Nebraska. QB Curt Phillips went 2-2 after replacing an injured QB Joel Stave, who hopes to be cleared for the game. Stave finished the year with 1,104 yards passing with 6 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. The Wisconsin defense allowed an average of 19.1 points and 321 yards per game this season. The Badgers defense ranks 12th nationally against the run, giving up only 111.3 yards per game.

The Stanford Cardinal finished 11-2 and 8-1 in the Pac-12. Stanford carries a seven-game winning streak into the Rose Bowl, highlighted by a dramatic win over then #1 Oregon. The Cardinal have not tasted defeat since an overtime loss at BCS Championship Game finalist Notre Dame on October 13th. Stanford beat four ranked opponents to close the season, including UCLA twice. The Cardinal also feature a top running back in Stepfan Taylor, who ran for 1,442 yards and 12 touchdowns to become the school’s all-time leading rusher. Taylor had three straight 100-yard games after Kevin Hogan was inserted as the starting quarterback. Stanford’s offense picked up with Hogan at quarterback, scoring at least 27 points in four of his five appearances. Hogan completed 72.9% of his passes and his mobility added a new dimension to the offense. Hogan’s top target is star TE Zach Ertz, who set school records with 66 catches and 837 yards with 6 touchdowns. The Stanford defense allows an average of 17.5 points and 339 yards per game this year. LB Trent Murphy is the leader of a defense that led the nation with 56 sacks and 120 tackles for losses. S Ed Reynolds is a playmaker, intercepting six passes this season and returning three of them for touchdowns.

Wisconsin is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games. Stanford is 10-1 ATS in their last 11 non-conference games.

This game will be strength against strength, grind-it-out matchup between two schools that will be playing in a BCS bowl for the third straight season. Both teams will try to run the ball and I think Wisconsin may have the edge. However, Stanford will be able to pass the ball down field, while Wisconsin may struggle in the passing game. I think this game will be low scoring, so I’ll take the points with Wisconsin in this one.