The No. 17 Badgers have time to regroup, recover and reflect for their Jan. 1 Outback Bowl game against No. 19 Auburn on what went wrong in an embarrassing 59-0 loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game on Dec. 6.
Coming into the game, based on Wisconsin’s improved defense and Melvin Gordon’s running, the Badgers were favorites against the Buckeyes. Despite Ohio State’s lofty No. 5 ranking, the then-No. 13 Badgers had the odds on their sides with Ohio State down to its third-string quarterback following a season-ending injury to J.T. Barrett the week before. Cardale Jones led the Buckeyes on an impressive game-opening drive en route to 12-of-17 passing for 257 yards and three touchdowns.
For the Badgers, the bowl game represents a fresh start. Gordon was held to 76 yards on 26 carries, and Joel Stave threw three interceptions. The Buckeyes gashed one of the best defenses in the country, at least statistical-wise in the first 12 games, to the tune of 558 yards, including scoring 38 points in the first quarter.
“We hurt,” Wisconsin coach Gary Andersen said after the loss to Ohio State. “If you want to get back in this game then we better figure out what went wrong tonight because this league is getting nothing but better and better.”
The Badgers (10-3) had won their previous two Big Ten title games and had their seven-game winning streak snapped. The Badgers are making their fifth straight bowl appearance in January. The Tigers (8-4, 4-4 SEC) and the Badgers are hooking up in a bowl game for the third time since 2003. Wisconsin defeated the No. 7 Tigers 24-10 in the Capital One Bowl in Barry Alvarez’s final game on Jan. 1, 2006.
“It’s a tremendous honor to be selected to play in the Outback Bowl and a great reward for our players and the terrific season they have had,” Andersen said.”
The Tampa Bay-based bowl is a battle between two of the top rushing teams in the country. Gordon is the nation’s leading rusher with 2,336 yards and 26 rushing touchdown. The Badgers rank fourth in the country in rushing, averaging 314 yards per game, including a whopping 6.9 yards per rush. The Tigers are 12th in the country with an average of 258.5 yards.
Unlike the Badgers, the Tigers have a number of quality runners. Cameron Artis-Payne leads the Tigers with 1,482 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns, while quarterback Nick Marshall has rushed for 780 yards and Corey Grant (334 yards) and Roc Thomas (214) are capable runners.
Wisconsin’s no-name defense, like coach Andersen likes to call them, had been one of the best units in the country until the Ohio State game. Marshall is one of the best running and throwing quarterbacks in the country. He will test Wisconsin’s leaky secondary with his arm, completing 60.1 percent of his passes for 2,315 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Wisconsin’s offensive line has come together this season to help Gordon and Corey Clement churn out big gains. The Tigers defense is formidable and battle-tested after playing in the rugged SEC. The Tigers allow 26.1 points and 388.7 yards per game this season.
The Badgers haven’t played an elite schedule, and that showed against Ohio State. Wisconsin’s soft schedule and recent bowl history are indicators of another possible blowout loss. Wisconsin is 0-3 in the Outback Bowl against SEC teams, and it lost four straight bowl games. LSU is the main common opponent between the two teams, with Auburn crushing LSU 41-7 and Wisconsin losing 28-24 to LSU on Aug. 30.
ROSTER REPORT
–C Dan Voltz aggravated a left-ankle injury on Wisconsin’s second drive in the Ohio State loss.
–S Michael Caputo is suffering from an injured shoulder.
–LB Derek Landisch is expected to play in the bowl game despite an injured elbow and shoulder.
–G Kyle Costigan is nursing a sore foot injury.
–DL Konrad Zagzebski is most likely out for the bowl game with an injured knee.