Badgers and Ducks in 2012 Rose Bowl

By Brigham | Posted Thursday, December 22

At least one of the two teams at the 2012 Rose Bowl will enjoy a feeling of redemption. The Wisconsin Badgers and the Oregon Ducks will both be returning to the field on which they each blew their previous chances at a Rose Bowl title. Wisconsin fell to Texas Christian University, and the Ducks lost to Ohio State in 2009. The Ducks and Badgers have battled each other in the regular season many times before. The Badgers won three of those match ups, but Oregon was victorious in the most recent meeting in Eugene.

Both teams finished the 2011 season at 11-2 and punched their ticket to the ninety-eighth annual Rose Bowl. To get there, the Badgers defeated Michigan State for the Big-10 title, while the Ducks hit the top of the PAC-12 with a win over UCLA. Wisconsin head coach Brett Bielema led his team through a nearly perfect season, all the way to back-to-back Rose Bowl games for just the second time in school history. The Wisconsin Badgers have lost three of their past four bowl games. Bielema's counter-part on the other side of the field, Chip Kelly, lifted his team to become the number one contender on the west coast, toppling rival USC. Kelly's record in the post-season is just as lackluster as Bielema's. In three seasons as head coach, Kelly has been unable to win a bowl game.

Both Coaches in Rose Bowl Looking for First Win

Both coaches expressed excitement when they heard the news that they would go head-to-head in the historic bowl, noting that it was nice to see the traditional PAC-12 versusBig-10 rivalry. In the past, Pasadena has been the meeting ground for the two power house conferences, but new BCS rules decide the placement of teams in bowl games. The Badgers have appeared in the Rose Bowl eight times overall, last winning behind the forces of Ron Dayne in 2000. Oregon, meanwhile, has played in Pasadena five times. Their last Rose Bowl victory was New Year’s day, 1917.