After a short hiatus (mostly because I had an absurdly busy week), we’re back to finish looking back on how the Big Ten did in bowl games.
1. How did the bowl performance end the 2019 season? Was it a fitting end or a poor performance, etc.
2. What impact, if any, will it have on the 2020 season.
2020 Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs Oregon
The matchup
Coming in, fans expected a great game, which is exactly what they got. Oregon had an elite quarterback in Justin Herbert, while Wisconsin came in with its usual power setup. Talented defense, fast receivers, and most importantly an elite running back behind an elite offensive line has defined Wisconsin football this decade, and the 2019 team was no different. The Badgers and the Ducks were two highly talented teams, and winning the Rose Bowl would have been a boost for each program.
What went right
Wisconsin dominated this game. The Badgers had more first downs, rushing yards, passing yards (and total yards, obviously), dominated the time of possession, return yards, sacks, and tackles for loss. Wisconsin returned a kickoff for a touchdown. The Badgers even went a whopping 4-5 on fourth downs. This was as solid a Wisconsin team as ever, playing as solid a game as it ever has. If you looked at just the box score, you would expect an easy Wisconsin victory… aside from one thing.
What went wrong
The loss gets more blame than just the fumbles, but they were a big deal. Wisconsin lost three fumbles over the course of the game, two in the second half. Both also turned into instant touchdowns for Oregon. One–on the opening drive of the second half–was returned for a touchdown. Another second-half fumble was immediately followed by a Ducks touchdown, on the very next play. It’s very hard to overcome something like that, especially when you play the game control type of football that Wisconsin does. We also won’t go too into the badd offensive pass interference call at the end, because Wisconsin should have had the game in hand long before that.
Next… 2019 wrap-up and 2020 impact
2019 wrap-up
In a way, this game encapsulated the Wisconsin season perfectly. The Badgers were clearly talented and dominated games all year. They played a poor one against Illinois, and just weren’t good enough to beat Ohio State. The team limited mistakes during the season, but when push came to shove in the biggest moments, Wisconsin just didn’t have the goods. The Badgers fared better against Oregon than Ohio State (because Oregon wasn’t elite like Ohio State), but the end result was just the same.
More so than any of the other three Big Ten non-CFP bowl losses, all of which I described as “missed opportunities” rather than outright negatives, this loss was indeed a negative. Wisconsin had a great team, but not quite a great season to show for it. Finishing at No. 11 and No. 13 in the major polls with two ranked wins is a good year, for sure. But the Badgers had a season worthy of a great year and maybe a Top 5 finish. That could have–likely would have–happened with a win. Instead, this season goes down as just another good one for the badgers. It should have been so much more.
2020 Impact
Fortunately for the Badgers, this loss likely won’t impact the 2020 season much. Sure, a Rose Bowl win would have helped recruiting and fan interest. Next year is set up as a huge potential season anyway. The Badgers don’t play Penn State or Ohio State in cross-divisional play, but they do travel to face Michigan in Week 4.
In fact, the first six weeks of Wisconsin’s season will likely tell us whether the Badgers are a potential Playoff contender or in for yet again just another good year. In Weeks 3-6, Wisconsin will face Appalachian State, Michigan, Notre Dame, and then Minnesota. The Michigan game is on the road, while the other three are home games. (Well, the Notre Dame is at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, so we’ll call that a neutral-site home game for Wisconsin.)
Start 6-0, and Wisconsin will be a favorite as a potential Playoff team. Start 5-1, and we’re likely looking at another Top 5-10 season. If the Badgers start out 4-2 or worse, though, we’ll see this trend continue. Wisconsin will still be a good team, and also still won’t be over the hump that separates good from great.
