In this 2020 edition of the Rose Bowl Game, we will see the Oregon Ducks take on the Wisconsin Badgers. This might not be a College Football Playoff match up this year but it is still the Granddaddy of them All. The Ducks made it through by toppling the Utah Utes in the PAC-12 Championship. The Badgers might have lost the BIG-10 Championship but since Ohio State is in contention for the National Championship, Wisconsin will take the role of top-seeded BIG-10 School.
This will be the Ducks’ eighth Rose Bowl appearance and the fourth time in this decade. Similarly, this is Wisconsin’s fourth appearance this decade and tenth time they have made it the granddaddy of bowl games. The last time these two programs faced off against each other at the Rose Bowl was in 2012 where we saw a young Russel Wilson leading the Badgers. Oregon was able to come away with the win in 2012, narrowly beating the Badgers 45-38. Oregon is 3-4 in prior Rose Bowl appearances, whereas Wisconsin is 3-6. Wisconsin has looked really good this year and even gave Ohio State some trouble in the first half of the BIG-10 Championship. Oregon who were considered the underdogs in the PAC-12 Championship simply overpowered a strong Utah team. If I was to guess we could be in for another high scoring Rose Bowl this year.
Oregon’s Justin Herbert is having a solid year under center with 3,333 yards, 32 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. Herbert also lit up the Utah Utes with a display of his talent. The big question and thing to watch are how will Herbert and the Ducks offense be able to handle the Badgers stingy defense. Wisconsin going into this matchup has the 10th best defense in the nation. It will be interesting to see if Herbert and the Ducks offense can crack open that defense and find the end zone enough times to take home the win. Wisconsin is a storied program that absolutely loves to rush the ball and control the game clock. When you have a star running back in Jonathan Taylor it would be foolish not to run the ball as much as possible. Taylor going into this game is sitting as the second-best running back in the nation with 1,909 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns. Oregon’s defense has yet to see this type of production and this type of stingy defense thus far. It will definitely be an exciting match up as both teams have been doing great this year and will clash on the gridiron this coming New Years Day.
“The Granddaddy of them All” as the saying goes when speaking about the Rose Bowl. Throughout the years it has had some of the most memorial games in all of college football. Who will when this 106th edition of the Rose Bowl? Tune into ESPN on January 1st 2020 at 2:00 PM (PT) and find out. If its anything like the last two years we could see even more history being made.
Written by Robert Henry
