The Wisconsin Badgers will go to a bowl game for the 13th straight season and will play on New Year’s Day for a fifth straight year as well. It’s a small consolation for a team who just got whooped 59-0 less than 24 hours ago, but finding No. 19 Auburn across the field from them on Jan. 1, 2015 also presents a great opportunity.
“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,” head coach Gary Andersen said in a statement released by the athletic department. “Tampa is a great destination for our team and fans and Auburn is a very quality opponent from a great conference. We are looking forward to the matchup.”
Wisconsin will face a seriously difficult Auburn (8-4, 4-4 SEC) team, looking for redemption for its own season of “what ifs” and close calls. Three of the Tigers’ four losses were of a variety very familiar to Badger fans — 10 points or less.
The Tigers feature one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country in Nick Marshall and have a running back, Cameron Artis-Payne, who rushed for nearly 1,500 yards this season.
Here is how the team stacks up statistically:
(Stat/SEC rank/where it ranks in B1G/national rank)
Scoring Offense: 35.8 ppg/4th/4th/23rd
Total Offense: 489.2 ypg/3rd/3rd/17th
Rushing Offense: 258.5 ypg/1st/4th/12th
Passing Offense: 230.7 ypg/7th/6th/64th
Scoring Defense: 26.1 ppg/10th/10th/60th
Total Defense: 388.7 ypg/9th/10th/61st
Rushing Defense: 149.5 ypg/8th/5th/46th
Passing Defense: 239.2 ypg/13th/14th/85th
*all stats courtesy CFBstats.com
The numbers speak volumes about the quality test the Badgers defense is about to get, but they also speak volumes as to why they lost four games this season — its defense wasn’t very good.
Hence the firing of defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, who had been on Gus Malzhan’s staff each of the last two years.
So while the SEC moniker could scare the crap out of any Badger fan after what was witnessed in the Big Ten championship game, this is a team that is quality but also beatable.
Let’s also remember the happy memory of Wisconsin upsetting Auburn 24-10 in the 2007 Capital One Bowl, sending Barry Alvarez out as a winner in his final game.
We’ll have much more on this game as the time draws closer, so make sure you check us out on Twitter @MTBadgers and ‘Like’ us on Facebook.
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