Ducks’ Rose Bowl Chances

The Oregon Ducks will take on the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2012 Rose Bowl. It will be the second time in the last three years that Oregon will play in “The Granddaddy of Them All.” According to vegasinsider.com the Ducks will be 6.5 point favorites. Both teams are high-scoring, offensive-minded squads led by their astounding running backs. Heisman trophy finalist Montee Ball has rushed for 32 touchdowns and 1,759 yards for the Badgers, leading the nation in both of those categories. LaMichael James is ninth nationally in rushing touchdowns with 17 and fourth nationally in rushing yards with 1,646. Steve von Horn of SB Nation had this to say about the offensive units for these two teams:

The Wisconsin Badgers, led by running back Montee Ball and senior quarterback Russell Wilson, have averaged 44.6 points per game this season, while LaMichael James and the high-flying Oregon Ducks average an even more impressive 46.2 points per game. These are averages folks.

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(photo credit: latimes.com)

James and Ball may be the two best players on the field when these teams meet, but neither team is supported solely by their running back. Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson ranks second in the nation in passer rating and has an out-of-this-world touchdown to interception ratio of 31 to 3. Wilson’s two favorite targets, Nick Toon and Jared Abbrederis, each caught over 50 passes and had over 800 yards receiving.

Oregon’s leading receiver is freshman De’Anthony Thomas. He caught 42 passes for 571 yards and nine touchdowns. Thomas also averaged 8.3 yards per carry and had five rushing touchdowns. Second-string running back, Kenjon Barner, garnered the statistics of a first-stringer: 909 yards and eleven touchdowns running the ball.

Wisconsin is typically credited as having one of the nation’s most powerful offensive lines, which makes life easier for Ball and Wilson to score. Oregon’s strength on offense is speed. The Rose Bowl will match these contrasting yet sensational styles of offense on January 2.

Aaron Klein
I am a journalism major at the University of Oregon. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota I moved to the greatest city in the world, Seattle, when I was one year old and have lived there ever since.