With a Pac-12 Championship in the bag, along with the bulk of a highly-touted recruiting class that features not one, but two, of the nation’s best linebackers in five-star talents Justin Flowe and Noah Sewell, it’s hard to deny the cresting wave of momentum the sixth-ranked Oregon Ducks are riding entering the 106th edition of the Rose Bowl Game this Wednesday.

The game itself fittingly punctuates a season that has seen the Oregon football program re-establish itself as not only a true Pac-12 contender, but as a program that may be ahead of schedule in its second season under Mario Cristobal when it comes to challenging for berths in the College Football Playoff and more. Wednesday’s game also offers duality, as it serves as not just the final test for a senior class at Oregon that has endured three different head coaches in four seasons, but also as a high-profile launch point for a young, talented core that will be tasked with building upon the success of this past season.

As it so often does, this year’s Rose Bowl Game will once again feature all of the necessary ingredients for another memorable, picturesque afternoon set against the backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains. With kickoff just days away, WFOD takes a closer look at the Ducks’ opponent on Wednesday in the eighth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers.

Wisconsin Badgers

2019 record: 10-3 overall, 7-2 in Big Ten
Last game: 21-34 loss vs. no. 1 Ohio State (Big Ten Championship Game)
Ranking: 8th in College Football Playoff/11th in AP Poll/11th in Coaches’ Poll
All-time record vs. Oregon: 3-2
When and where to watch: Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 2:00 p.m. (Pacific), ESPN

Items of note:

• This is the second time in the last nine years that the Ducks and Badgers have faced off in the Rose Bowl. The last meeting between the two sides resulted in a 45-38 win for Oregon.
• Oregon is riding a two-game win streak vs. Wisconsin, with their last wins against the Badgers coming in 2012 and 2001
• With a win, the Ducks will be 4-4 all-time in Rose Bowl games. Oregon has won their last two Rose Bowl games (2015 vs. Florida State, 2012 vs. Wisconsin).
• In nine Rose Bowl game appearances to date, the Badgers are 3-6 all-time.
• Wisconsin’s last win over Oregon came in 2000, when the Badgers narrowly defeated the Ducks 27-23 in Madison

Five Wisconsin names you should know:

5. Jack Coan (QB)

The steady hand guiding the Wisconsin offense this season is junior quarterback Jack Coan. Similar to the way in which Utah’s Tyler Huntley was the stabilizing force for the Utes offense in 2019, Coan has provided efficient and effective quarterback play for the Badgers. Though he may not possess the athletic ability of a player like Huntley, Coan rarely plays outside of his own means, as evidenced by his 70.1 completion percentage this season, which is nearly a 10 percent increase from the completion percentage he posted a season ago (60.2). At 6-foot-3 and 221 pounds, Coan has prototypical size for a quarterback, though doesn’t necessarily possess the arm talent you might otherwise expect of a player with his physical profile. Still, Coan has been consistent in his ability to give opposing defenses something to think about when the Badgers look to throw. With 2,541 yards, 17 touchdowns, and only four interceptions to his name, Coan will look to build upon those numbers against an Oregon secondary that has oscillated between suffocating and porous play this season.

4. Chris Orr (LB)

The strength of Wisconsin’s top 10 ranked defense nationally is their linebackers, and senior Chris Orr is a major catalyst for this unit. Standing at an even 6-feet and 224 pounds, Orr may be a bit undersized, but he is a player who has proven himself over the course of his collegiate career to be a more than reliable contributor. In fact, it seems Orr has saved his best for last in his final season in Madison, as the DeSoto (Texas) native is tied for the team lead in tackles (72) and forced fumbles (2), while ranking second in tackles for loss (13.5), sacks (11.5), and quarterback hurries (8). Orr is an ever-present force for the Badgers on defense, and in his final game in the Cardinal and White, he will once again be a focal point for an Oregon offense that hopes to carryover momentum from their dominant Pac-12 Championship victory earlier this month.

3. Quintez Cephus (WR)

Though the strength of Wisconsin offense is predicated on their ability to own the line of scrimmage and gash opposing defenses on the ground, they do have an explosive element that they’ve used to great success through the air. That element is junior wide receiver Quintez Cephus. After missing all of 2018 due to suspension, the Macon (Ga.) native returned to action this season clearly motivated to put the past behind him, as Cephus’ 52 catches for 842 yards and six touchdowns leads all Wisconsin pass catchers in those respective categories. Known for his outstanding speed and playmaking ability, the 6-foot-1, 207-pound Cephus is the preferred target for Badgers quarterback Jack Coan in the passing game and should be a player who is targeted often, particularly when Wisconsin looks to test the Ducks deep.

2. Zack Baun (LB)

Chris Orr, Jack Sanborn, and Zack Baun comprise the talented trio of linebackers Wisconsin expects to roll out Wednesday against Oregon, but it’s Baun who resides as the ringleader for this formidable bunch. At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, Baun stars at outside linebacker for the Badgers where he has enjoyed his most productive season to date in this his senior season. Entering Wednesday’s game, Baun leads Wisconsin and ranks second in the Big Ten in both tackles for loss (19.5) and sacks (12.5), while also leading the team in quarterback hurries (10) and fumbles forced (2). He’s also one off the team lead behind Orr and Sanborn in total tackles (71), solidifying Baun as the Badgers’ top playmaking presence on the defensive side of the ball. With his NFL draft stock skyrocketing, Baun will look to cap off his collegiate career with one more captivating performance in the “Granddaddy of them all.”

1. Jonathan Taylor (RB)

Few players in the history of college football have enjoyed the level of wild success that Jonathan Taylor has in three seasons at Wisconsin. Since stepping foot on campus in Madison prior to the 2017 season, Taylor has taken the Big Ten and nation by storm, rushing for no less than 1,900 in each of his three seasons as the Badgers starting running back, highlighted by his 2,194-yard campaign as a sophomore in 2018. The list of accolades Taylor has compiled throughout his illustrious career is legitimately too long to list in this space, but the cliff notes give you an idea of just how dominant the 5-foot-11, 219-pound Taylor has been. Not only is Taylor a two-time unanimous first-team All-American, but he’s only the third player ever to be named the Doak Walker Award winner (given to the nation’s top running back) in back-to-back seasons, joining Texas’ Ricky Williams and Arkansas’ Darren McFadden. Additionally, Taylor is a three-time consensus first-team All-Big Ten performer and is a player who has already cracked the top six all-time for the leading rushers in FBS history (6,080). Combining strength and between-the-tackles power with impressive breakaway speed, it’s not hyperbole to say that Taylor qualifies as one of the best collegiate running backs ever. He serves unquestionably as the toughest test the Oregon defense has faced not only this season, but in the last several seasons combined.

Top Photo: Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)