BetMGM has their updated 2020 national championship odds out and Notre Dame shows up pretty high on the list.
It feels like its a million years away but odds are out and have been wagered on in regards to college football’s 2020 national champion. The site we use to track here at Fighting Irish Wire, BetMGM, has their updated odds out and Notre Dame’s odds show up pretty high on the list.
As everyone can probably imagine, 2020 Notre Dame opponent Clemson is the odds on favorite to hoist the College Football Playoff trophy at the end of the year with +225 odds.
Ohio State (+300), Alabama (+450), LSU (+650), Georgia (+900) and Florida (+1400) check in next.
Odds via BetMGM. Access USATODAY Sports Betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated March 16 at 5:15 p.m. ET
Notre Dame’s biggest rival can be found with 40:1 odds as USC is actually tied with Oregon as the Pac-12’s best bets. Notre Dame’s October 3 opponent Wisconsin also checks in at 40-1 while for whatever it’s worth, Michigan can be found a little further down the list at 50-1.
Want to get in on the action? Place your bet now at BetMGM.
-Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Oregon tight end prospect Jake Breeland
Today’s NFL requires much of its tight ends, from helping out as a blocker in the run game to stretching all levels of the field as a pass-catcher.
If your favorite team is looking for a prospect in the 2020 NFL draft class who can do it all, Oregon’s Jake Breeland checks every box.
As he works his way back from injury in preparation for his jump to the pros, Breeland spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his experience at the NFL Scouting Combine, the status of his rehab, and what kind of player he’ll be at the next level.
JM: What was your experience like at the NFL Scouting Combine?
JB: It was good. There’s obviously a lot going on. I was just super happy to be there. I enjoyed the meetings and getting a chance to meet the coaching staffs. The tight end group was super cool. I met so many great guys out there. It was a good experience. I had a lot of fun.
JM: A knee injury that you suffered back in October kept you from competing, unfortunately. Where are you health-wise right now?
JB: The recovery has been going well. I’m about four and a half months out now. I’m feeling great. I’ve been doing a lot of running. I’ve recently started to do some change-of-direction stuff, which is a good sign. It’s going well. I feel great. I’ve been rehabbing every day. I’m getting stronger. I can’t wait to get back out there.
Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
JM: Did you have a lot of formal or informal meetings at the combine?
JB: I had a lot of informal interviews. They were all informal. I probably met with every team, with the exception of maybe 3-4 teams. I had a lot of interviews going on. It was a lot of fun.
JM: Do you have any private visits or workouts coming up, or is everything going down after the pro day?
JB: I actually have a meeting with the Los Angeles Rams tonight (March 11th). They’re down here in Oregon right now. I’m headed to my meeting with them after this interview actually. Our pro day is tomorrow (March 12th). I won’t be participating physically.
JM: What was the strangest question you were asked at the combine?
JB: I didn’t have too many weird ones. This one team asked me if I would change anything about myself. Another asked me what I’d be doing if I wasn’t playing football. I didn’t get anything too strange. I was asked if I would rather win the Super Bowl or be an All-Pro guy. It was all relatively standard.
JM: What’s your favorite part about playing the tight end position?
JB: I enjoy being able to do everything. I can split out wide and be a threat in the passing game. I can play in the slot or line up in the backfield. I can play next to the tackle and make an impact in the run game. You get asked to do a little bit of everything as a tight end. I can go out there and block. I love the versatility. You get a little bit of everything.
Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
JM: Do you have a favorite route to run?
JB: I would probably say the climb-over. It would be a 12-yard climb-over route. I can run it up the middle, but if it takes me too high, I’m able to split it up the middle. I love doing that. My speed serves me well. The climb-over is definitely my favorite route.
JM: Is Justin Herbert the best quarterback in the draft?
JB: To me, yes, he is. I got to play alongside him, and we really grew up together over these past few years. We actually lived together. He’s a great guy, both on and off the field. He’s developed into a tremendous athlete. He’s a great leader. He’s more of a vocal leader than he gets credit for in the media. To me, he’s by far the best quarterback in this draft.
JM: What kind of guy is Jake Breeland going to be at the next level?
JB: That’s a tough question to answer in such few words. I’m gonna be a loyal, trustworthy kind of guy. I played for three different head coaches at Oregon, and I decided to stick with it. I’ve been through a lot in my life, and I persevered through it all. I’m in it for the long run. I would love to play on the same team for a long time. I wanna play in the NFL for a long time. I love the game, and I love to compete. Whatever team gets me, they’re gonna get the best of me.
Georgia football was included in the top-12 of a 2021 5-star offensive tackle.
With National Signing Day just a few hours away, Georgia will be looking forward to receiving a National Letter of Intent from 2020 5-star offensive tackle Broderick Jones.
Once Jones’ letter is in, the Dawgs will shift their full focus to a certain 2021 5-star offensive tackle who included Georgia in his top-12 on Tuesday.
5-star Amarius Mims is a current junior at Bleckley High School in Cochran, Georgia. He ranks as the nation’s No. 3 offensive tackle, No. 2 player in the state of Georgia and No. 13 overall player in the country for the class of 2021.
Oh yeah, he is also 6-foot-8 and weighs 315 pounds.
Mims cut his list down to 12 and included: Georgia, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Alabama, Florida State, Southern Cal, Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, LSU, Clemson and Oregon.
That’s a lot of top shelf talent, but right now, according to the recruiting experts at 247Sports, all three crystal ball predictions have Mims staying in-state and playing Georgia.
Wisconsin dropped a 28-27 decision to Oregon in the Rose Bowl yesterday. Here are our top three takeaways from the game for the Badgers.
Wisconsin suffered a heartbreaking 28-27 defeat at the hands of Oregon in yesterday’s Rose Bowl Game. Here are our top three takeaways from the game for the Badgers.
The Badgers have no one to blame but themselves.
Jan 1, 2020; Pasadena, California, USA; Oregon Ducks running back CJ Verdell (7) runs against Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Chris Orr (54) in the fourth quarter in the 106th Rose Bowl game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
There’s no doubt that Wisconsin was on the wrong end of some brutal officiating throughout the game, most notably the atrocious offensive pass interference call on Danny Davis late in the fourth quarter that basically killed the Badgers’ potential game-winning drive.
That being said, as my colleague Matt Zemek astutely noted on Twitter in the aftermath of the game, if you put yourself in a position where you can get destroyed by one poor call, you have no one to blame but yourself. Unfortunately, this is exactly what Wisconsin did.
The Badgers, specifically the offense, could hardly have done more to hand this game to the Ducks on a silver platter.
By most accounts, Bucky was in complete control of this game. For example, Wisconsin outgained the Oregon 322 to 204 and crushed it in time of possession, 38:03 to 21:57. The defense was outstanding all night long. The Badgers had a 17-14 lead at halftime after an 11-yard touchdown reception by Quintez Cephus with 11 seconds left in the second quarter. Coming into the game, Wisconsin was 45-4 when leading at halftime in the Paul Chryst era.
The Badgers also led at the end of the third quarter. Bucky’s record under Chryst when this is the case? 47-3 (now 47-4).
Unfortunately, Wisconsin blew the game as a result of their own errors. The Badgers committed nine penalties that cost them 79 yards, with a few of those serving as absolute drive killers. However, to find the biggest reason for their demise you can point to four brutal turnovers, which Oregon took full advantage of by turning them into 21 points.
This is the reason why last night’s loss ranks right up there among the most painful for Wisconsin throughout recent years. The Badgers had a chance to finally take home a Rose Bowl victory for the first time since 2000, and instead of Oregon beating them, they flat out lost this game on their own.
More on the terrible call which hurt Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl
It was bad enough that the on-field officials in the 2020 Rose Bowl made a horrible call of offensive pass interference against Wisconsin’s Danny Davis late in the fourth quarter. It was bad enough that a simple play — a pick play — was completely misinterpreted. It was bad enough that a defender was able to drive into Davis, instead of Davis driving into the defender, and get rewarded for it.
It was worse that a longtime Big Ten college football official, now a rules expert for ESPN (among other duties removed from on-field officiating), defended the obviously bad call which helped Oregon gain a 28-27 win over the mistake-prone, turnover-plagued Badgers in Pasadena on New Year’s Day.
See the guy in the cover photo for this story? That is Bill LeMonnier. He is a very familiar face to Big Ten fans because he officiated Big Ten games for roughly a decade and a half. He has consulted on ESPN broadcasts for a few years as a rules expert. The people who do what LeMonnier does ought to be able to exercise good judgment, which is more important for any official in any sport than technical knowledge of the rule book.
Does that strike you as a controversial assertion? It shouldn’t. Judgment DOES matter more than rule book knowledge — not in the sense that rule book knowledge is less important (it isn’t), but that rule book knowledge means very little without the prudential judgment which can apply rules wisely. Judgment matters, for instance, when a 50-50 play involving a fumble occurs. The ref might think the runner is down, due to his observation of the play and his application of the rule book, but the ref has to know that he needs to let the play unfold so that the defense can return the fumble and get the benefit of a touchdown if it turns out the runner actually fumbled.
Having the judgment to not whistle the play dead matters more than knowing when a runner is down by contact. That is just one example of why rule book knowledge, as hugely important as it is to the job of officiating, matters less than knowing how to make a critical analytical judgment of a play… a play such as the one late in the Rose Bowl.
Look at the play:
An “expert” really told me the WR was wrong because he didn’t “stop” his route or “spin and get away from” the defender who reached out & grabbed him first 😶 pic.twitter.com/UbwsbFHJSd
You and I can look at the play and conclude that the Oregon defender reached out to Danny Davis first. However, let’s be generous here. Let’s be charitable and say that Davis reached out his arms to also engage the Oregon defender. Even if you are being generous with your interpretation, the worst you can say about Davis is that he was engaged in two-way contact with the Oregon defender. NO ONE — not one person — can look at the video of the play and yet say that Davis initiated contact AND was the sole creator of contact in the play.
Well… except Bill LeMonnier, who put all of the burden on Danny Davis to not do anything, and to have avoided all contact on the play. LeMonnier was the “I AM VERY INTELLIGENT” man in the Matt Bors cartoon from “The Nib.”
It’s bad enough that the on-field officials couldn’t discern that Danny Davis did not initiate contact. It is bad enough that the on-field officials looked at that play and determined that Davis, somehow, created the force and movement consistent with a pick play. That’s awful.
Yet, it is so much worse that a consultant and rules expert who has officiated for a long time processed all of this from the comfort of a press box, afforded the luxury of immediate replay technology, and STILL backed the bad call on the field. When a person in a position of influence — held up as an expert — can’t get a basic call right, we can get a greater understanding of why officiating, the system of officiating, the culture of officiating, and the reality of replay review, are all broken.
Poor Danny Davis. He committed a huge fumble. He lost his footing on a pass route. He had a terrible fourth quarter which hurt the Wisconsin Badgers in their 28-27 Rose Bowl loss to the Oregon Ducks. However, Davis was also unfairly flagged for offensive pass interference on a late third-down completion by Jack Coan inside the final four minutes of regulation. If that completion had stood, Wisconsin would have needed only 25 yards to get into long field goal range, and only 35 yards to get in manageable field goal range. The call was a gigantic one, and it was very plainly wrong.
It is something officials do need to look for: pick plays, in which a receiver picks off a defender by actively impeding the defensive player’s progress and obstructing the defender’s lane to the play. Some people still think today that when Clemson beat Alabama in the 2016 season’s national championship game, the Tigers ran a pick play at the goal line on the winning touchdown pass in the final seconds. If you have followed football long enough, you have seen pick-play calls decide games, one being the Notre Dame-Florida State regular-season game from 2014.
You can very plainly see in the video above that the Notre Dame receiver immediately starts driving the Florida State defender up the field, which can be construed as a block on a forward pass caught beyond the line of scrimmage. That is a pick play and pass interference. A receiver can’t bump or shove or initiate contact with the defender in various other ways.
Danny Davis didn’t do that. The Oregon defender jammed him and then held his jersey on or near the shoulders. Davis might have been on the verge of committing a pick play, but the Oregon defender jammed him and prevented a pick from being called. As soon as the Oregon defender initiated contact, the act of picking off the defensive player became an impossibility by rule. Davis was the recipient of contact, not the creator of it.
This was a relatively uncomplicated call, if only because Davis was clearly not the aggressor. Yet, the officials botched it.
“I know a pick play. A pick play is a friend of mine. Senator, you’re no pick play.” If this was a presidential debate, that’s what Wisconsin fans would be saying about that atrocious call near the end of the Rose Bowl.
Stunning visuals from the last Wisconsin-Oregon Rose Bowl
We’re not going to relive the ins and outs of the last time the Wisconsin Badgers played the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl, eight years ago. Simply enjoy the glorious sunshine and sharp visual details of this Rose Bowl photo gallery, made possible by the USA TODAY Sports library we are able to access here at Badgers Wire!
Happy New Year from all of us at Badgers Wire!
Jan 2, 2012; Pasadena, CA, USA; Panoramic view before the 2012 Rose Bowl game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Image of Sport-USA TODAY SportsJan 2, 2012; Pasadena, CA, USA; General view of the football helmets of the Wisconsin Badgers and the Oregon Ducks before the 2012 Rose Bowl game at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Image of Sport-USA TODAY SportsJan 2, 2012; Pasadena, CA, USA; General view of the 2012 Rose Bowl merchandise stand before the game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Image of Sport-USA TODAY SportsJan 2, 2012; Pasadena, CA, USA; Roses stamped with Oregon Ducks and Wisconsin Badgers logos prior to the game in the 2012 Rose Bowl game at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY SportsJan 2, 2012; Pasadena, CA, USA; A general view of the field prior to the game between the Oregon Ducks and the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2012 Rose Bowl game at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY SportsMandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY SportsJan 2, 2012; Pasadena, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers mascot leads the band as they take the field prior to the 2012 Rose Bowl game against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY SportsJan 2, 2012; Pasadena, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers players run onto the field before the 2012 Rose Bowl game against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Image of Sport-USA TODAY SportsMandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY SportsJan 2, 2012; Pasadena, CA, USA; The Wisconsin Badgers marching band performs during the halftime in the 2012 Rose Bowl game against Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY SportsMandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY SportsJanuary 2, 2012; Pasadena, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Russell Wilson (16) runs the ball against the defense of Oregon Ducks defensive back Troy Hill (2) for a touchdown during the 2012 Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY SportsMandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY SportsJan 2, 2012; Pasadena, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Monte Ball (28) carries the ball and leaps over Oregon Ducks defensive back John Boyett (20) and Terrance Mitchell (27) in the 2012 Rose Bowl game at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY SportsJan 2, 2012; Pasadena, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Chris Borland (44) pressures Oregon Ducks quarterback Darron Thomas (5) in the 2012 Rose Bowl game at the Rose Bowl. Oregon defeated Wisconsin 45-38. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Image of Sport-USA TODAY SportsMandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY SportsJanuary 2, 2012; Pasadena, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Nick Toon (1) scores a touchdown ahead of Oregon Ducks cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (14) during the second half during the 2012 Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY SportsJan 2, 2012; Pasadena, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Russell Wilson (16) during the 2012 Rose Bowl game against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Image of Sport-USA TODAY SportsJan 2, 2012; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks running back De’Anthony Thomas (6) is tackled by Wisconsin Badgers defensive back Marcus Cromartie (14) in the 2012 Rose Bowl game at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Image of Sport-USA TODAY SportsJanuary 2, 2012; Pasadena, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers safety Aaron Henry (7) runs the ball after intercepting a pass against the Oregon Ducks during the second half during the 2012 Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY SportsMandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Image of Sport-USA TODAY SportsMandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
The week leading up to the 2020 Rose Bowl between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Oregon Ducks included this very interesting note on Jack Coan from Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Finally got #Badgers QB Jack Coan to acknowledge he was banged up and limited in a few games this season. Just didn’t want to make excuses. OC Joe Rudolph said they had Graham Mertz ready if needed but Coan played through it.
There were times in the 2019 season when Jack Coan played like a relatively ordinary quarterback. In the Minnesota game, however, Coan markedly improved. In the first half of the Big Ten Championship Game against Ohio State, Coan was legitimately dynamic, overwhelming the Buckeyes with a combination of accuracy, speed, and supreme field awareness. Wisconsin played its best half of football of 2019 in that game. Jack Coan was central to the Badgers’ evolution before Ohio State’s defense regrouped in the second half and shut out the Badgers.
The way Coan played in portions of the season (the middle third of the season, to be more precise), contrasted with the way he performed at the end of the season, reinforces the notion that Coan was physically limited and then able to become whole again. Many people might have suspected this all along, but now we have genuine confirmation of the reality. This is one of the foremost reasons Wisconsin should feel quietly confident about its chances against the Oregon Ducks in Pasadena — not overconfident, not comfortable, but prepared for whatever the Pac-12 champions might throw their way.
Wisconsin is certainly capable of playing offense the way it did in the first half against Ohio State… and in this game, UW won’t be facing the Buckeyes. The Badgers won’t have to figure out a set of athletes as imposing as the group fielded by Ohio State. This is no knock on Oregon, merely a comparison with OSU, which was clearly one of the top three teams in the United States this year.
If Wisconsin and Jack Coan could give that monstrously talented Ohio State team a legitimate game, they can beat Oregon. If, on New Year’s Day in the Arroyo Seco, we see the iteration of Coan who smoked the Buckeyes in the first 30 minutes, Wisconsin should love its chances.
Jack Coan didn’t want to make any excuses for the times in 2019 when he didn’t play his very best. That is commendable. Coan can now do all the talking he needs to do against Oregon in the first Granddaddy of the 2020s. None of that talking needs to include a single word. A winning performance would be more than enough of a statement.
Here are five Oregon Ducks who Badger fans should keep a close eye on throughout the 106th Rose Bowl game on New Years Day.
Here are five players on Oregon’s roster who Badger fans should keep a close eye on throughout Wednesday’s Rose Bowl Game.
Justin Herbert – Quarterback
2019 stats: 66.7% passing, 3,333 yds, 32 TD, 5 INT
Herbert almost certainly would have been a first-round selection in last year’s NFL draft after an excellent junior season, but the Eugene, Ore. native opted to return for his senior year for one last opportunity to lead his hometown Ducks to a Pac-12 title and College Football Playoff berth.
While he wasn’t able to accomplish the latter, Herbert is still a lock for the first round of this spring’s draft after enjoying the best statistical season of his career in 2019. The 6-6, 237-pound signal-caller has put up career-highs in both passing yards (No. 3 in the Pac-12) and touchdowns (No. 2), and his 158.7 passing efficiency rating (PER) is the third-best in the conference.
Herbert will end his college career near the top of several all-time (at least since 1956) Pac-12 lists, including career passing yards (currently No. 16), passing touchdowns (No. 6) and PER (No. 9).
Oct 26, 2019; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks running back CJ Verdell (7) picks up a first down during the second half against the Washington State Cougars at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Verdell won’t be the best running back to take the field in Wednesday’s Rose Bowl Game (that distinction goes to No. 23 in the Cardinal and White), but make no mistake, that is very rarely the case.
The sophomore from Chula Vista, Calif. had a huge redshirt freshman season in 2018 as the only Power 5 player nationally with at least 1,000 yards rushing and 300 yards receiving, and he has not fallen off a bit this year. A Second-Team All-Pac-12 performer this season, Verdell ranks at the top of the conference in yards per carry and is second in rushing yards.
Aside from J.K. Dobbins of Ohio State, this is the most talented back the Wisconsin defense has faced all season.
A look at the Rose Bowl’s two best offensive linemen
Aside from prolific running backs and outstanding quarterback play, the 2020 Rose Bowl will also feature a rare matchup of two first-round offensive linemen playing for different teams. Both the Wisconsin Badgers and the Oregon Ducks are fielding two of the nation’s premier offensive linemen and both men will be critical to their team’s success on January 1. While their styles of play and positional objectives are vastly different, their levels of importance to their teams and what they do on offense are extremely similar. If they are having a good day as individual players, their teams are usually having a good day as well.
For the Wisconsin Badgers, Tyler Biadasz takes the field as the Rimington Trophy winner, given to the nation’s top center. He was a first-team Big Ten selection and an AP All-American. Picked by several pundits as the No. 1 interior lineman in the upcoming NFL Draft, Biadasz has yet to declare his intentions but surely must be weighing his options after an impressive haul of personal awards. As crazy as it may seem with Wisconsin having such a pronounced history of successful running backs, Biadasz is the Badgers’ first-ever Rimington Trophy winner. There’s not much left for him to win as a center. Biadasz can do it all. He’s sound in pass protection and firm off the ball as a run-blocker. In fact, he was a finalist for another trophy that will be mentioned in this column — The Outland Trophy.
The winner of this year’s Outland Trophy, given to the nation’s top interior lineman, was Penei Sewell of Oregon. Sewell and Biadasz going pro in the same class would give general managers sleepless nights when making a decision between the two, but fortunately for the GMs, Sewell has another year to play before he is eligible to go pro. He will certainly be talked about as a top-10 pick when he does go pro, however. In 466 pass-blocking snaps, Sewell has allowed only seven pressures and zero sacks. Sewell gets the job done.
Both of these offensive linemen are critical to what their teams do on offense. Sewell’s ability to keep Oregon QB Justin Herbert clean has allowed Herbert to throw for 3,333 yards, 32 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. As talked about in our look at the quarterbacks in this game, the ability to play mistake-free and turnover-free football has enabled these teams to thrive against tough competition. On the other side, Biadasz has led the way for the nation’s top running back two years in a row. Jonathan Taylor is part of a running back room that ran for more than 1,400 of Wisconsin’s 3,127 total rushing yards up the middle.
In any other year, Justin Herbert is likely being fawned over and projected as a No. 1 overall pick. But Joe Burrow isn’t any other player and he has stolen a lot of shine from Herbert. As a result, people have somewhat overlooked how dominant Sewell is on that Oregon offensive line. Just put on tape of the Ducks’ passing game; his play will immediately jump out at you. There won’t be a need to ask which player he is, that will become evident in less than a minute.
If Sewell and the Ducks can keep Herbert clean, they’ll have a chance to pick apart Wisconsin’s 16th-ranked passing defense… or, as an alternative viewpoint, Wisconsin will have a chance to show the nation why its defense is ranked that high. The Badgers have the nation’s 14th-ranked passing efficiency defense. Given Oregon’s run defense ranking, one of these things is likely to break in Pasadena.
The Ducks will have to find a way to budge Biadasz off the snap and get to Taylor. If Wisconsin can block for Taylor, he will have a chance to humble Oregon’s 10th-ranked rushing defense. The Badgers enter the game with the nation’s 15th-ranked rushing offense. The Ducks are either going to shut Taylor down, or Taylor is going to show the nation why he’s the Doak Walker Award winner, given to the nation’s top running back, two years in a row.
There are already many reasons to tune in to the 2020 Rose Bowl. There are prolific running backs, NFL-ready quarterbacks, solid defenses, and the guys up front deserve some love. If you’re into offensive line play, this really is the game to watch. You won’t find a bowl game with two better offensive linemen on the same field. Tyler Biadasz and Penei Sewell are the cogs in the wheels of these offenses.
