ORANGE BOWL
No. 6 WISCONSIN (12-1) at No. 11 MIAMI (10-2)
When: Dec. 30, 7 p.m. CST Site: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla. TV: ESPN
Outlook: Series tied 2-2, and Wisconsin won the most recent meeting in the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl. This is the consolation prize for a pair of teams that were undefeated entering Thanksgiving but ultimately fell in their respective conference title games. Wisconsin plowed through the manageable Big Ten West before encountering Ohio State in the league final, but it is still an imposing test for any opponent. Freshman TB Jonathan Taylor (1,847 yards) anchors a classic Badger ground-and-pound offense that ranks 21st nationally in rushing yards (229.2 per game) and 29th in scoring (33.8 points per game). Wisconsin’s ball control approach helped it finish the regular season ranked third in the country in time of possession (35:09), but it is hardly the offense that warrants the greatest accolades for the Badgers. Wisconsin leads the country in total defense
(253.2 yards per game allowed), and checks in at No. 2 (92.6 yards per game) and No. 4 against the pass. That will be quite the test for a Miami team which is one of four programs (along with Florida Atlantic, Memphis and Navy) that get to play in their home stadiums during this bowl season. The Hurricanes lost TB Mark Walton to injury in the middle of the season, and will be without two of QB Malik Rosier’s favorite targets --- TE Chris Herndon IV and WR Ahmmon Richards --- in the school’s first Orange Bowl appearance since after the
2003 season. Miami has dropped its last two games, and will likely need its ball-hawking defense --- the one that inspired the gaudy Turnover Chain --- to come up big if it is to avoid another setback.