It's Wisconsin! It's Oregon! It's the Rose Bowl! It doesn't get better than this.

As part of our blogger bet, David from Addicted to Quack and I agreed to exchange pieces on our respective teams. The theme of the piece was to be: five things you didn't know about the opposing team that could make the difference in the game. These things aren't necessarily good attributes, in fact in both cases we've listed items that could mean our respective team loses the Rose Bowl, and horribly.

My set of five things about Wisconsin is live over on Addicted to Quack, and below you'll find what David has to say about the Oregon Ducks. Take it away David...

1. The defense is sneaky good - The offense gets all the accolades, but its actually the change in defense that is most responsible for Oregon's success the last three years. Yes, they give up more yards and points than you normally think of a good defense giving up but, given the fast pace of the offense, they also face many more plays than most teams do. To get an apples to apples comparison, take a look at yards per play. The past three years, Oregon has finished first, first, and second in the Pac-10/12 in yards per play, and this despite routinely going 21-22 deep on that side of the football. They also rank second in the country with 43 sacks. Nobody is going to shut down Wisconsin. But when you're Oregon, you only need to hold them down enough times to outscore them. This defense could certainly be up to the task.

2. Oregon's receiving corps is-at best-the second worst in the Pac-12 - Last year's slot receiver, Lavasier Tuinei is now our starter on the outside and has no ability to stretch the field. Last year's #4, Josh Huff, is now Oregon's #2, but has been so injured that he hasn't seen a lot of the field, and never at 100%. The Ducks have been searching for a reliable #3 all season, a trip that has gone through walk-on Justin Hoffman, who started most of the season before being lost due to concussions, fellow walk-on Will Murphy, who will forever be known as a guy who routinely drops screen passes, JuCo transfer Rashaan Vaughn, who didn't do enough to hold down the job, and is currently occupied by Daryle Hawkins, who spent last year at QB and has had his share of the dropsies but has apparently managed better than the others. Only DeAnthony Thomas, who plays a good share at slot when he's not in the backfield, has been a reliable threat. Wisconsin's corners need to cover him. Don't worry so much about the other guys-they are unlikely to hold onto the ball.

3. Jackson Rice is one of the best punters in the nation - Rice is averaging 45.8 yards per punt this season, and only 15 of his 45 punts have even been returned. RB/WR/KR DeAnthony Thomas, arguably the freshman of the year in the nation, is also Oregon's punt return gunner, meaning that those that are returned don't get very far. Getting a stop on Oregon is only half the battle. Starting the next drive deep in your own territory is the other half.

4. The Ducks cannot kick field goals, at all - That USC game, where Alejandro Maldonado missed the 38 yarder to send it into overtime? That wasn't a fluke. 6-11 on field goals on the season, Maldonado is only 2-7 outside of 35 yards. If this game comes down to a field goal, Oregon is in trouble.

5. The Ducks haven't won a Rose Bowl since 1917 - That's 95 years. 95 freaking years. We need this. Don't screw it up for us.

Hey there Off Tacklers! Those of you who have been reading this site for a while have probably noticed something missing from this year's bowl season. The food bet. No, I haven't died -- but the holiday season and the unresponsiveness of Texas A&M bloggers made this a bit more challenging this year.

So, we're going to switch it up a bit. In years past, I've arranged for a food bet between myself and a blogger for whatever team Northwestern plays in their bowl game. I've lost. Every single time. But still, I continue. Persistence is a bitch, huh?

Anyway, this year I wasn't able to get a Texas A&M blogger to commit to a food bet. I know, I was disappointed too. But I did manage to set up a bet based on the outcome of the bowl for that other team that I write about. You know, the better one. Wisconsin. And since the bet involved Wisconsin, what better thing to put on the line than beer? I mean, it just seemed appropriate. After all, this is the land of Miller and Leinenkugels. Of Capital Brewery and New Glarus. Of Point Special and (*shudder*) Schlitz. Fortunately, friendly blogger David from Addicted to Quack agreed to the bet with me.

The terms are simple. Beer to the winner, and a frosty mug of bitter disappointment and salty, salty tears to the loser. So what do I have on the line? Why, none other than a nice six pack of one of my favorite Wisconsin beers, New Glarus' Cabin Fever Honey Bock. And, because shipping just a six pack seems a little cheap, I'm going to throw in a set of New Glarus Pilsner Glasses straight from the brewery gift shop. So what is the Cabin Fever Honey Bock you might ask. Well, this is how New Glarus describes it on their website:

"Cool days draw us close to the warmth of home fires. This is the season to sip away the chill and embrace quiet evenings with friends and family.

You hold a Wisconsin Style Honey Bock, easy going and more approachable than its traditional dark German cousin. Bock beers have existed in Wisconsin for over 150 years. This pale bock is brewed with an exclusive blend of Wisconsin two row barley that balances seamlessly with our special European hops. Naturally sweet Clover Honey was added in the kettle accenting warm flavor notes on your tongue.

Whether you reminisce the passing summer sun or thrill to squeaky steps through drifting snow one thing is certain about winter in Wisconsin, this too shall pass. "

Now doesn't that just make you want to drive all the way to Wisconsin to buy some? Yeah, me too. So what do I get if Wisconsin dominates Oregon in this year's Rose Bowl? Well... head on over to Addicted to Quack to find out.

How does one determine the importance of a Bowl? Well, I think it's pretty simple. Something like -

Preseason Expectations of the B1G team +

Preseason Expectations of the opposing team +

Meaningful nature of the Bowl +

National perception of the matchup +

Regional perception of the matchup +

B1G's perception of the matchup +

Importance of the matchup on regional/national levels +

Impact on 2012 season +

Impact on recruiting =

Bowl Importance

We could rate this with HilaryLee-like equations or graphs, but I think this shakes itself out nicely to give us an answer.

DOESN'T PASS THE SMELL TEST

TAMU-Northwestern is a big game...for Northwestern. If they win, streak over. And if Northwestern does win, people will just bemoan such a talented TAMU team falling apart. But on a national level, both teams are middle of the road.

Iowa-Oklahoma is actually more important than you would think, because a win here would be such a boost to the Hawkeyes (and a rarity too - a preseason #1 losing to an unranked team in a bowl game?). But it's still just a blip on the national level.

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It's now down to Kansas and Wisconsin for Dayne Crist.

This would of course be the second grad student exemption quarterback to come to Madison in as many years. And it's already pissing people off. Check out the OTE thread here and tell me - Who wasn't offended by the thought of Crist playing quarterback in Madison? Wisconsin fans were angry because DC was a TO machine at ND. These Badgers were also worried how this would affect recruiting of quarterbacks. B1G fans, especially Spartans, were offended that Wisconsin would use, and presumably abuse, the exemption rule two years in a row. Others were pissy about the rule in general.

So let's conversate for a few about this odd situation that sort of resembles free agency and helped Wisconsin win the B1G title in 2011.

Why Wisconsin Should Not Pursue Another Transfer QB by Ted Glover

Dear Wisconsin,

I can understand why you'd be wanting to dip into the Transfer QB well again--but for two ridiculous, 100-1 Hail Mary passes, you and Russell Wilson are talking about playing LSU in the BCS National Championship game.

But Dayne Crist is no Russell Wilson, and the 2012 Wisconsin Badgers aren't the 2011 Wisconsin Badgers.

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It's a lot of fun when you get a Heisman candidate from the B1G. Even though their candidacy most likely came at the expense of your team, most of the ire you felt towards the candidate is probably gone come Bowl Season. So we'll take a quick look at Montee Ball, the Wisconsin RB who is projected to finished 4th in the Heisman voting. I asked our writers - What did Montee Ball do to your team this year? Note: Montee Ball did not play against Michigan in 2011, but I watched him in East Lansing during the Hail Sparty game and Jesus - Ball was ridiculous. His body control, balance, and quickness remind me a sports car weaving through cones on a test track. The 25 lb. offseason weight loss turned Ball into a more versatile back. Sure, he can push a pile at 206 lbs, but his improved swerving and juking were something to behold. I tip my cap to someone who turned himself into "The Next Great Wisconsin Running Back."

Bonus Question - If Wisky goes 13-0 or 12-1, who gets the Heisman Credit, Russel Wilson or Ball? Intriguing...

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When the Big Ten expanded into divisions and adopted the championship game format, there was a lot of buzz about it, and rightly so. It was a seismic shift in how the Big Ten was doing business, and a lot of folks thought it was long overdue.

But then the conference's flagship program over the last decade was smacked by an NCAA investigation, after October there was no team in the conference that was a serious player for the BCS National Championship game, and although there were several very good teams, there were no great teams. Many people thought Wisconsin might, but consecutive, devastating losses to MSU and OSU ended that.

Leading up to the championship game, it didn't get a lot of attention, there was a sizeable contingent of fans that thought MSU's win over Bucky back in October was a fluke, and indoors on a neutral field this game would by a Red Rout. Accordingly, the Badgers were 9.5 point favorites at kickoff.

Yeah, all of the people who thought that can suck it. This was hands down the best conference championship game of the weekend, and one of the best games in the Big Ten this decade. Both teams took control, both teams fought back, and it came down to one play.

Sparty, no.

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Those of you who have read OTE for more than a year know that I have a little bit of a tradition with food bets when it comes to bowl games. Two years in a row I've lost out on tasty bbq thanks to Northwestern's ineptitude in the post-season football field. And yet, I continue to make these bets despite knowing that I have little chance of success.

Well this time, this time I think I might just win. To commemorate the very first ever Big Ten championship game, MSULaxer and I have agreed to make a food/beer bet on the outcome. If you're new in town or just especially forgetful, the way these things work is that each of us puts some food product on the line that best represents our school or our state, and the loser ships the product to the winner.

It's a simple thing, really, but I've always found that it adds just a little something extra to watching the games as they play out. And, like I said, I think this year I actually have a decent shot at winning. That's because I think Wisconsin is going to come away with this one handily.

Given that I'm in the midst of finals here in my last year of law school, I was unable to contribute my prediction for the game to the staff predictions post in time. But, I agree with the lines and the commentator consensus -- Bucky will come away with this game. Now, that's not because I think the Spartans are a bad team.... far from it. They got to the championship game, right? So by virtue of that fact alone they're pretty good.

Oh and... they did beat my Badgers once before, so I guess I have to give that to them. But all the same, I subscribe to the idea that lightening can't possibly strike twice. And that's what happened in the first game. I'm not just talking about the Hail Mary pass to end it here, though of course that is an example...

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