Each week leading up to the announcement of the Badgers' bowl destination on Dec. 4, Andy Baggot will take a look at one of Wisconsin's potential destinations. More information is available at UWBowlCentral.com.
BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin football team moved one step toward its primary goal, but its projected bowl status remains the same.
The Badgers became the undisputed champion of the Big Ten Conference West Division with their regular-season-ending 31-17 victory over archrival Minnesota last Saturday.
The triumph moved UW (10-2 overall) into the Big Ten Football Championship Game opposite Penn State (10-2) at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday.
Wisconsin's main objective is to win the league title, but it remains on the outer fringe of contention for a semifinal spot in the College Football Playoff.
The latest CFP committee rankings, released Tuesday, have the Badgers holding at No. 6. Even if they knock off Penn State and upsets occur in the Atlantic Coast and Pac-12 conference title games, the ratings imply that two other Big Ten teams — No. 2 Ohio State and No. 5 Michigan — would be chosen before them.
That's why most national media forecasts have UW beating the Nittany Lions and heading for the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Jan. 2. The question, as it was last week, is who will be the opponent?
Some, like Sports Illustrated, SB Nation and College Football Talk, believe it will be USC (9-3).
Others, like CBS Sports, Fox Sports and College Football News, project it will be Colorado.
The matchup depends largely on what happens in the Pac-12 title game between No. 4 Washington (11-1) and Colorado (10-2).
The ESPN reporting duo of Mark Schlabach and Brett McMurphy came to different conclusions about Wisconsin.
Schlabach is projecting the Badgers will play USC in the Rose Bowl. McMurphy has them losing to Penn State and facing Western Michigan (12-0) in the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas, on Jan. 2.
For complete details on potential bowl destinations, ticket information and travel packages, be sure to check out UWBowlCentral.com.
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