BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
Each week leading up to the announcement of the Badgers' bowl destination on Dec. 5, Andy Baggot will take a look at Wisconsin's potential destinations. More information is available at UWBowlCentral.com.
MADISON, Wis. — While the Wisconsin football team continues its surge toward another potential berth in the Big Ten Football Championship game, its projected place in the postseason bowl picture remains largely unchanged.
Most of the projections continue have the No. 18 Badgers playing Jan. 1 in Florida in either the Citrus Bowl in Orlando or Outback Bowl in Tampa.
However, a New Year's Day outlier has surfaced that might entice UW fans.
Sports Illustrated has Wisconsin (8-3 overall) facing Utah (8-3) in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. For that to happen, UW would have to either win the Big Ten title game or reach the Big Ten title game and qualify for a New Year's Six bowl by being one of the top 12 teams in the final College Football Playoff ranking on Dec. 5. Should a team from the Big Ten be selected to play in the College Football Playoff, the Tournament of Roses will traditionally select the next-highest CFP-ranked team from that conference. Wisconsin is currently ranked 14th heading into its regular-season finale at Minnesota.
The Badgers are no stranger to the Rose, of course. They've played there 10 times since 1953, winning three (1994, '99 and 2000) but also losing their last four in 2011, '12, '13 and '20. The four setbacks were by a combined 16 points (2, 7, 6 and 1).
Utah would offer a relatively new challenge, though. The schools met in the 1996 Copper Bowl when the Utes were members of the Mountain West Conference. UW prevailed 38-10.
But Utah has been a member of the Pac-12 Conference since 2011 and is having one of its best seasons. It has never played in the Rose Bowl.
College Football News and Yahoo Sports continue to project the Badgers in the Citrus Bowl opposite Texas A&M (8-3).
CBS Sports, The Athletic and Pro Football Network, meanwhile, have Wisconsin playing either Arkansas (7-4) or Kentucky (8-3) in the Outback Bowl.
2022 Bowl Buzz
