The No. 6 Oregon Ducks and No. 9 Wisconsin Badgers provide one of the best matchups of the college football bowl season as they prepare to do battle in the 2012 Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Here is a preview of the matchup, by the numbers:
90.8: The number of combined points, on average, scored by the Ducks and Badgers this season. Oregon is third in the country with a 46.2 points per game, while Wisconsin is fourth at 44.6 points per contest.
982.1: The number of total yards on offense averaged by the two teams. Oregon is sixth in the nation averaging 515.2 offensive yards per contest, while Wisconsin is 15th at 466.9 yards per game.
Three: The number of seasons with 1,500 or more yards rushing by Oregon junior running back LaMichael James, including 1,646 yards this season. James, who leads the country averaging 150 rushing yards per game, is the only running back in Pac-12 history with three seasons of 1,500 rushing yards or more.
38: The number of touchdowns by Wisconsin junior tailback Montee Ball, including 32 rushing touchdowns and six receiving. Ball is one touchdown shy of tying the NCAA record for most touchdowns in a single season, set by Barry Sanders at Oklahoma State in 1988.
One: Both running backs can lay claim to being the top running back in the country. Ball leads the nation with 1,759 total rushing yards, while James leads the country with an average of 150 rushing yards per game.
200: James has run for 200 yards on the ground in four different games this season, and seven times in his college career. He had three consecutive games of 200 rushing yards earlier in the season, the first Pac-12 running back to do so since Marcus Allen for the USC Trojans in 1981.
61, 9: The number of combined touchdowns and interceptions, respectively, thrown by Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson and Oregon signal caller Darron Thomas. Wilson, a senior transfer from North Carolina State, threw for 31 touchdowns and just three interceptions, including no picks in his last six games, a span of 139 consecutive passes with 16 touchdowns during that span. Thomas had 30 touchdowns for the second consecutive season, and has a total of 60 touchdowns and only 15 interceptions over the last two seasons.
19-1: Both teams are accustomed to leading at halftime, as Oregon and Wisconsin have each held a halftime lead in 10 of their 13 games this season. The Ducks are 10-0 when leading at the half, while Wisconsin is 9-1 in such games. The only loss for the Badgers this season after leading at halftime came on October 29 at Ohio State.
10: This is the third game of the season for both schools against a team ranked in the top 10 in either the Associated Press of USA Today coaches polls. Wisconsin is 2-0 in such games this season, with wins over Nebraska and Michigan State (in the Big Ten title game), and 3-5 against the top 10 under head coach Bret Bielema. Oregon is 1-1 against the top 10 this year, with a loss in their opening game to undefeated and top-ranked LSU and a win at Stanford that secured the Pac-12 North Division title for the Ducks. Oregon is 4-3 against top-10 teams under head coach Chip Kelly.
1917: The last time Oregon won the Rose Bowl, when they beat Penn 14-0. This is the Ducks' sixth trip to Pasadena, and second in the last three years.
The 2012 Rose Bowl Game will be played on Monday, January 2, 2012 in Pasadena. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. PST. The game will be televised by ESPN, with Brent Musberger, Kirk Herbstreit, and Erin Andrews on the call.