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It's been well-documented by now that Wisconsin's players asked athletic director Barry Alvarez to coach the team in the 2013 Rose Bowl following the departure of head coach Bret Bielema to Arkansas. Alvarez was a longtime coach at Wisconsin, even facing Stanford once prior in the Rose Bowl back in the 2000 edition, and he is thrilled to have another shot to roam the sidelines, according to the Beloit Daily News:
"I thought these days are over," Alvarez said. "It’s like a Christmas present for me."
Alvarez is the most successful coach in Wisconsin football history. He amassed a 118-73-4 record from 1990 to 2005 with the program, taking the Badgers to three Rose Bowls. Alvarez has coached in 11 bowls overall, putting up and 8-3 record in those games.
Wisconsin was fortunate to make their third-straight trip to the Rose Bowl, as they benefited from postseason bans on Ohio State and Penn State. They will face a Stanford team that won the Pac-12 conference by defeating Oregon in Eugene, then posting consecutive wins over the UCLA Bruins.