Our 2013 bowl predictions continue on Tuesday, January 1st with the Rose Bowl, and we are set to make our Rose Bowl predictions, tips, and keys to the game for the duel between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Stanford Cardinal.

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2012-13 Bowl Game Schedule And Other Bowl Game Previews

2013 Rose Bowl: Wisconsin Badgers vs. Stanford Cardinal
2013 Rose Bowl Location: Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, CA
2013 Rose Bowl Date/Time: Tuesday, January 1st, 5:00 p.m. (ET)
2013 Rose Bowl On TV: ESPN, Watch ESPN

Key #1: The Badgers have to prove that they are a lot better than an 8-5 team
It almost seems like an insult that an 8-5 team is playing in the Rose Bowl this year. Granted, we know that the only reason that Wisconsin even had the chance to play in the Granddaddy of them All this year is because of the way that the Big Ten happened to shake out with both the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Ohio State Buckeyes on bowl probation. It’s tough to say that this is your average 8-5 team, though. The team lost its five games this year by a combined 19 points, and all but one of those losses came against teams that went on to win at least nine games. And, one of those losses against the Nebraska Cornhuskers was avenged in the Big Ten Championship Game. The schedule actually ended up being a lot tougher than we thought at the outset of the year, and there is a real chance for Wisky to prove that it is worthy of finishing ranked in the Top 25 if it can pull off this upset. There’s a reason that this team is playing in its third straight Rose Bowl in spite of the fact that it has used six different quarterbacks in that stretch.

Rose Bowl Odds at WagerWeb Sportsbook
Wisconsin Badgers +5.5
Stanford Cardinal -5.5
Over/Under 47.5
Click Here to Bet Your Rose Bowl Picks!

Key #2: The offensive line for the Badgers and the defensive line for the Cardinal have to put on shows against the other
This is a heck of a battle between two units that are just flat out awesome. The offensive line for the Badgers is always one of the best in the nation, and this year has been no exception. In spite of the fact that the team has absolutely no passing game whatsoever, this OL just continues to be one of the best in the nation. RB Montee Ball, RB James White, and RB Melvin Gordon are great, but they wouldn’t get to 3,099 yards combined without a great front five. These three backs averaged 6.14 yards per carry this year, and that doesn’t happen for even the best backs in the game without an outstanding line. The defensive front for Stanford doesn’t get much help from the linebackers in the form of blitzes, but that doesn’t make this group ineffective by any stretch of the imagination. The Cardinal allowed just 88.0 yards per game this year on the ground, and that was the third best mark in the entire nation. Whichever team wins the battle in the trenches is going to be the team that has the upper hand in this game.

Key #3: One of these teams has to produce some form of a passing game
The Badgers have been through a ton of quarterbacks this year. QB Danny O’Brien simply stunk, and he was done after just a few games this year. After that, QB Joel Stave took over and completed 59.3 percent of his passes for 1,104 yards before getting hurt. Now, it’s up to QB Curt Phillips, who has started the last three games for Wisky. The team hasn’t played all that well offensively with Phillips in the lineup, and probably for a good reason. He’s a senior that had only thrown 12 passes in his career prior to this year without throwing a touchdown. On the other side of the field, Stanford has quarterback issues as well. QB Josh Nunes completed just 52.8 percent of his passes and threw seven picks against 10 scores before Head Coach David Shaw pulled the plug on him. Now, it’s up to QB Kevin Hogan, who is the future of the Stanford offense to get the job done. A highly touted recruit, Hogan hasn’t disappointed, but he hasn’t been asked to do much. He mostly throws very simple passes and gets the job done with his legs, which is why his completion percentage is so high at 72.9 percent. That being said, one of these teams badly needs to come up with a great game from their quarterback, and whichever one comes up with it will have the better chance of beating the college football betting odds in this one.

Purchase Via Credit Card	Purchase By Paypal

Last year, the Big Ten ended up featuring five teams ranked in the Top 20 in the country. Two of those teams, the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Wisconsin Badgers, were amongst the best, and they were both contenders for the Rose Bowl for most of the year. Of course, we know that it was Wisconsin that ended up going to Pasadena a campaign ago, while Nebraska was left out of all of the action after losing just three conference games. The Badgers are likely to waltz to the Big Ten Championship Game once again this year, but Nebraska is going to have a heck of a road to be able to get there. One of those tough games comes against this Wisconsin outfit, which will come to Lincoln for the first time ever to end the month of September. Join us for our Wisconsin @ Nebraska college football picks for what should be one of the best games of the year in the Big 10, and a game that could legitimately be a preview of what is to come down the road in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers Picks & Info
Wisconsin Badgers vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers Date: Saturday, September 29th
Wisconsin Badgers vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE
Wisconsin Badgers vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers Spread: Nebraska Cornhuskers -3

Those tricky Badgers did well last year to make it to the Rose Bowl, but we also have to remember that Nebraska came to Camp Randall, and the only two losses over the course of the season came against Michigan State and Ohio State. Both games came on the road. In fact, it has been quite some time since Wisconsin has won a legitimate road game of note, and this is going to be the first, and really quite possibly the only big time road test that this team has to face this year. QB Joe Brennan is definitely no Russell Wilson, but at least he is going to have the pleasure of having RB Montee Ball in the backfield to hand the rock to. The Heisman Trophy finalist from a year ago knows that this is the type of game in which he can make himself a lot of money, as he could be a first round draft pick this coming year in the NFL Draft. The defense has six returning starters but is very deep, and this unit will have to really buckle down to be able to shut down the Big Red offense.

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers Past Games (Since 1995)
2011: Wisconsin 48 – Nebraska 17

The Cornhuskers are only going to go as far as QB Taylor Martinez takes them. Last year, getting just 17 points on the board in Camp Randall clearly didn’t cut it, especially knowing that he turned the ball over three times and completed just 50.0 percent of his passes in the effort. He is going to have to do a lot better job this year against this defense to have any chance whatsoever of winning this game. The Huskers don’t have a heck of a lot of big time playmakers on defense, but they do have a lot of experience coming back this year with eight returning starters. This unit was embarrassed last year in Madison, allowing 48 points in a game that was a romp from the second quarter on, and Head Coach Bo Pelini knows that this is the type of game that his squad has to win if it wants to contend to go to the Rose Bowl and play for a National Championship.

Wisconsin @ Nebraska Free Picks^^: We are a bit puzzled as to why Nebraska is really favored in this game. We think that it is clear that Wisconsin has the better of the two sides, and with a legitimate chance at the BCS National Championship potentially on the line, the Badgers just aren’t going to relent. Martinez hasn’t proven that he can win big games, as he just hasn’t played well in bowls and isn’t going to be one of the elite quarterbacks in a Big Ten where all of a sudden, quarterback play looks awfully good. Look for Ball to run all over the Nebraska defense in what will turn out to be another great victory for the Badgers.

^^Please Note: The Wisconsin @ Nebraska picks listed above on our sports betting blog are made by our staff writers. These football picks are based upon the betting lines listed in August 2012 and do not reflect the actual expert handicapping picks at Bankroll Sports. Click Here to receive our premium expert handicappers NCAA Football Picks for the 2012 campaign.

You can purchase our premium Wisconsin vs. Nebraska picks from our experts on Saturday, 9/29

Last year was the first time that the Big Ten Championship Game was played in Detroit, and it featured the Michigan State Spartans and the Wisconsin Badgers. That being said, October 27th is going to be the first time that these two teams end up sharing the field together, and it might be a game with the same level of importance. Depending upon how the rest of the Big Ten schedule goes, this third meeting between these squads in the last 12 months might be the first of two meetings this year. The two could very reasonably meet again in the Big Ten Championship Game, but it is going to take a lot of work for both squads. This is a great matchup for our NCAA football picks, and it is deservingly the No. 16 game on our countdown on the Top 25 games in 2012.

Michigan State Spartans @ Wisconsin Badgers Picks & Info
Michigan State Spartans @ Wisconsin Badgers Date: Saturday, October 27th
Michigan State Spartans @ Wisconsin Badgers Location: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
Michigan State Spartans @ Wisconsin Badgers Spread: Wisconsin Badgers -5

This is going to be the biggest test in the Big Ten season for QB Andrew Maxwell. We have already spoken about Maxwell as the new thing in East Lansing, and he and a very new crop of receivers will now have a bunch of games under their belts before having to go to Camp Randall. Maxwell knows that he is going to have to use his arms and his legs to be able to beat the Badgers, who always have one of the best and most ferocious defenses in the Big Ten, and in the country as a whole. Sparty is going to be counting on its defense as well, knowing that this unit returns so many big time starters like DE William Gholston, who might be one of the best pass rushers in the land. Against what could be a very raw Wisconsin passing attack, Gholston might really be able to be the difference maker.

Michigan State Spartans vs. Wisconsin Badgers Past Games (Since 1995)
2011: Wisconsin 42 – Michigan State 39 (Big Ten Championship Game)
2011: Michigan State 37 – Wisconsin 31
2010: Michigan State 34 – Wisconsin 24
2009: Wisconsin 38 – Michigan State 30
2008: Michigan State 25 – Wisconsin 24
2007: Wisconsin 37 – Michigan State 34
2004: Michigan State 49 – Wisconsin 14
2003: Wisconsin 56 – Michigan State 21
2002: Wisconsin 42 – Michigan State 24
2001: Michigan State 42 – Wisconsin 28
2000: Wisconsin 17 – Michigan State 10
1999: Wisconsin 40 – Michigan State 10
1996: Michigan State 30 – Wisconsin 13
1995: Wisconsin 45 – Michigan State 14

Wisconsin won the first Big Ten Championship Game last year, and it is making a habit out of making it to the Rose Bowl. Two straight appearances in the Rose Bowl is something that the Badgers have gotten used to, but they are going to be aspiring for even more this year. RB Montee Ball was a Heisman Trophy finalist last year, and he is going to be a huge back once again with three of his five offensive linemen returning. The difference is the passing game. QB Russell Wilson was a godsend last year for the program, but now, it is up to QB Joe Brennan to get the job done. Brennan might struggle early in the year, but the schedule is relatively easy to start. Hopefully that gives him the confidence that he is going to need to be able to hang in the pocket against the Michigan State pass rush.

Michigan State @ Wisconsin Free Picks^^: Last year, we saw Michigan State figure out how to win on the final play of the game against Wisconsin. The Badgers were the better team in that first game, and we think that they proved it the second time around in the Big Ten title game as well. Now could be the time that Wisconsin really shows that it is the better of these two teams once and for all. We just don’t see how the Spartans are going to be able to go on the road and win this one. The point spread should be at least seven in our eyes, so we are taking the Badgers.

^^Disclaimer: Our college football picks by our sports blog writers are independent of those from our Expert NCAA Football Handicappers. All NCAA football odds and lines in our Top 25 are from the month of August, and those lines could and likely will change by the time the game kicks off.

You won’t want to miss our Michigan State @ Wisconsin picks when our expert college football handicappers have them posted on the week of 10/27/12.

Our Sweet 16 predictions kick off on Thursday night in the East Region, where the Syracuse Orange and the Wisconsin Badgers duke it out for the right to go to the Elite 8. Check out our Syracuse vs. Wisconsin keys to the game!

2012 Sweet 16 Matchup: #4 Wisconsin Badgers vs. #1 Syracuse Orange
East Region Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
Sweet 16 Date/Time: Thursday, March 22nd, 7:15 p.m.
Wisconsin vs. Syracuse Television Coverage: CBS

Key #1: The Badgers have to keep the pace of this game down
We know that Syracuse isn’t going to be all that interested in running this game into the 70s against the Badgers, but it knows that it is going to want to try to get into offensive sets in a hurry to try to avoid settling in against that ferocious Wisconsin defense. These Badgers are simply awesome in transition defense, and there are very few cheap baskets that they allow. The Orange shoot the ball well at 46.6 percent from the floor, but this is a Wisconsin ‘D’ that is holding teams down to just 52.9 points per game and 38.5 percent shooting from the field and 28.8 percent from beyond the arc. The pace has to stay slow though, as the Badgers don’t have the offense to be able to put up 70-75 points against this stout defense, so it is imperative to try to limit the number of possessions in this game.

Sweet 16 Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Wisconsin Badgers +3.5
Syracuse Orange -3.5
Over/Under 120.5
Click Here to Bet Your Sweet 16 Picks!

Key #2: The Badgers can’t get three point happy
Syracuse has a great perimeter defense, and the way that it is eventually probably going to get beaten in this tournament is by a team that is able to pound the paint and the heart of that patented 2-3 zone, where Fab Melo is no longer standing due to his eligibility concerns. In the dance, Wisconsin has already jacked up a whopping 52 three-point shots, and that just isn’t going to be good enough against a team like this in all likelihood. The Orange have lanky defenders that can really be a pain to the Badgers who are trying to pick up points three at a time instead of two. Sure, if those shots are falling, it’s fantastic. However, it’s really hard against the 2-3 zone to shake loose and get open looks at threes, and if the Badgers just start chucking up contested long range shots, they’re going to get embarrassed in this clash.

Key #3: Syracuse has to keep the Wisconsin bigs off of the glass
We know that Wisconsin is going to take a lot of those long range shots that we mentioned before, and if Head Coach Jim Boeheim has to have a concern, it is about how his team hits the glass. The Kansas State Wildcats had a whopping 22 offensive rebounds against the Orange in the Round of 32, and though the game did end up with a bit of a lopsided score, there has to be a concern that KSU was able to get up 22 more shots than Syracuse did. Without Melo there to clean up the glass, there just aren’t that many players that have the ability to be dynamos on the boards, and if the Badgers are getting second chance buckets, they are going to be able to pull off the upset.

Click Here to get the best March Madness picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our NCAA Tournament picks and the Sweet 16 picks for the rest of the NCAA Tournament game odds.

The Big 10 Championship Game keys to the game for the duel between the Michigan State Spartans and the Wisconsin Badgers are here and ready to go on the eve of the game. These two played an epic battle in East Lansing earlier this year, and we can only hope that we will see the same sort of intensity when these two Big Ten rivals square off with a spot in the Rose Bowl on the line.

Big 10 Championship Game: Wisconsin Badgers vs. Michigan State Spartans
Big 10 Championship Game Location: Lucas Oil Field, Indianapolis, IN
Big 10 Championship Game Date/Time: Saturday, December 3rd, 8:17 p.m. (ET)
Big 10 Championship Game Television Schedule: FOX

Key #1: Russell Wilson has to keep the Badgers two-dimensional
We already know that RBs Montee Ball and James White are going to get their touches and their yards no matter what team the Badgers are playing against, but the passing attack needs to remain a part of the game as well. Wilson had arguably the best year that a Wisconsin quarterback has ever put together. He has thrown for 2,692 yards and 28 TDs against just three INTs, and he has completed 72.7 percent of his passes. In East Lansing earlier this year though, Wilson only threw the ball 21 time against 41 rushes, and the ratio of pass to run cannot be around 1 to 2 for the Badgers to be successful. WR Nick Toon only had two catches on the day, and that just isn’t going to cut it against this MSU defense either. On the other side of the ball, the Spartans are going to try to do everything in their power to keep the Badgers’ passing game off its game once again.

Big 10 Championship Game Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Wisconsin Badgers -9.5
Michigan State Spartans +9.5
Over/Under 55
Click Here to Bet on Your Big 10 Championship Game Picks!

Key #2: MSU has to avoid shooting itself in the foot
Even though the Spartans won the first go around of these foes, it seems relatively clear that Wisconsin has the more talented team. That being said, there are some key stats to look at from the box score from two months ago that show you how Sparty stuck around and had the chance to win in on the Hail Mary miracle. The team didn’t throw an interception, and it only fumbled the ball twice in the game, losing one. It went a very respectable 8-of-16 on third downs, and it converted its only fourth down attempt. More importantly though, there wasn’t a single accepted penalty on the Spartans the entire game. Though asking for no flags is going to be a bit difficult once again, it’s the dumb penalties like offsides and false starts that MSU really need to avoid to stick around with the Badgers.

Key #3: Michigan State has to find some other ways to score
Sure, it seems conventional and easy to say that the offense has to really do your scoring for you to win on most given Saturdays, but perhaps Head Coach Mike Dantonio should be thinking a bit differently. His Spartans logged a safety, recovered a blocked punt in the end zone, and got that infamous Hail Mary to WR Keith Nichols on the final play of regulation to win. The Spartans have had a history of coming up with some tricks on special teams that have earned some points, and the team has had a great set of punt returners all year. The one punt return in the first game went for 36 yards and set up a score. The Wisconsin defense is just too good to drive 70-80 yards on more often than not, so the Spartans definitely need to get creative to put points on the board.

Click Here to get the best college football picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our Big 10 Championship Game picks and the NCAA football picks for the rest of the games on the Week 14 slate.

The Big 10 (err… Big 12?) definitely has a new look to it this season with the addition of the Cornhuskers into the fold. But will they be able to make the big time impact that everyone is looking for in this conference? One, and potentially two bids will be on the line on October 1st when Big Red tries to make its first Big 10 statement in Camp Randall against the Badgers.

Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Picks & Info
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Date: Saturday, October 1st
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Location: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Spread: Wisconsin Badgers -2.5

Nebraska thinks that it can be a National Championship contender this year, but it is clear that this is the biggest test on the slate. Remember that this could be the first of two meetings against Wisky on the season, as there is a very possible date for these two in the first Big 10 Championship Game as well. QB Taylor Martinez did great against the Washington Huskies in the first go around of those two teams last season, but when push came to shove, U-Dub got the best of him and the Huskers in the Holiday Bowl. Cause for concern? Head Coach Bo Pelini is going to hope that a defense that ranked No. 10 in the nation last year at 308.2 yards per game can keep things going in spite of the fact that over the last two seasons, the team has lost some absolute studs on this side of the ball in DT Ndamukong Suh and DB Prince Amukamara.

Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Wisconsin Badgers Past Games (Since 1995)
None

The Badgers are going to look a whole heck of a lot like they did last year. We know that RB John Clay is no longer in the fold, but the two men that shined last season in his absence, RB Montee Ball and RB James White are still here in Madison. Those three helped Wisconsin to the No. 11 rushing offense in the land at 247.1 yards per game, and they did so without the use of a mobile quarterback bolstering the yardage totals. This year, QB Russell Wilson at least brings a level of athleticism to the fold, but he also gives Head Coach Bret Bielema the best signal caller that he has had in his short time at Wisconsin since taking over for the famed Barry Alvarez. This is going to be the fifth straight home game to start the season, and if Wisconsin can get past this one, it should be a Top 5 team in the nation and be 6-0 going into games against Michigan State and Ohio State on the road in back to back weeks.

Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/23/11):
(Get a HUGE 50% Bonus at 5Dimes.com When Using This Link)

Nebraska Cornhuskers (+2.5) @ Wisconsin Badgers

The BCS gets started on Saturday afternoon in the traditional Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The “Granddaddy of Them All” this year doesn’t feature a Pac-10 team for the second time in the last six years. Instead, the TCU Horned Frogs become the first team from a mid major conference to crash the party in Pasadena in the modern era. They’ll have to put their undefeated regular season record on the line against the Wisconsin Badgers, who won the Big Ten in a three team tiebreaker. These two squads know that they have a lot to prove in this one, but which team will beat the Rose Bowl lines? You can’t afford to miss these keys to the Rose Bowl.

Key #1: Wisconsin needs to physically overwhelm the Horned Frogs
If there is potentially one knock on this TCU team this year, it is that it is a relatively undersized bunch that hasn’t had to deal with the physical nature of the major conference foes. Sure, beating the Oregon State Beavers, Utah Utes, etc. is nice, but this is a tremendously different type of challenge. The Badgers have three rushers that would be starters and lone backs on most other teams in the country in the form of RB John Clay, RB Montee Ball, and RB James White. These three are all just bruising backs that run behind one of the biggest offensive lines in the country. There is no doubt that the Badgers are going to be coming after the heart of a TCU defense that ranked No. 1 in the land both overall and in scoring, allowing just 11.4 points per game on the campaign. Clay, Ball, and White can all end with 1,000 yards on the season on the ground, and if they do pull it off, they would be the second trio in the history of college football to accomplish the feat. They would also be the first trio of pure running backs to all have at least four digits in yards as well, as the Nevada Wolf Pack did it with QB Colin Kaepernick and two backs.

Key #2: Andy Dalton has to be a real winner
All too often in these battles between the big boys and the little giants, the quarterback ends up being the man that makes the big difference. Remember QB Jared Zabransky against the Georgia Bulldogs? Or what about “Z” the next year in the Fiesta Bowl? Two totally different games, two totally different results. Another case of horrible play was Hawaii’s QB Colt Brennan against the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl. Dalton is the winningest quarterback in TCU history, and he is going to have to prove it in this one. The Wisky defense has stopped some of the best passing attacks that the Big Ten has to offer, and though these Horned Frogs prefer to run the ball, Dalton is going to have to make his throws. The senior completed 66.2 percent of his passes for 2,638 yards and 26 TDs this year, but more importantly, he only threw six picks. Dalton absolutely cannot turn the ball over in this game, or the Badgers are going to eat TCU for lunch on the other side of the ball.

Key #3: Scott Tolzien is going to have to make a few plays
When you have 44 rushing touchdowns between the three backs behind you, you don’t really have to do a whole heck of a lot. However, if the rushing game doesn’t do the job, Tolzien is going to have to make a few plays to keep things moving. Wisconsin quarterbacks aren’t rich in history, especially in bowl games, but Tolzien can be the exception to the rule in the biggest bowl game that this team has been at in quite some time. Tolzien threw for 2,300 yards and completed 74.3 percent of his passes, and just a few big shots will loosen up the purple and black defense and could set up a tremendous day for this offense. Don’t forget about how good WR Lance Kendricks and WR Nick Toon really are. Kendricks only caught 39 passes on the year, but he averaged 16.1 yards per catch and had five scores. Toon came back from an injury early in the season, and he came on strong with 33 grabs, 413 yards, and three TDs.