(12/4/11) The Big Ten Conference will have to come up with something special to top its first-ever championship game. The Wisconsin Badgers qualified for their second straight Rose Bowl appearance by outscoring Michigan State 42-39.
Montee Ball ran for 137 yards and three touchdowns, the last one from seven yards out giving his team the lead with three minutes, 45 seconds left. Pivotal plays abounded in the closing minutes – a 36 yard Russell Wilson-to-Jeff Duckworth completion on fourth-and-six, a running-into-the-kicker penalty on the Spartans that negated a long punt return and a Michigan State reception that was ruled out of bounds. The win gave Wisconsin some retribution of a 37-31 loss to Michigan State earlier in the season. The Badgers will take an 11-2 record into the Rose Bowl next month against Oregon. Russell Wilson was voted the game’s Most Valuable Player, completing 17-of-24 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns. Ball is just one TD off the all-time Division I scoring record set by Barry Sanders of Oklahoma State with 39.
