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Rose Bowl odds: Stanford vs. Wisconsin opening lines

The Pac-12 champion Stanford Cardinal will spend their New Year's Day in Southern California playing Montee Ball and the Wisconsin Badgers. Who ya got?

By Jen Neale
Ezra Shaw

The Rose Bowl in Pasedena, Calif. will feature one of the most dynamic players in college football against one of the most tenacious teams from the Pac-12. Montee Ball and his Wisconsin Badgers teammates will take to the field against the No. 6 Standford Cardinal on New Year's Day. So, which has more impact on the opening lines, the player or the team? Right now, it's the team. Stanford is favored over the Badgers by 6.5 points.

The Badgers ended the season 4-4 in the Big Ten and 8-5 overall, giving them third place in the conference. The undisputed leader is their record-setting running back Ball. This season, he broke the FBS career touchdown record with 82 total TDs in 48 games played over his four years at Wisconsin.

Stanford managed to contain UCLA's record-setting rusher Johnathan Franklin in two games this season, and will likely employ the same techniques against Ball. The Pac-12 champion has an overall record of 11-2, with its only two losses coming coming against Washington State and No. 1 Notre Dame. They did all of this without Andrew Luck.