Wisconsin Badgers fans used to have so many happy memories of the Rose Bowl. In the ’90s, Wisconsin won three Rose Bowls and did not lose one. Since then, it has been a living hell for Wisconsin in the most beautiful place on earth. Even though Wisconsin had not been to Pasadena since 2013, the demons remained there ready to haunt Wisconsin. The Big Ten representative had four turnovers as Wisconsin lose their first bowl game under Paul Chryst, 28-27 to Oregon. This is the Badgers’ fourth straight loss in the Rose Bowl, and they’re now the Buffalo Bills of the Big Ten.

Player of the Game: Aron Cruickshank – What a game from the Badgers’ kick returner. He returned Oregon’s opening kick 95 yards for a touchdown, and he had multiple long returns throughout the game. Cruickshank had 195 kick return yards on four kickoffs. He did not get a chance to return the ball after Oregon’s final score due to a penalty by the Badgers. Cruickshank is a player to watch next season.

Honorable Mention: Jack Sanborn – A kid that had Duck blood is in his body as his relatives played at Oregon inflicted some pain last night. Sanborn had eight tackles, 0.5 sacks, and a huge early interception where he snagged a ball from Justin Herbert. Sanborn is only a sophomore, and he will be one of the stars of the team next season. He had a great year, and I’m excited to see his progression at linebacker.

Game Changed when… – Anthony Lotti dropped another fumble: Not sure how this happened again for Anthony Lotti. He is a senior year punter, and I believe has been punting for the last four years. Lotti dropped another punt in the second half leading to a special teams touchdown for the opposition. Even if Lotti felt the pressure that he might get blocked, just cover it and don’t worry about it. What a disastrous way to end your career.

One Thing to Think About: Hard to complain about refs with turnovers – Consider what happened with Wisconsin and turnovers before mentioning the referees’ poor day. If it is not for the four turnovers, Wisconsin wins this game going away. It is not even close. Refs did play a role in Oregon winning, but only after the four turnovers that Wisconsin had in this game.

Next up: Wisconsin gets ready for the 2020 season. Jonathan Taylor will likely be gone. Same with Tyler Biadsz. Will Graham Mertz push Jack Coan (Who I like, I should add) for the starting the spot? Wisconsin will begin the year against a Big Ten opponent as they take on Indiana on September 5th. Badgers’ schedule next season isn’t an easy one.