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Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: Road that Led Wisconsin Badgers, Western Michigan Broncos to Dallas

By Taylor Johnson

Dec 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; A general view of the field before the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl between the Michigan State Spartans and Alabama Crimson Tide at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; A general view of the field before the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl between the Michigan State Spartans and Alabama Crimson Tide at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Wisconsin Badgers and Western Michigan Broncos took two very different paths to get to the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on January 2nd.

To get to the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, the Wisconsin Badgers and Western Michigan Broncos took two very different paths. One team faced arguably one of the toughest schedules of any college football team, while the other was looking to “row the boat” to a New Year’s Six Bowl at the end season. Ultimately, both teams found will find their way to Dallas on January 2nd.

Related Story: Who Are the Western Michigan Broncos?

Broncos head coach P.J. Fleck was hired December 17, 2012, and has been using the “row the boat” motto since then. Well Fleck and his Broncos certainly rowed the boat this year, all the way to a 13-0 record that started with a season-opening 22-21 victory over another Big Ten team in Northwestern. Two weeks later they took down Illinois 34-10. After that game they started an impressive streak and were rolling. They went six-straight games in which they scored at least 41 points. Put up 49 points on Georgia Southern and Central Michigan in consecutive weeks.  They hung a 70-spot on North Carolina Central and twice scored over 50 points. So to say this team can score in bunches is a major understatement-after all they rank 8th among all FBS teams in points per game with 43.5.

But it wasn’t like the Broncos were playing the best of the best. They finished the season with a strength of schedule of 85 and played two power five teams, although they were Northwestern and Illinois. Other than the one point victory over Northwestern to open their season, the Broncos closest margin of victory was six points in the MAC title game against a Ohio Bobcats team that finished 8-5. Despite that, Western Michigan could only play who they had on the schedule, and for the most part made a statement in each and every one of those games. They turned plenty of heads throughout the season with the points they put up and the lack of points (just 19.5 per game-16th ranked in FBS) they allowed.

Wisconsin on the other hand, on paper, had arguably one of the toughest schedules coming into the season. They had to open up the season at Lambeau Field against then 5th-ranked LSU. Then they were slated to play Michigan State and Michigan on the road, host Ohio State, travel again to Iowa, and play hosts to Nebraska in a brutal five game mid-season stretch. What head coach Paul Chryst and company did was face that schedule head on, one week at a time, and shocked a lot of people in the college football world. They defeated LSU. They defeated Michigan State on the road. They had numerous chances to beat Michigan in the Big House, but fell 7 points short. It took overtime for the Buckeyes to beat the Badgers at Camp Randall in a tough-fought, Big Ten classic. Wisconsin responded by beating Iowa and Nebraska, en route to a six-game winning streak to end the regular season and wound up in the Big Ten championship game for the fourth time in six years.

There was talk of a possible spot in the College Football Playoff, but a second half offensive onslaught by a high-powered Penn State passing attack thwarted those dreams. The Badgers would give up a 21 point, second quarter lead to lose 38-31 to the Nittany Lions. Bye-bye playoffs. Bye-bye Rose Bowl. Hello, Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

Wisconsin put themselves in the position they were in at the end of the year mainly because of such a stout defense. The Badgers allowed just 15.5 points per game, fifth-best among FBS teams and third in the Big Ten. They also ranked 2nd in the country in rush defense (96.9 ypg), seventh in total defense (303 yards per game), eighth in turnover margin (+11), and first in time of possession with an average of 35:20 per game. Where the offense lacked and was sluggish at times, the defense more than made up for it.

Next: Wisconsin Football: Badger of Honor Postseason Awards

There you have it. Two teams that faced two different roads to start the season-one smooth and one that was rocky at teams. Despite the different paths, both the Broncos and Badgers will find their way to AT&T Stadium to face off in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.