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The 2012 Rose Bowl, the 98th edition of the annual game, was a college football bowl game played on Monday, January 2, 2012 at the same-named stadium in Pasadena, California. The Oregon Ducks of the Pac-12 Conference beat the Wisconsin Badgers of the Big Ten Conference, 45–38, for their first Rose Bowl win in 95 years.
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The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association was the organizer of the game and dedicated the game in honor of all wounded military personnel, who tossed the game coin by their representative Grand Marshal J.R. Martinez. Because of sponsorship by Vizio, the first game in the 2012 edition of the Bowl Championship Series was officially titled the Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO. The contest was televised on ESPN with a radio broadcast on ESPN Radio and XM Satellite Radio, which began at 1:30 PM (PST) with kickoff at 2:10 PM (PST).
The Rose Bowl Game, themed Just Imagine ..., was a contractual sell-out, with 64,500 tickets allocated to the participating teams and conferences. The remaining tickets went to the Tournament of Roses members, sponsors, City of Pasadena residents, and the general public. On September 8, 2011, Executive Director P. Scott McKibben resigned for personal reasons. William B. Flinn, the Tournament’s longstanding chief operating officer, assumed the role of interim executive director.
Pre-game activities
The game was presided over by the 2012 Royal Court and the Grand Marshal, J.R. Martinez. Members of the Royal Court are Queen Drew Helen Washington, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy; Sarah Nicole Zuno, Benjamin Franklin High School; Cynthia Megan Louie, La Salle High School; Morgan Eliza Devaud, La Canada High School; Kimberly Victoria Ostiller, Flintridge Preparatory School; Hanan Bulto Worku, Pasadena High School, and Stephanie Grace Hynes, Maranatha High School.
After the teams' arrival in Southern California, the teams participated in the traditional Lawry's Beef Bowl in Beverly Hills and the Disney Media Day at Disneyland in nearby Anaheim. The Rose Bowl Hall of Fame ceremony luncheon was held on December 31, 2011 at the Pasadena Convention Center. The inductees were Ron Dayne, MVP of the 1999 and 2000 games from the University of Wisconsin; Dick Enberg, former NBC broadcaster; and George Fleming, the 1960 co-MVP (with Bob Schloredt, who was inducted in 1991) from the University of Washington.
The bands and cheerleaders from both schools participated in the early morning Rose Parade on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California along with the floats, featuring stars and giant helmets, from the two conferences.
Teams
Teams playing in the Rose Bowl game were the winners of the Pac-12 and Big Ten conference championship games, unless one team (or both teams) play in the BCS National Championship game. The teams were officially selected by the football committee of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association on Selection Sunday on December 4, 2011.
The Oregon Ducks, winners of the Pac-12 Championship game, represented the Pac-12 Conference, while the Wisconsin Badgers represented the Big Ten after winning the Big Ten Championship Game. Entering the game, the Badgers lead the series 3–1 over the Ducks, winning in 1977, 1978 and 2000. In 2001, Oregon, coached by Mike Bellotti defeated Wisconsin 31–28 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene Oregon. Both teams had their pre-game practices at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.
Oregon
The Ducks were led by LaMichael James in scoring with 19 touchdowns and 114 points in 11 games. Oregon was ranked 3rd in the nation in points scored (46.2 points per game) and 5th in rushing yards (295.7). Coming into the game, Oregon had held opponents to 23.6 points per game and allowed 243.5 yards in pass defense and 137.5 yards per game in rush defense. Combining the rushing yardage with the passing offense of 219.5 yards per game, the Ducks had a total offense of 515.2 yards per game.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin, winning 11 games and losing 2 during the season, had the best offense in the Big Ten, scoring 80 touchdowns, 7 field goals for a total of 580 points. Wisconsin was ranked 4th in the nation in scoring (44.6 points per game) and 10th in rushing yards (237.4). The Badgers had limited opponents to just 17 points per game, 155 yards in passing and 138 yards in rushing. The team had passed for 229.5 yards per game for a total offense of 466.9 yards in total offense.