CHICAGO – Since Barry Alvarez had his breakthrough season in 1993, when he guided Wisconsin to its first Rose Bowl in 31 years, the Badgers have been a perennial Big Ten title contender. They've played in Pasadena six times in that span and haven't missed a bowl since 2001.
And recently, they've been elbowing their way to stand among college football's blue bloods, with back-to-back Cotton and Orange bowl victories and a 34-7 record in coach Paul Chryst's three years.
One thing, however, has been elusive for the Camp Randall crew: a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Could this be the year?
Chryst offered no bold predictions, but he wouldn't dismiss the notion.
"There's a lot of teams that have goals and aspirations … you know, you have a chance, too," Chryst said Tuesday during Big Ten football media days. "Just talked about that earlier. Nothing that happens outside really impacts inside the [locker] room. And our expectations and our goals inside the room have always been really high."
The Badgers can focus on such lofty goals because they return a wealth of talent from last year's team that went 13-1, with the only blemish a 27-21 loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game — a setback that likely cost Wisconsin a spot in the playoff.
With running back Jonathan Taylor, who rushed for 1,977 yards as a freshman last year, operating behind what might be the nation's best offensive line, the Badgers have the horses to grind down opponents. That eases the burden on quarterback Alex Hornibrook, a third-year starter whose biggest detriment is the 15 interceptions he threw last year while passing for 25 touchdowns. Though Wisconsin lost eight starters on defense, standout linebacker T.J. Edwards and strong safety D'Cota Dixon are back.
