The Wisconsin football team (7-1 Big Ten, 11-1 overall) discovered Sunday it will play Arkansas (7-2 SEC, 10-3) in the Capital One Bowl Jan. 1 in Orlando. Although there is little history between the two teams, as they have played each other only once, UW head coach Bret Bielema is happy with the matchup.
""We're excited to play the University of Arkansas,"" he said in a press conference Sunday. ""We knew whoever came on the plate this year was going to present an excellent opportunity.""
All four of the teams' losses have come against teams in the top eight of the Associated Press Top 25. The Razorbacks are coming off a 38-28 loss to Florida Saturday, while the Badgers have been idle since their 35-3 win over Buffalo Nov. 18.
Much of Arkansas' success comes from its running game. Sophomore running back Darren McFadden has been mentioned in Heisman talks with 1,558 yards and 14 touchdowns. His backup, sophomore Felix Jones, has 1,018 yards of his own and averages more than seven yards per carry.
""They're very, very versatile,"" Bielema said. ""From a defensive standpoint, they're going to present a lot of challenges because they have so many players that do so many things so well.""
