1. Badgers return to Rose Bowl
The exact snapshot is hard to find, but the choice for moment of the year comes down to this: The Badgers played football in Pasadena on New Year's Day.
From the moment UW began to run away from Northwestern in the regular-season finale to the two-point conversion that saw Wisconsin come up just short against TCU, the five-week whirlwind between Nov. 27 and Jan. 1 featured just about everything.
It started with students and roses pouring onto the field after UW hung 70 on the Wildcats and continued through the formal bowl announcement a week later and the mad dash for tickets that ensued. It raced right through bowl practices and finals, overcame travel problems, packed piers in Santa Monica and turned Los Angeles red for days.
It turned a rainy week in Southern California into a brilliant Jan. 1, filled the Rose Bowl with 70 percent cheese heads and—in the fourth quarter—conjured up decade-old images of glory as a burly UW running back barreled down the perfectly manicured grass.
In the end, it also disappointed Badger nation. That doesn't mean anyone will forget it any time soon.
—Parker Gabriel
2. No. 1 OSU falls on the field
With the big, bad Buckeyes coming to Camp Randall, afternoon sun replaced by floodlights and an electrifying crowd and Bowl Championship Series implications in the balance, everybody knew Oct. 18 had the chance to be a special Saturday in Madison.
Let's just say the student section was wise to arrive promptly.
When senior return man David Gilreath broke free around midfield on the opening kickoff, the press box swayed like it usually only does for House of Pain. It set off a wild night that saw the Badgers hang 21 quick points on OSU and nearly give up the lead before freshman running back James White made a sensational cut and sealed a 31-18 victory.
Despite pleas from the PA, students and fans stormed the field to celebrate the legendary win.
Even though a trip to Iowa City loomed, the most optimistic fans may have caught a faint whiff of roses for the first time as they filed out.
—Parker Gabriel
3. Hockey wins 4th title
It was the perfect ending to a perfect season, and for the few Badger fans who witnessed it, the memories of the 2011 women's hockey national championship game will not be soon to fade.
After a season that saw Wisconsin steamroll its competition all season on the way to conference championships and individual awards, the Badgers put the final touches on their dream year in Erie, Pa., March 20 with a 4-1 over Boston University at Tulio Arena.
UW never trailed in the match and two Carolyne Prevost goals ensured continued WCHA dominance in the title game.
The victory not only capped off a fantastic year, as Wisconsin claimed its fourth national title in six years, but marked the moment where the Badgers reclaimed their rightful place atop the women's hockey world.
—Nico Savidge
4. No. 1 OSU falls on the court
Feb. 12 was the day the legend of Jordan Taylor was born. After the Badgers rode the crowd to an early lead, it looked like the undefeated Buckeyes would continue their streak of perfection after a late first half/early second half run gave Ohio State a 47-32 lead with just over 13 minutes left.
Then, in the span of just over three minutes, the junior point guard led UW on a 15-0 run to tie the score at 47, punctuated by freshman sensation Josh Gasser's 3-pointer off yet another Taylor assist. Taylor finished the game with 27 points and seven assists, with 21 of those points coming in the second half. With the game televised nationally, Taylor's burst gave him the distinction of being the first Badger to ever be trending on twitter worldwide.
More importantly, the win thrusted Wisconsin into real national discussion for the rest of the season. Although a loss four days later on the road against Purude all but shattered any hopes of a Big Ten title, the sea of red crashing onto the court following this victory will forever stick in Badger fans' minds.
—Max Sternberg
5. UW in Sweet Sixteen
Unranked at the beginning of the year, Wisconsin men's basketball surpassed just about everyone's expectations. The Badgers knocked off the final undefeated team in the memorable victory over Ohio State, saw a freshman post the first triple-double in school history and capped it off by completing just the third perfect home schedule in the last 80 years.
As if the regular season wasn't enough, UW had to overcome more criticism heading into the NCAA Tournament. After a disappointing 36-33 loss to Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament, the Badgers were the trendy pick to be upset in the first round facing Belmont. But energized perhaps even more than usual as a result, Wisconsin seemed right at home at the McKale Center, easily defeating the Bruins and then overcoming a poor shooting performance by Jordan Taylor and Jacob Pullen's career-high 38 points to defeat Kansas State in the second round.
The season ended, however, in the Sweet Sixteen with a loss at the hands of eventual national runner-up Butler.
—Max Sternberg
Honorable Mention: 10,000 'fill the bowl' for women's hockey game
This year's ‘Fill the Bowl' event was one of truly great moments in Wisconsin sports. Shattering the previous NCAA record, 10,668 fans made the event the most attended game in women's collegiate hockey history. With the mammoth crowd behind them, the Badgers faced off against Minnesota, defeating the Gophers 3-1 in one of the most exciting games of their season.
—Matthew Kleist
