There are a few things to take away from the Badgers loss to Stanford in the Rose Bowl.

1.  Barry Alvarez is one hell of a coach; between game management and getting the most from an under matched team, he’s proven once again that even in a loss, Barry’s “da man”.

2.  The Achilles heel of the Badgers reared its ugly head yet again in Pasadena; the lack of a true quarterback cost the offenseless Badgers one more time this season.  The Badgers had chance after chance to capitalize on field position and extend drives.  Instead, they fell short with no real passing threat.

And last but not least…

3.  Gary Andersen is inheriting a team with a huge heart, a lot of character and some obvious holes.

The Badgers have nothing to be ashamed of but will probably carry some regrets.  A few missed tackles, the inability to convert on a couple of key third downs and a key fourth down deep in Stanford territory turned a hard fought W into a loss.

What’s next for the 6 loss Badgers?  A long “what could have been” off-season, a quarterback competition, some specific recruiting and Urban Meyer’s Buckeyes…..that is whats ahead for the Badgers. 

As of January 2nd, Wisconsin’s new head coach is on the clock.