For sentimental reasons, University of Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez initially thought it might be fitting to draw Alabama as an opponent in his final bowl game since his first appearance in a bowl as a Nebraska linebacker was against the Crimson Tide. There was also the matter of the Badgers potentially matching up better with Alabama (which had struggled offensively) than Auburn (which had won its fourth straight game over the Tide for the first time since the late ’80s). But when the Capital One Bowl pairing was announced – pitting Wisconsin versus Auburn – Alvarez liked the matchup and shared that sentiment with his players.
“I wanted to get any doubt out of their mind that we couldn’t beat them,” Alvarez said. “I just wanted them in the right frame of mind, I just wanted them to know we trusted them. But I was very honest with them – I knew we’d have to play very well.”