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MONTEE BALL & RUSSELL WILSON S face.'' "Honestly,'' Ball said, "my first thought was, 'Wow, we did it. Back-to-back Rose Bowls.''' Both had a genuine appreciation for how far this Badger team had traveled. "After all the excitement and the screaming and the yelling from the night before,'' Ball said, "it finally sunk in that morning when I had a chance to think back to what a great season we had.'' That realization also greeted Wilson after a few hours of sleep. "After it pretty much sunk in,'' he said, "I realized how blessed we were to persevere and overcome the adver- sity that we had.'' * * * After completing 17 of 24 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns, Wilson was named the Most Valuable Player of the conference's inau- gural title game. "We all know what he's done for us this year and how good of a person he is,'' said Ball, who rushed for 137 yards and accounted for four scores. "I was really glad to see him win the MVP.'' But the playful Ball wanted to have a little fun with his teammate. So he teased Wilson about how he had battled on equal terms for that MVP and rightfully deserved the honor. 40 » VARSITY DECEMBER 8, 2011 "We're friends and I was really joking around with Russell,'' Ball said. "All jokes aside, I then told him, 'It was well deserved. In the fourth quarter you showed everyone who you are.''' That display actually went beyond the fourth quarter. On three of the biggest plays of the sec- ond half, Wilson showed everyone who he is — and that is a difference-maker at quarterback. Play No. 1: Taking a Punch and Delivering One, too. On UW's first series of the third quarter, the Badgers were in a hole: third-and-17 from the MSU 42. Trailing 29-21, they needed to take advantage of a rare defensive stop. aturday night's postgame interviews extended well into Sunday morning for Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson and tailback Montee Ball. The media blitz was understandable given their impact on the UW's sea- son and the Big Ten championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. "I'm not sure how many interviews I had,'' Wilson said. "But there were a bunch of them.'' This really was a marathon, not a sprint, for college football's most potent one-two punch. "It was,'' Wilson agreed, "but it was a good experience. We didn't leave (Lucas Oil) un- til about two in the morning and, when we got back to the hotel, there were hundreds of Wisconsin fans. "That was a pretty awesome experience, too.'' Wilson and Ball hung out with family and friends before turning in. When they woke later Sunday morning, they each had a fresh perspective. "I thought, 'We're going to the Rose Bowl,''' Wilson said. "I had a huge smile on my