Bowling for Bollinger

After Brooks Robinson and before Jay Leno, there was Woody Hayes.

OK, so it wasn’t exactly Woody Hayes, but Woody Hayes Drive and the Big Ten football empire he built, but the influence was still apparent. Oct. 2 at Ohio State was when it all changed for the Wisconsin Badgers and their unlikely hero.

Wisconsin had lost its two previous games. Worse, one was a conference game at home, against Michigan. Even worse than that, one was a nonconference game at (gulp) Cincinnati.

There the Badgers were in Columbus, down, 17-0, in the second quarter in front of 93,524. And about to be down and out.

This was Brooks Bollinger’s debut as the starting quarterback, as a redshirt freshman, no less. He had played before, throwing 23 passes in the first four games as the backup to Scott Kavanagh, and even completed six of nine passes against the Wolverines, a good test to be sure. But now he was No. 1 after the switch by Coach Barry Alvarez. So much for the grand entrance.

What happened next defies logic, even for those who would love to say they saw it coming. Bollinger helped lead Wisconsin to a 42-17 victory that day at the old, landmark stadium, the greatest comeback of the Alvarez era. Then Bollinger helped lead Wisconsin to seven consecutive victories, putting the Badgers in the Rose Bowl for the second year in a row. With that came attendance at “The Tonight Show” the other day, when Leno did the audience stroll and grabbed him for a couple questions.

A Hollywood story, indeed.

Bollinger came from Grand Forks, N.D., a small-town product who was named after a big-time star, baseball Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson. Bollinger redshirted last season, spending Rose Bowl week on the scout team and playing the role of Cade McNown so the Badger defense could prepare for UCLA. He began this season behind Kavanagh and is ending it playing in the same backfield as a Heisman Trophy winner, Ron Dayne.

He is a leader. Teammates talk about how he took control in the huddle from the start. His coach, Alvarez, talks about how Bollinger didn’t seem fazed by the surroundings or the deficit at Ohio State.

“I don’t know how anybody could have anticipated this kind of first year as a starter,” Alvarez said. “He went seven games with one turnover.”

That was an interception Oct. 30 at Northwestern.

“And that was on a tipped pass,” Alvarez said.

Said tackle Chris McIntosh, an Outland Trophy finalist: “I don’t think a lot of people expected him to do this well. That just shows the kind of competitor he is. He came in at the Horseshoe at Ohio State and was real confident. He was a great leader for us.”

It all started against the Buckeyes. Wisconsin averaged 35.6 points a game overall, but 37.7 in the seven games with Bollinger in the opening lineup. He finished second in the Big Ten in passing efficiency, behind Rashard Casey of Penn State, with his 145.8 yards-per-game mark the second-best in school history. He was named the conference freshman of the year in separate polls of the coaches and the media.

Dayne was obviously the superstar, but Bollinger’s impact is evident. Needing only to have a respectable passing attack to keep defenses honest for the ground game, Bollinger completed 59.5% of his throws. Needing stability for the offense, he threw only two interceptions in 126 attempts, which includes his first four games off the bench.

The irony is that his first start, against Ohio State, was the most wide open. Bollinger completed 15 of 27 passes for 167 yards. That was followed by 11 of 21 for a season-high 212 yards at Minnesota, and then there was the home stretch to the regular season that epitomized his efficiency: nine of 10, six of 11, six of 11, seven of 11, nine of 12.

“At the beginning of the year, I didn’t really know what to expect,” Bollinger said. “I’m just happy we’re here and happy that I’m in the situation that I’m in.

“I was definitely nervous at times before some of those games, being my first time going through it. But that happens to everyone . . . . I still get some butterflies in my stomach. I think most people do if you’re going into a big game. You wouldn’t be much of a competitor if you didn’t. It’s just I feel a little more comfortable now once I step on the field and a little more confident.”

No wonder.

His freshman season has included wins over Ohio State (ranked No. 12 at the time), Minnesota (No. 25), Michigan State (No. 11) and Purdue (No. 17), with all but Michigan State coming on the road. Now he comes to Pasadena with some experience here, too, having at least had the benefit of making the trip with the Badgers a year ago and living the buildup, suiting up and watching the UCLA game from the sideline. He didn’t play, but is sure last year’s involvement will be helpful.

It’s so different this time, of course. Bollinger is the starting quarterback for the No. 4 team in the country, which is about to play in a bowl that is still considered by most people to be the premier New Year’s game. His breakout year could end with a breakout game.

“I’m not really sure I deserve to be known,” he said. “I’m just a freshman.”

Too late for that.

“Our team’s had some success, so you get a little publicity,” Bollinger said. “I think it’s just great to be on the team that I’m on. I just feel fortunate to be in the situation that I’m in.”

So do the Badgers.