Ken Hoffman, the executive director of the Motor City Bowl, never expected to be talking in late October about the possibility of the Wisconsin Badgers football team playing in his bowl.

The Badgers had Bowl Championship Series aspirations as recently as five weeks ago.

"I think everybody is a little surprised that Wisconsin lost four straight games in the Big Ten to start the season," Hoffman said. "People realize they're a talented team, they have a lot of tradition and they've already started to turn things around.

"They're not in the position they'd like to be right now. It's a little bit of a surprise, but with four games to go a lot of things can happen."

Granted, it's still early to be making bowl projections. A week ago, some fans were concerned UW might not reach the six wins needed to be bowl eligible. At that time, the Motor City, which has the seventh and final choice among bowls with Big Ten Conference tie-ins, seemed like the only option.

But after last week's win over Illinois, the Badgers are 4-4 and their bowl prospects are looking brighter. Certainly, if they find a way to finish 8-4, even the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio looks plausible.

If the Badgers win three of their final four to get to 7-5, the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla., and the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Ariz., would be in the picture.

It remains to be seen if Florida Citrus Sports, which puts on the Capital One and Champs Sports bowls, would want UW back in Florida for a fifth straight year. The Badgers played in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando in 2006 and '07 and in the Outback Bowl in Tampa in 2005 and '08.

Vince Sweeney, senior associate athletic director, doesn't think those Florida trips will preclude UW from being considered for the Champs Bowl.

"We think we've got fans that follow us," Sweeney said. "(Florida Citrus Sports') experience with us has been a positive experience. We haven't had any indications come our way that the folks in Orlando are looking for somebody other than us.''

Yet, one of the many reasons the Badgers would be so appealing to the Motor City Bowl is because they've never been there.

"When you have a chance to have new teams ... that kind of variety is just good for the game," Hoffman said.

"It's good for the city in which the game is played. I think it's really good for the fans who are coming to the game, to see something a little different."

Hoffman might have one of the toughest jobs among all bowl representatives in convincing a Big Ten team that a trip to Ford Field for a Dec. 26 game is a reward.

"Perception is reality," Hoffman admitted. "Some people will have a perception of coming to Detroit that's not what we believe it is. Detroit is so vastly improved from five or 10 years ago. We had the Super Bowl here two years ago.

"While some people understand it's not 75 degrees here in December, we have an awful lot of great things to offer for the winter fans. And the game itself is going to be in perfect weather conditions.''

Many Badgers fans made the trip to Ford Field in March, to watch the men's basketball team get bounced out of the NCAA tournament. So, whatever judgments are to be made about the "new" Detroit, they will have seen for themselves.