ORLANDO, Fla. — It could not have been scripted any better.

Wisconsin head coach Barry Alvarez, who brought the UW football program from shambles to the national picture, coached his 11-point-underdog Badgers to a 24-10 victory over No. 7 Auburn in the Capital One Bowl in his final game as the team's leader.

And not only was it a victory in a game in which most analysts didn't even give the team a chance, but it was a domination on both sides of the ball for Wisconsin.

"I'm very, very proud of how my football team played," Alvarez said. "We made it perfectly clear that we can separate ourselves and gain a lot of respect for our program."

The Badgers did just that, closing with just the fourth 10-win season in school history and sending Alvarez out on top. The win improved the head coach's bowl record to 8-3, the best record among any college coach in history that has coached in at least 11 bowl games.

For a little perspective, consider that before Alvarez arrived in Madison, the Badgers had appeared in just six bowl games in the previous 103 years.

"You've gotta give it to Barry. His last game he goes out on top, and it's only fitting," Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville said after the game. "[His bowl record] is pretty impressive. He'll be in the College Football Hall of Fame.

His players turned it up a notch for him."

The end was just as fitting with regard to the credit — or lack thereof — given to the Badgers heading into this season and heading into their final game.

Predicted to be a middle-of-the-road Big Ten team this year after losing a plethora of big-time players — including its dominating front four on defense — after last season, Wisconsin proved itself a gritty, resilient team and culminated its season with its best performance all year.

"It ranks right up there," Alvarez said of the win. "This is a very good opponent. They have good enough personnel to go out and beat anyone every week. So, when your players play well and everything comes together and you're able to walk off with a win, it's very gratifying.

I hate to rank wins because I love them all. Nobody enjoys winning more than me."

Despite setbacks to Iowa, Northwestern and Penn State during the regular season, the Badgers allowed Alvarez to enjoy victories in dramatic fashion all year.

John Stocco's quarterback draw beat rival Michigan and forced analysts to respect the Badgers as they moved to 4-0. Jonathan Casillas found a way to one-up Stocco's heroics, blocking a punt in the waning moments at Minnesota to bring home Paul Bunyan's Axe.

Indeed, Wisconsin showed it was not just a mediocre team this year, and the season would have been considered a success whether the Badgers won or lost the Capital One Bowl.

Nonetheless, they proved their doubters completely wrong on a national stage against the Tigers.

Wisconsin was a double-digit underdog that was receiving respect from basically no one outside of ESPN's Lou Holtz. Auburn was supposed to do the dominating, would pick apart the Badger defense and would stop Calhoun and make it a long day for UW.

Instead, it was all Wisconsin.

"It means a whole lot," said senior wide receiver Jonathan Orr, who caught four passes for 74 yards. "Only a select few teams each year win 10 games. … To get a win period is good, but just to have all those extra bonuses and seeing Coach Alvarez out the right way did make it that much more satisfying."

While the victory sent Alvarez out on the highest note, it also made for a fluent passing of the torch from him to new head coach Bret Bielema, who officially assumes the Wisconsin throne Jan. 30.

"We did that already. I passed the baton as I walked in," Alvarez said. "I said, 'You've got the baton. The office is cleared out. Go hire a great staff.'"

Bielema's triumph in UW's final game matches the aforementioned stories of persevering through times where many questioned his coaching ability. His defensive unit had struggled at times throughout the year, causing many to question Alvarez's quick decision to name him head coach, but he proved himself Monday.

Alvarez has never second-guessed his decision, but complimented Bielema's preparation for the Capital One Bowl and reaffirmed his confidence in the future of the Wisconsin program which he turned around in his 16 seasons.

"I think Bret has a good nucleus," Alvarez said. "These kids know how to win, they know how to work, they're a close-knit unit. I'm excited about the future of our program. I'm excited about the person I named to lead the program."