Wisconsin Badgers (11-1, 7-1 Big Ten) vs. TCU Horned Frogs (12-0, 8-0 Mountain West)
Rose Bowl presented by Vizio
January 1 - 4:30 pm - ABC
Pasadena, CA
$17,000,000 payout per team
The granddaddy of them all ... or something like that.
This is, at the least, a pretty intriguing matchup. Both teams are tied for No. 4 in the nation in offense with 43.4 points per game.
Everyone wants to see an undefeated TCU team play one of the big boys from the BCS and that's exactly what is going to happen in this game. Wisconsin might not sound like the prototypical powerhouse, but the fact is that they're a one-loss team. The Badgers beat No. 1 Ohio State by 13 points, beat No. 15 Iowa on the road, and put up 70 points this season. Three times. Wisconsin relies on a pair of backs in James White and John Clay that ran for nearly 2,000 yards to lead them to one of the nation's best ground attacks.
TCU hasn't been challenged all that much and a matchup with then No. 5 Utah turned out to be a complete dud as Utah really faltered down the stretch. But it was still pretty easy to see that this is a talented team. While Wisconsin has a pretty good defense, TCU's is No. 1 in the nation and absolutely electric. And even though the competition has been spotty at times, TCU has held opponents to ten points or less in eight of their twelve games. The matchup to watch in this game is clearly TCU's defense against the Badgers' offense.
- SBN Pittsburgh analysis by Anson Whaley
SBN PITTSBURGH BOLD PREDICTION: Wisconsin 34, TCU 27
Wisconsin makes its first trip to Pasadena in 11 seasons, while TCU becomes the first team from a non-AQ league in the BCS era to play in the Rose Bowl. Both teams scored 520 points, tying for fourth nationally. While TCU boasts the stingier defense, Wisconsin racked up 201 points in its final three regular-season games. -- Adam Rittenberg