There has been a lot of discussion among self-proclaimed “experts” about excluding non-power conference teams from the College Football Playoff. According to these talking heads, teams from the group of five six conferences cannot compete physically with teams from the SEC or the Big Ten. This is probably true over the course of a 12-game regular season. But there have been instances over the years during postseason play that have shown this sentiment to be short-sighted.
How dare we allow teams from the American Conference, Sun Belt, or Mountain West to try their hand against a power-conference champion; they might get blown out. That right is reserved for other college football blue bloods, like Florida State, Michigan State, Oklahoma, or Ohio State. The four-team playoff era had plenty of blow-outs. Other major non-playoff bowls over the years have featured lopsided scores. It happens; it’s a game played by 18-23 year-olds.
On the other hand, some of the more memorable post-season college football games of all time have featured a power conference team being pushed to the wire and/or outright upset by a team from a lower level league. Everyone is familiar with Boise State’s thrilling Fiesta Bowl upset over Oklahoma, or West Virginia taking down the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl. Another classic match-up was the “granddaddy of them all” of the 2010 season.
2011 Rose Bowl
On New Year’s Day, 2011, the TCU Horned Frogs finished off a perfect season by defeating the Wisconsin Badgers in the Rose Bowl, 21-19. Head coach Gary Patterson’s Horned Frogs were the fourth ranked scoring offense. Led by senior quarterback Andy Dalton, TCU averaged over 41 points per game. Defensive coordinator Dick Bumpas’ unit was elite, allowing only 99 yards rushing and 128 yards passing per game. TCU was ranked first in scoring defense, first against the pass, and fifth against the run. The No. 3 Horned Frogs were undefeated and champions of the Mountain West Conference.
The Frogs opponent was the No. 4 Wisconsin Badgers, the 11-1 co-champions of the Big Ten. The Badgers were led by head coach Bret Bielema. QB Scott Tolzien was the distributor on offense, with running backs John Clay, James White and Montee Ball combining for over 3,000 rushing yards. The Badgers were fifth nationally in scoring and ranked 12th in rushing. The defense included future NFL picks linebacker Chris Borland and defensive end J.J. Watt. The Badgers lone blemish on the season was a 34-24 road loss to Michigan State in early-October.
Granddaddy of Them All
The Rose Bowl has been host to some all-time college football classics over the years. The 2006 game between Texas and USC is the crown jewel, but there are other phenomenal Pasadena finishes over the years. The 2018 double overtime thriller between Georgia and Oklahoma was one of the best games of the College Football Playoff era. The 2014 BCS National Championship featured a fantastic game-winning drive from Jameis Winston and Florida State to topple Auburn in the final championship game before the CFP began. Countless other traditional match-ups between Pac-10 and Big Ten schools could fill a countdown of the greatest bowl games of all time.
First Half
The Horned Frogs and Badgers ensured that this game would go down in the history books. On the first play from scrimmage, Badgers running back Montee Ball took the hand-off from Tolzien 40 yards down to the TCU 28-yard line. After a false start penalty set Wisconsin back, Ball and fellow RB James White traded rushed for another first down inside the Frogs 15-yard line. Tolzien’s third-down pass intended for wide receiver Nick Toon was dropped near the goal line, and the Badgers settled for a Philip Welch field goal. The score was 3-0 Badgers with under 11 minutes left in the opening period.
Dalton and the Frogs went to work on their first drive from their own 23-yard line. Dalton hit WR Jimmy Young for a gain of nine on first down, then gained 11 yards on the read-option keeper. A pass interference call gave the Frogs a free first down before Dalton’s second rushing attempt was stuffed at the line of scrimmage. After J.J. Watt batted down a second down pass attempt, Dalton found Young again for a big third-down conversion. Young picked up another third-down a few plays later after a catch and run over the middle to the Badgers’ 26-yard line. On the drive’s 10th play, Dalton floated a pass to WR Bart Johnson for a 23-yard touchdown. With 6:17 left in the first quarter, TCU had a 7-3 lead.
On the ensuing Wisconsin drive, Tolzien hit WR Lance Kendricks near midfield for a gain of 14. Several plays later, WR Jared Abbrederis reeled in a 16-yard gain down inside the TCU 30-yard line. The next play, under intense pressure, Tolzien fired a pass to fullback Bradie Ewing for a gain of 28 yards. From the 1-yard line, RB John Clay capped off the 6-play, 67-yard drive with a touchdown. The Badgers regained the lead 10-7 with just over three minutes remaining in the first.
After WR Jeremy Kerley’s strong return to the 43-yard line, Dalton led TCU on another scoring drive to re-take the lead. On the second play of the drive, Dalton hit WR Josh Boyce in stride for a gain of 44 near the TCU sideline on a play-action, pump-fake pass. Three plays later, Dalton took it in himself for a three-yard touchdown run. The Frogs led 14-10 after one quarter of play.
The second quarter started similar to the first quarter, with Badgers RB Ball breaking off a big gain. A few minutes later, big bruising RB Clay converted a fourth-and-short to keep the Badgers drive going. Tolzien missed a wide open White on a roll-out screen before Ball moved the chains again after two strong runs. Tolzien avoided disaster after falling on a mishandled snap from under-center, but the momentum on the drive was lost and Wisconsin settled for a field goal attempt. The 39-yard Welch try from the right hash went wide left, and the Frogs retained the lead with 8:34 left before halftime.
The Badgers defense stepped up and forced a three-and-out on the next TCU drive. After the Anson Kelton punt, Tolzien and the Wisconsin offense took over from their own 32-yard line. The Badgers didn’t have the ball long, as the offense couldn’t move the chains. Tolzien took a huge hit from LB Tanner Brock on third and long and Wisconsin lined up in punt formation after gaining only six yards on three plays. On 4th-and-4, the Badgers committed a false start to back up the ball five yards. Unfazed, punter Brad Nortman and the Badgers special teams unit pulled off a successful fake punt. Nortman followed his blockers, until he didn’t, and “hurdled” forward for a gain of 11-yards to give the Badgers offense some hope.
After Frogs LB Tank Carder laid the wood on Ball, the Badgers faced another thrid-and-long. Tolzien connected with Toon for a first down on a catch that was initially ruled incomplete and subsequently overturned. Tolzien was sacked by a blitzing DB Colin Jones for a loss of seven to back up the Badgers to the TCU 48-yard line. Tolzien was nails again on 3rd-and-12, hitting WR David Gilreath for a gain of 17. With under a minute remaining, Kendricks reeled in an impressive catch with his arms and legs on another third-and-long to set up a 4th-and-1. The Badgers opted to kick it from just outside the 20-yard line. This time, Welch’s foot was true, and the Badgers cut the TCU lead to 14-13 at the break.
Second Half
Wisconsin controlled the ball and the clock for a majority of the first half. The Badgers ran 38 plays for 234 yards, holding the ball for 21 and a half minutes. Their final field goal drive before halftime lasted over seven minutes. The quarterbacks had very similar halves, statistically, but Dalton’s legs were the difference. He had 31 rushing yards, including a 4-yard TD run.
The Frogs received the kickoff to start the third quarter, their first touch since the eight minute mark in the second quarter. A pass interference call against Wisconsin cornerback Devin Smith gave the TCU a first down on 2nd-and-13. Two plays later, Dalton found RB Ed Wesley for a 33-yard catch and run down to the Bagders 25-yard line. Dalton hit his favorite target Young on the next play for a gain of 11 and another first down. Running back Matthew Tucker ran for 12-yards to get the ball down near the 1-yard line. On the next play, FB Luke Shivers took it across the goal line to extend the lead for TCU, 21-13.
With under 12 minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Badgers took over at their own 5-yard line after a poor kick return and a penalty to boot. Montee Ball helped Wisconsin move the chains after two strong runs. Tolzien found Toon on back-to-back plays for gains of 15 and 18 yards. From near midfield, Ball and White combined for another first down. After a deep shot to Toon was broken up by TCU DB Greg McCoy, Tolzien was sacked on third down for a loss of 8-yards by Frogs LB Carder. Nortman’s punt pinned the Frogs inside the 20-yard line with 6:33 left in the third quarter.
On the ensuing TCU possession, Kerley picked up a 20-yard gain on an inside post to get the Frogs to their 44-yard line. Young made a nice move after a curl route to gain 11-yards to move it into Badgers territory. The Wisconsin defense stiffened, the drive stalled, and TCU was forced to punt. Kelton’s punt was downed inside the 5-yard line and the Badgers took over deep in their own end with two minutes left in the third quarter.
The Wisconsin offense went three-and-out very quickly and gave the ball back to the Frogs with 21 seconds left in the third period. Nortman’s punt was an absolute missile that was fair caught by TCU at their own 38-yard line. Frogs RB Waymon James took the speed option pitch 13-yards for a first down on the final play before the fourth period. From the 50-yard line, Kerley caught a pass from Dalton for a gain of 13-yards. Once again, the Badgers defense got stingy, and forced a Frogs punt. Tolzien and company took over at their own 10-yard line early in the final quarter.
Tolzien hit Gilreath over the middle to pick up a third-and-long before three straight incomplete passes led to another Nortman punt. Nortman flipped the field again with a 49-yard punt down to the TCU 30-yard line. Dalton took a sack on first down before connecting with Kerley for 13-yards to convert a third-and-long. After Badgers defensive end Louis Nzegwu batted down Dalton’s third down, the Frogs were forced to punt.
From their own 23-yard line, Tolzien and the Badgers offense trailed 21-13 with seven and a half minutes left. Clay bowled his way through defenders for a gain of 14 on first down. On the next play, Clay went right through the middle again for a 30-yard rush down inside TCU territory. A big third-down conversion from Tolzien to Kendricks got the Badgers down inside the red zone with under five minutes left.
Clay carried the ball on each of the next four snaps, moving the chains and getting Wisconsin down to the 5-yard line. On second down, Ball took it into the end zone to bring the Badgers within two points of tying the game with two minutes remaining. On the two-point conversion try, Tolzien’s pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage by Carder, and the Frogs retained a 21-19 lead.
The Badgers onside kick attempt was unsuccessful, and the Horned Frogs took over at the Wisconsin 44-yard line. The Badgers only had one timeout remaining. TCU gained a first down and ran out the clock. The Horned Frogs completed the perfect season with the biggest win in school history.
Dalton finished 15 of 23 for 219 yards and 1 TD through the air, adding 28-yards rushing and another TD. For the Badgers, Ball gained 132 yards on 22 carries along with a score. The Frogs leader on defense, Carder had himself a ball game, with six tackles, including three for loss. His tipped ball on the two-point try was perhaps the most important play of the game.
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