25 best college football bowl games in history

19. TCU vs. Wisconsin, 2011 Rose Bowl

While there was no crazy last-second lateral or controversial ending, the 2011 Rose Bowl earns recognition for being a well-played game on both sides by a pair of terrific teams.

No. 4 Wisconsin earned its first of three consecutive Rose Bowl appearances under Bret Bielema by virtue of a win over top-ranked Ohio State in mid-October. Recent Badgers teams have consistently featured a terrific rushing attack, and the 2010 team may have been the best of the bunch with John Clay, James White and Montee Ball combining for over 3,000 yards.

As Pac-10 champion Oregon qualified for the BCS National Championship Game, undefeated TCU earned a Rose Bowl berth out of the Mountain West. The Horned Frogs earned a No. 3 ranking with a 47-7 demolition of Utah in November, with future first-round pick Andy Dalton leading the way at quarterback.

TCU took an early 14-10 lead in the highest scoring first quarter in Rose Bowl history. Things would settle down after that, as the Horned Frogs wouldn’t score again until early in the third push their advantage to 21-13.

Ball powered it in on a four-yard touchdown run with exactly two minutes left to make it a 21-19 game. Rather than go back to the ground for the two-point conversion, the Badgers attempted a pass that was batted down at the line of scrimmage, and the Horned Frogs were able to run out the clock.

Tank Carder and the TCU defense did a terrific job to hold the Badgers to 46 rushes for 226 yards. While not a classic BCS buster – the Horned Frogs were actually favored in the game – the 2011 Rose Bowl furthered the cause of the non-AQ conferences.