Tomorrow is New Year's Day, which means tomorrow is when the TCU Horned Frogs will take the field in Pasadena in the Granddaddy of them all - the Rose Bowl.
↵TCU, who finished the regular season a perfect 12-0 and 8-0 within the Mountain West Conference, finished the season ranked No. 3 in the AP, USA Today and BCS polls behind Auburn and Oregon - who are playing in the BCS Championship game. It's unfortunate that TCU's perfect season (thus far) wasn't rewarded with a chance to play in the national championship game, but it's tough to argue against Auburn or Oregon.
↵Instead, the Horned Frogs head to Pasadena - not a bad consolation prize. TCU will face off against the Wisconsin Badgers tomorrow, a team that boasts the fourth-best scoring offense in the country. The Badgers average 43.3 points per game while TCU, who has the nation's top-ranked defense, allow just 11.4 points per contest. It's essentially the unstoppable force versus the immovable object.
↵Despite playing in a non-BCS conference, and despite losing in last year's Fiesta Bowl, the Horned Frogs are the favorites in the Rose Bowl. Both Bodog and 5Dimes have the Horned Frogs as three point favorites over the Badgers.
↵It won't be long until we find out if the Horned Frogs were a mirage and product of their schedule - or if they're truly establishing themselves as a national power before they head to the Big East.
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