Rose Bowl 2011: Everything You Need to Know About TCU Vs. Wisconsin

Rose Bowl 2011 will be played Saturday in front of a national audience. The “Grandaddy of Them All” will feature No. 5 Wisconsin from the Big 10 and No. 3 TCU.

It will undoubtedly be the classic strong defense against the explosive offense battle. TCU owns the nation’s top defense, while Wisconsin has scored 70 points on three separate occasions this season.

Despite the fact that a Pac-10 team won’t be participating in the annual Big 10 vs. Pac-10 contest, there is much hype surrounding this game and understandably so.

Here is a breakdown of everything you’ll need to know about the Rose Bowl:

Coaching Matchup: TCU head coach Gary Patterson has led the Horned Frogs to an undefeated 12-0 season, while Wisconsin’s Bert Bielema has the Badgers into the BCS Bowl with an 11-1 record out of the tough Big 10.

Players to Watch -

Wisconsin: QB Scott Tolzien (2,300 yards, 16 TDs); RB James White (1,029 yards, 14 TDs); TE Lance Kendricks (627 yards, 5 TDs)

TCU: QB Andy Dalton (2,638 yards, 26 TDs); Ed Wesley (1,065 yards, 11 TDs); WR Josh Boyce (602 yard, 6 TDs)

Offensive Matchup: Wisconsin and TCU rank 4^th in the FBS with 43.3 points per game.

Defensive Matchup: Wisconsin ranks 29^th in the FBS allowing just 20.5 points per game. TCU is the top-ranked defensive team in the FBS, allowing a minuscule 11.4 points per game.

Strength of Schedule: Wisconsin has played a tougher schedule and has wins over then No. 1 Ohio State and then-No. 15 Iowa. TCU has wins over then No. 24 Oregon State and No. 5 Utah.

Bowl Game History: TCU is 11-14-1 in bowl appearances and will play in its sixth straight bowl. TCU defeated Boise State in 2008 in the Poinsettia Bowl and lost to Boise State in last year’s Fiesta Bowl. Wisconsin is 11-10 in bowl games and will be playing in the Rose Bowl for the seventh time.

Venue: The game will be played in the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. Built in 1922, the Rose Bowl Stadium has hosted UCLA games, BCS championship games, Super Bowls, World Cup matches and Olympic matches.