13-0 Ain’t good enough for a national title, again. Just like Utah after their win over Alabama, TCU can feel a bit… robbed, at least for a shot at the national title. They proved, with their 21-19 win over Wisconsin, once again, that non-BCS teams can play with the best of them. Gary Patterson has done an amazing job down in Texas, and the whole nation could see yesterday. It took a Tank Carder pass deflection to finally put an end to Wisconsin’s hopes yesterday and send tens of thousands Badger fans back to cheese land empty handed before the Purple celebration began. Here are the 9 best photos from the 2011 Rose Bowl.

Sea of Red

94,118 fans packed the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and 75% of them, probably, were Badger fans. That relatively small purple section had a lot of celebrating to do a few hours later.

One Catch, One Touchdown

TCU receiver Bart Johnson caught only one pass the entire game, but boy was it a big one, getting TCU on the scoreboard midway through the first quarter after a rough start for the Horned Frogs. It looked much better from then on.

Last Time In Front

John Clay was in the Heisman running before the injury that left him out of two games in November, and he had a very good game yesterday, going for 76 yards and scoring this touchdown with 3 minutes left in the first quarter. It was the last time Wisconsin held the lead.

Let Them Have Their Moment

There was a marching band. Not that they matter, but this is an awesome photo, regardless.

Rough Day for Tolzien

It’s not that Wisconsin rely on the pass that much but still, more than 159 yards from their QB could have made things better. This is my favorite photo of the game, as Tolzien gets bulldozed by Tank Carder.

It Hurts to Lose

J.J. Watt walk off the field while the TCU party kicks off behind him. ‘Tis painful to lose, especially when it’s that close.

Nearly Perfect Ending to a Perfect Year

Gary Patterson became the first head coach to lead a school from a non-BCS conference to play in the Rose Bowl since the whole BCS thing began and led his team to victory to finish with a 13-0 record. Patterson is 98-28 since arriving at Fort Worth and has lost only one game in the last two years. Surely, his team deserved a shot at the national title, right?

Celebration Time

Purple Reign

One final message from Bart Johnson.

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