NCAA Football
2011-01-01 - TCU Horned Frogs at Wisconsin Badgers
A Sports Betting Pick by Gooner
Football : United States : NCAA College Football
The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
Saturday, 1st January 2010 - Kickoff 4:30pm ET
The Wisconsin Badgers (11-1) and TCU Horned Frogs (12-0) meet on Saturday, January 1st at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The game will be televised on ESPN and is among the College Football Lines 2010.
TCU HORNED FROGS (12-0)
TCU might have felt it belonged in the Championship Game, although it was always going to be ranked behind unbeaten sides from conferences with automatic BCS bids, but this game gives the Horned Frogs have a great chance to prove it against the powerful Badgers, who captured a share of the Big Ten title this season.
It should be a great confrontation between the TCU defense, which ranked first in the nation, and a Wisconsin offense that scored 70 points three times this season.
TCU is allowing averages of 11.4 points, 126.3 passing yards and 215.4 total yards per game, along with 89.2 rushing yards. The stars on defense are linebacker Tanner Brock, safety Colin Jones and defensive end Wayne Daniels, who will attack the Badger offensive line. Daniels registered 6.5 sacks, while Brock (97) and Jones (70) led the way with tackles.
The offense is led by senior quarterback Andrew Dalton, who guided the Frogs to a second straight undefeated regular season. Dalton has thrown for 2,638 yards with 26 touchdowns and six interceptions, while running for 481 yards and five scores. He is blessed with a very strong conventional ground game behind Ed Wesley and Matthew Tucker.
Dalton's most consistent target is Jeremy Kerley, who caught 50 passes for 517 yards and 10 touchdowns, but the deep threat is Josh Boyce. The freshman averaged 18.2 yards per game, enjoying monster performances against BYU and Utah. TCU needs all its playmaker to come through because the Badgers figure to score some points and will be a very enticing selection for folks interested in College Football Lines 2010.
WISCONSIN BADGERS (11-1)
Wisconsin held off fellow Big Ten co-champions Ohio State and Michigan State in the BCS standings to head back to Pasadena for the first time since the 1999 season.
Wisconsin has won seven games in a row by an average of 26.1 points margin per game thanks in large part to an incredible trio of running backs.
James White (1,061), John Clay (952) and Montee Ball (881) combined for almost 2,900 yards on the ground, proving virtually unstoppable running behind a terrific offensive line replete with All-Big Ten selections.
And this powerful rushing attack was complemented by a solid passing game led by Scott Tolzien. The Unitas Award winner passed for 2,300 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions, while completing 74.3 percent of his passes – best in the country.
Lance Kendricks was his favorite target, catching 39 passes for 627 yards and five touchdowns, while Nick Toon is a solid complement on the opposite side of the field, given his ability to make big plays. Toon notched 33 receptions for 413 yards and three scores.
Wisconsin averaged 43.3 points per game which included an 83-point explosion against Indiana, and a pair of 70-point performances against Austin Peay and Northwestern.
The Badgers won't score that many in the Rose Bowl, but its difficult to imagine any defense shutting them down completely.
The Betting Verdict :
The Horned Frogs are favored by three points, but I think that the Badgers will claim the victory outright in a game that will probably go over 60 points.
The Pick :
Wisconsin Badgers 38-24 TCU Frogs
BEST BETTING TIP :
Forget the spread bets - there is a Rose Bowl to be won.Take WISCONSIN BADGERS to win at a very nice +130 price.
