The teams that traditionally play in the Rose Bowl game (since 1947) are the champions of the
Pacific Coast Conference, and subsequently
Pacific-10, representing the "West" (which was renamed the Pac-12 in 2011 with the addition of the
University of Colorado and the
University of Utah) and
Big Ten conferences, unless one team (or both teams) play in the
BCS National Championship Game. Then, according to the BCS rules, the first year the Rose Bowl loses a team to the National Championship Game and a team from the non-automatic qualifying group is an automatic qualifier, that team will play in the Rose Bowl. Should the non-AQ qualify for the BCS Championship, and face either the Big Ten or Pac-10 Champion, the Rose Bowl may replace the Big Ten/Pac-10 Champion with a team from same conference, so long as it is in the Top 14 of the final BCS Standings. The teams, which were based on the final BCS Standings released on December 5, 2010, were selected by the football committee of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association. Since the Pac-10 Champions, the
BCS #2 Oregon Ducks, would play in the
2011 BCS National Championship Game, the Rose Bowl was forced to select the non-AQ team,
BCS #3 TCU Horned Frogs, to face off against the Big Ten Champion, the
BCS #5 Wisconsin Badgers. Consequently, the Pac-10 runner-up,
BCS #4 Stanford, went to the
Orange Bowl. The two teams' only previous meeting was in the 1970 season opener, when TCU and Wisconsin tied 14–14
in Madison. Both teams practiced at The Home Depot Center (now known as
Dignity Health Sports Park) in nearby
Carson, California.
Wisconsin Badgers Wisconsin started their season by sweeping their nonconference slate, with wins over UNLV in Las Vegas, San Jose State, Arizona State, and Austin Peay at home. However, a loss in their conference opener against
Michigan State put a dampener on their season. The Badgers would recover and win seven consecutive games, including a win over then-No. 1
Ohio State and a win in Iowa City over a ranked
Iowa squad.
Bret Bielema's squad brought in a solid defense that had allowed just 7 rushing touchdowns this season. On the other side of the ball, Wisconsin had 3 running backs with at least 13 touchdowns (
John Clay,
Montee Ball, and
James White) and had the top rushing attack in the Big Ten. Wisconsin QB
Scott Tolzien, who led the nation in completion percentage (by completing 74.3% of his passes), played his final game as a Badger. This was the seventh
Rose Bowl appearance for Wisconsin and their first since the
2000 Rose Bowl. It was the ninth consecutive bowl game appearance for Wisconsin. Head coach
Bret Bielema also played on the
1990 Iowa Hawkeyes football team that went to the
1991 Rose Bowl.
TCU Horned Frogs The Horned Frogs finished the regular season with a perfect 12–0 record, winning eight conference games and the
Mountain West Conference title. The game not only marked their first trip to Pasadena but the first by a team from the conference to play in a New Year's Day bowl game. The Frogs had completed their second consecutive perfect regular season, and were making their sixth consecutive bowl appearance. The Rose Bowl was their second consecutive
BCS bowl game and the fourth appearance by a Mountain West conference member (the Frogs lost the 2010
Fiesta Bowl to
Boise State and
Utah played in the
2009 Sugar Bowl and the
2005 Fiesta Bowl, winning both). The team was situated on the West sideline. TCU finished the regular season as the conference leader in scoring offense (520 points, 43.3 average) and scoring defense (137 points, 11.4 average). TCU came into the game with the nation's #1 ranked defense. The Frogs were led by senior quarterback
Andy Dalton, who completed 194 of 293 passes for 2,638 yards for 26 touchdowns, and tailback Ed Wesley, who carried 162 times for 1,065 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. Dalton, playing in his final game as a Horned Frog, led the nation in career wins for an active quarterback at 41. TCU became the fifth team outside of the conference partnership to play in the Rose Bowl game since the formation of the BCS. ==Game summary==