Rose Bowl revisited: The curious case of Andy Dalton

TCU's win over Wisconsin saw them become the first non AQ (automatic qualifier) school to win the Rose Bowl, joining Utah who won the 2005 Fiesta Bowl and the 2009 Sugar Bowl.  No redemption could have been greater, especially after Ohio State president Gordon Gee dissed them and compared their schedule to the "Little Sisters of the Poor".

Tank Carder made what proved to be the biggest play in the Horned Frogs season, when he batted down a pass on two point conversion attempt, that would have surely sent the game into overtime.  That was just one of the many plays that he made for TCU.  He was no doubt the man about town that day.

While Carder's efforts could have earned him the game MVP, and rightfully so, that honor deservedly went to Quarterback Andy Dalton.  A four year starter, Dalton seemed nothing like the player from last year's Fiesta Bowl.  In that 17-10 loss to Boise State, he was picked off 3 times in what was agreeably one of the worst games of his career.

Dalton scoring on a quarterback keeper in the first half

In this trip, following another stellar showing in the regular season, he saved his best game for last.  He passed for a touchdown, ran for another and helped TCU control the game long enough to pull off the historic win.

His 42-7 record makes the him the school's career leader for wins by a starting quarterback.  What makes this even more impressive, are the names on that list; Sammy Baugh and Davey O'Brien.  Should Andy Dalton be considered the best quarterback to have played for TCU?

Slingin' Sammy Baugh was a two time All-American in 1935 and 1936.  He went on to a 16 year career in the NFL, all with the Washington Redskins.  The Sammy Baugh trophy, awarded to the nation's top passer, is named in his honor.  He was enshrined in both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame. 



Baugh & O'Brien were legends at TCU and in college football too.

Davey O'Brien won the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award and Heisman Trophy; becoming the first player to win all three awards in the same season.  In that same season, 1938, he led TCU to an undefeated season and a national championship.  Some of the records he set still stand to this day.  The Davey O' Brien Award, which is awarded to the nation's best quarterback, is named in his honor.

There has been many a legend that has passed through Forth Worth; Larry Brown (a three time Super Bowl winner with the Dallas Cowboys), LaDainian Tomlinson (Doak Walker Award winner who led the nation in rushing in both 1999 & 2000), Dutch Meyer (played for TCU and coached them to National Championships in both 1935 & 1938)...... this list could go on.

It would not be far fetched to say that Andy Dalton has more than secured his legend at TCU.  By the time the program has its next great quarterback, we might have a college football playoff in place.  Now that might be far fetched.