Multiple billboards congratulating TCU on its Rose Bowl victory popped up in Columbus, Ohio, several days after the Horned Frogs defeated Wisconsin 21-19.

The billboards seem to be a jab at Ohio State president E. Gordon Gee, who had made derogatory comments about the quality of non-automatic qualifying schools such as TCU and Boise State.

"I do know, having been both a Southeastern Conference president and a Big Ten president, that it's like murderer's row every week for these schools," Gee said in late November. "We do not play the Little Sisters of the Poor. We play very fine schools on any given day.

"So I think until a university runs through that gauntlet that there's some reason to believe that they not be the best teams to [be] in the big ballgame."

The message displayed -- once a minute on the 20 Columbus-area digital billboards -- reads, "Congratulations to TCU for their BCS Rose Bowl Victory." It's signed, "Little Sisters of the Poor."

The signs are run by Clear Channel Outdoor. The head of its Columbus branch wouldn't identify who paid for the messages, saying only that it was "TCU interests" outside Ohio.

Ohio State and TCU representatives did not immediately return messages left Friday.

At least Ohio State fared better than fellow Big Ten member Wisconsin in its bowl game Tuesday. The Buckeyes defeated Arkansas 31-26 in the Sugar Bowl.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.