Ohio billsboards laud TCU, poke fun at Ohio State

Published Jan. 7, 2011 5:40 p.m. ET

foxsports

A series of central Ohio billboards praising TCU takes an apparent jab at Ohio State and its president, Gordon Gee.

Gee has said Big Ten and Southeastern Conference teams deserve to play in BCS bowl games more than schools such as TCU because they play tougher opponents, not ''the Little Sisters of the Poor.''

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.