INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 03: Head coach Bret Bielema of the Wisconsin Badgers celebrates with the trophy after they won 42-39 against the Michigan State Spartans during the Big 10 Conference Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 3, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
2011 Big Ten Bowl Projections: Big Ten Finds Room For Ten Bowl Teams
For the latest on all things Big Ten football, be sure to check out Off Tackle Empire.
2011 Big Ten Bowl Projections: Big Ten Finds Room For Ten Bowl Teams
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over 1 year ago Update 0 comments
over 1 year ago Update 0 comments
2011 Bowl Projections: Big Ten Finds Room For Ten Bowl Teams
According to the latest projections from SB Nation and College Football News, there will be enough bowl game openings to go around to include all ten bowl-eligible teams from the Big Ten.
The Big Ten season officially wrapped up last night with an electrifying Big Ten Championship game that saw the Wisconsin Badgers come back to slip by the Michigan State Spartans and secure the league's automatic BCS bid in the Rose Bowl.
The loss was costly for the Spartans as it moved them out of the BCS and into midday bowl game on January 2nd. Meanwhile, things continue to fall in place for Michigan Wolverines with the right teams winning and losing while they sat at home to keep them in good shape for an at-large BCS bowl bid.
Here's where the Big Ten teams project to go bowling:
SBNation: vs. UCLA in Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl - Dec. 3, San Francisco, CA, 3:30 p.m. ESPN
CFN: vs. Air Force in Sheraton Hawaii Bowl - Dec. 24, Honolulu, HI, 8:00 p.m. ESPN
SB Nation and CFN: Ohio (SB Nation) or Northern Illinois (CFN) in Little Caesars Pizza Bowl - Dec. 27, Detroit, MI, 4:30 p.m. ESPN
SB Nation: vs. Texas A&M in Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas, Houston, TX, 12:00 p.m. ESPN
CFN: vs. Texas in Insight Bowl - Dec. 30, Tempe, AZ 10:00 p.m.
Penn State Nittany Lions
SB Nation: vs. Texas in Insight Bowl - Dec. 30, Tempe, AZ 10:00 p.m
CFN: vs. Texas A&M in Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas, Houston, TX, 12:00 p.m. ESPN
SB Nation and CFN: vs. Houston in Ticket City Bowl - Jan. 2, Dallas, TX, 12:00 p.m. ESPNU
Ohio State Buckeyes
SB Nation and CFN: vs. Florida in Gator Bowl - Jan. 2, Jacksonville, FL, 1:00 p.m. ESPN2
SB Nation: vs. South Carolina in Outback Bowl - Jan. 2, Tampa, FL, 1:00 p.m. ABC
CFN: vs. Arkansas in Capitol one Bowl - Jan. 2, Orlando, FL, 1:00 p.m. ESPN
Michigan State Spartans
SB Nation: vs. Georgia in Capitol one Bowl - Jan. 2, Orlando, FL, 1:00 p.m. ESPN
CFN: vs. Georgia in Outback Bowl - Jan. 2, Tampa, FL, 1:00 p.m. ABC
Michigan Wolverines
SB Nation: vs. Kansas State in Tostitos Fiesta Bowl - Jan. 2, Glendale, AZ, 8:30 p.m. ESPN
CFN: vs. Kansas State in Allstate Sugar Bowl - Jan 3., New Orleans, LA, 8:30 p.m. ESPN
Wisconsin Badgers
SB Nation and CFN: vs. Oregon in Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO - Jan. 2, Pasadena, CA, 5:00 p.m. ESPN
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2011 Bowl Predictions: Big Ten Has Ten Bowl-Eligible Teams Ready To Play
The Minnesota Golden Gophers finished the season on a positive note by beating the Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday, 27-7. The season is indeed over for Minnesota, though as they join the Indiana Hoosiers as the only two Big Ten teams to not win six games and qualify for bowl game consideration.
The Big Ten conference regular season ended on Saturday with ten teams winning at least six game to be bowl eligible. According to the latest bowl projections from College Football News, there will be enough bowl games to go around for all ten teams, despite four teams (Ohio State, Purdue, Northwestern, Illinois) finishing with a 6-6 record.
Illinois finished 2-6 in the Big Ten (same as Minnesota) losing their last six games. The Fighting Illini may play in a bowl game but coach Ron Zook won't be coaching after being fired on Sunday. Defensive coordinator Vic Koenning will take over on an interim basis.
At the top of the conference, Wisconsin and Michigan State will play for a berth in the Rose Bowl at next Saturday's Big Ten Championship game in Indianapolis. CFN has the loser missing out on the BCS and project Wisconsin to win and meet Oregon in the Rose Bowl. That leaves the Spartans in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando to play against Arkansas.
Michigan is sitting sweet in third place with a 10-2 record which keeps them projected to land a BCS at-large bid in the Sugar Bowl against the Houston Courgars.
Here is how College Football News projects bowl games for the Big Ten:
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl - Dec. 27 in Detroit, MI, 4:30PM
Northern Illinois vs. Northwestern
Insight Bowl - Dec. 30 in Tempe, AZ, 10:00PM
Ohio State vs. Baylor
Meineke Car Care Bowl - Dec. 31 in Houston, TX, 12:00PM
Iowa vs. Texas
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl - Dec. 31 in San Francisco, CA, 3:30PM
UCLA vs. Illinois
Ticket City Bowl - Jan. 2 in Dallas,TX, 12:00PM
Purdue vs. Iowa State
Gator Bowl - Jan. 2 in Jacksonville, FL, 1:00PM
Nebraska vs. Florida
Outback Bowl - Jan. 2 in Tampa, FL, 1:00PM
Penn State vs. Georgia
Capital One Bowl - Jan. 2 in Orlando, FL, 1:00PM
Michigan State vs. Arkansas
Rose Bowl presented by VIZIO - Jan. 2 in Pasadena, CA, 5:00PM
Oregon vs. Wisconsin
Allstate Sugar Bowl - Jan. 3 in New Orleans, LA, 8:30PM
Houston vs. Michigan
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2011 Bowl Projections: Big Ten In Mix For Two BCS Bowl Bids?
After Saturday's action, the Big Ten has plenty of bowl game intrigue building. The Northwestern Wildcats' win over the Minnesota Gophers added Northwestern to the group of bowl-eligible teams from the Big Ten which now stands at nine teams. If the Purdue Boilermakers can beat the Indiana Hoosiers next week for their sixth win, that number will grow to ten.
Nothing is guaranteed for a six-win team if there isn't a slot in a bowl game available, but projections point toward the Pac 12 and Conference USA not being able to fill all of their bowl games which should open up room for all of the bowl-eligible Big Ten teams.
At the top of the bowl tier, things are also looking better for the Big Ten. While the conference hasn't factored in the BCS for a few weeks, the big losses this week by Oregon, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have jumbled the picture which could end up benefiting the Big Ten. According to the latest projections from College Football News, Michigan may be able to slip into a BCS game if they finish the season 10-2 by beating Ohio State.
In this scenario, Michigan State is punished for making the Big Ten championship game and, according to the projection, losing to Wisconsin which would leave the Spartans with three losses. Subjectivity kicks in from there since Michigan is a great draw for big bowl games thanks to their fan base.
Here is how College Football News projects the Big Ten bowl games:
Gildan New Mexico Bowl - Dec. 17 in Albuquerque, NM, 2:00PM ET
San Diego State vs. Northwestern
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl - Dec. 27 in Detroit, MI, 4:30PM
Northern Illinois vs. Illinois
Insight Bowl - Dec. 30 in Tempe, AZ, 10:00PM
Ohio State vs. Oklahoma
Meineke Car Care Bowl - Dec. 31 in Houston, TX, 12:00PM
Iowa vs. Texas A&M
Ticket City Bowl - Jan. 2 in Dallas,TX, 12:00PM
Purdue vs. Iowa State
Gator Bowl - Jan. 2 in Jacksonville, FL, 1:00PM
Nebraska vs. Florida
Outback Bowl - Jan. 2 in Tampa, FL, 1:00PM
Penn State vs. Georgia
Capitol One Bowl - Jan. 2 in Orlando, FL, 1:00PM
Michigan State vs. Arkansas
Rose Bowl - Jan. 2 in Pasadena, CA, 5:00PM
Oregon vs. Wisconsin
Allstate Sugar Bowl - Jan. 3 in New Orleans, LA, 8:30PM
Houston vs. Michigan
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2011 Bowl Projections: College Football News
College Football News has now released their own bowl projections after the action in week 11 and they also have eight of the 12 teams in the Big Ten participating in the postseason. Of course, it is easy to call eight teams when eight school already have the requisite eight victories needed to play in the postseason. Indiana and Minnesota are already ineligible, leaving Purdue and Northwestern, each two wins short of a bowl, left to earn their way in. CFN does not see either school making the postseason, and that bodes well for the Golden Gophers. Northwestern must still play Minnesota, and they also host lowly Rice in a non-conference game this weekend. Victories in both would make the Wildcats bowl eligible.
Here are the bowls for the Big Ten as CFN sees them:
December 27
Little Caesar's Pizza Pizza Bowl, Detroit, MI
Toledo vs. Illinois
December 30
Insight Bowl Tempe, AZ
Ohio State vs. Texas A&M
December 31
Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas, Houston, TX
Nebraska vs. Texas Tech
January 2
TicketCity Bowl, Dallas, TX
Iowa vs. SMU
Capital One Bowl, Orlando, FL
Michigan State vs. Arkansas
Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, FL
Penn State vs. Florida
Outback Bowl, Tampa, FL
Michigan vs. South Carolina
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
Wisconsin vs. Oregon
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2011 Bowl Projections: Eight Teams From Big Ten Projected To Go Bowling
For the latest on all things Big Ten football, be sure to check out Off Tackle Empire.
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The Michigan Wolverines are headed to the BCS, specifically to the Sugar bowl to face Virginia Tech. That is very good news for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, as the financial windfall of the Big Ten getting a second team into one of the big money bowls means an extra pay day of more than $1 million to each Big Ten school. The Wolverines moved into the top 14 of the final BCS standings at No. 13, thus making them eligible for selection.
In the other BCS bowls, the BCS championship will indeed be a rematch between Alabama and LSU of their November 5 overtime game. Oklahoma State was unable to make up the difference to catch the Crimson Tide, and will have to settle for a Fiesta Bowl date with Andrew Luck and the Stanford Cardinal. Oklahoma State and Stanford finished at No. 3 and No. 4 in the final BCS standings.
The Rose Bowl game was the first that everyone knew, as Wisconsin will face Oregon in Pasadena after the Badgers won the Big Ten Championship Game over Michigan State. The Orange Bowl will pit ACC champion Clemson against Big East Champion West Virginia.