Big Ten Bowl Game Countdown

Uhhh, Go Legends & Leaders?

With bowl season approaching at a breakneck speed (that last statement is dripping with sarcasm), it is time to look at the teams that our Big Ten brethren will be facing this holiday season. Obviously the most important and entertaining contest will be in New Orleans on January 4 but I wanted to rank the other conference match ups from “watching paint dry” territory (cough… Illinois… cough) to "extremely relevant and compelling" territory.

While the top of this list was fairly easy to iron out it got a lot tougher towards the end. There are some great games to be played this bowl season and the Big Ten will have its’ hands full trying to come out with a winning record. So, without further adieu, here is my Big Ten bowl list for the 2010 season.



#7 Texas Bowl (6 PM Dec. 29 @ Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX)-Illinois will attempt to salvage their season when they take the field against the Baylor Bears. After a promising 5-3 start to the 2010 campaign, the wheels fell off for the fightin’ Illini. Losses to Minnesota, Michigan (ouch) and Fresno State in the final four weeks likely kept Illinois out of a better bowl game. The Zooker does have a solid quarterback for the future in Nathan Scheelhaase and the freshman will try and find that early season magic that eluded him toward the end of the season. This one excites me about as much as tickets to the Nutcracker (hope the wife isn’t reading this) but it is still a Big Ten team to root for. Playing Baylor (7-5 this season) in their backyard won’t be easy but this may be the chance for Ron Zook to continue to steal paychecks from the university next year. The Big Ten really needs to have these lower tier bowl victories to help with the final record.

#6 Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl (10 PM Dec. 30 @ Qualcom Stadium in San Diego, CA)- I decided to add this one to my Big Ten list because Nebraska is essentially 60 minutes of football away from being a member of the greatest conference on earth (that’s right SEC… I said it). The Cornhuskers will take on 2009 quarterback darling Jake Locker and his Washington Huskies in sunny San Diego. Washington had its’ problems against the upper echelon of the Pac 10 this year with losses to Oregon, Arizona and Stanford. They did, however, end the season on a bright note with a modest 3 game winning streak.

Locker wasn’t quite the quarterback savant that most thought he would be this year but still will present some problems for the Husker defense. He can still whip it around the yard pretty well and can run you over with his scrambling ability. Bo Pelini’s melt down on national TV toward the end of the season turned some folks off and Nebraska was never the same finishing the season a disappointing 1-2. Losses to the Aggies and Sooners took the shine off of a once promising 2010 campaign in Lincoln but there is still plenty to be excited about in the land of corn. Taylor Martinez is an excellent young signal caller and Pelini has infused some much needed talent into the program which had been in decline for a decade before his arrival. Look for the Huskers to treat this game as one last middle finger to the Big 12 and come out firing on all cylinders.

Will Americanzi lead Iowa to another bowl win?

#5 Insight Bowl (10 PM Dec. 28 @ Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, AZ)- What happened to Iowa this season? Oh, that’s right, the same thing that always happens to Iowa. The Hawkeyes were all the rage coming into this season but once again failed to deliver even a respectable season to its’ fans. They limp into Arizona on the heels of a dreadful 3 game losing streak highlighted, or low lighted, by a loss at Minnesota to end the year. The team will also be without their biggest receiving threat after Derrell Johnson-Koulianos decided to morph into Scarface after the season. Stanzi will have to manage the game well and make some plays to come out victorious against the Tigers.

Missouri, on the other hand, had a pretty good season. The team had a two game hiccup in the middle of the year against Nebraska and Texas Tech but otherwise handled their business in 2010. The Tigers boast a good defense and an opportunistic offense that should give Iowa all they can handle. I look forward to what this game has to offer.

#4 Outback Bowl (1 PM Jan. 1 @ Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL)- Assuming Paterno can make it out of his rocker after the holiday schmorgesborg, he will lead the Nittany Lions against a Florida team that is in a state of flux. Usually this match up would have the ad execs salivating but this year’s game lacks the cache it would’ve had in years past. If there were ever a time to root for our annoying neighbors to the east, this is it. I know Florida is a shell of its’ former self but I still can’t stand the sight of that stupid lizard on the side of those helmets. Unfortunately, I think the gators still have the talent edge over Penn St. and they are essentially playing on their home turf.

It will be a tall order for the Lions to escape Florida with a victory. Urban Meyer will be on the Gator sideline for the last time as the announcement came last week he would be stepping down because of health reasons. If there is any one aspect of Florida football I like it would have to be Urban Meyer. Before you start throwing things at your computer let me explain. As a BGSU alum, he afforded this school two magical seasons where the Falcons were ranked, relevant and fun to watch. Hell, he even got College Gameday to come to our quaint little college town which still stands as the craziest and drunkest day in Bowling Green history. Meyer is also another Ohio boy who made it big on the coaching scene. Even though his Gator team is responsible for one of the most painful nights in my existence, I have a small place in my heart for the guy and hope that his medical situation isn’t too serious. All that being said, go Penn St.!

#3 Gator Bowl (1:30 PM Jan. 1 @ Everbank Field in Jacksonville, FL)- Don’t look now but the Michigan Wolverines backed their way into a New Year’s Day Bowl. How you may ask? I’m not sure. Maybe it was the name on the jersey or maybe DickRod was working overtime with the big guy upstairs. Whatever he did, I am sure the tapes from a certain football banquet didn’t factor into the decision (if you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it for your viewing pleasure). Michigan will run into an upstart Mississippi St. team that came out of nowhere to have a solid season. I must point out that the Bulldogs did lose to every ranked team on their schedule but MSU fans will take an 8-4 season anyway they can get one. Many are picking MSU to roll over the Wolverines in this one but I am not so sure.

Assuming Denard can stay on the field the entire game, the Michigan offense should be able to put up some points on the Bulldogs. The question will be if the Wolverine defense decides to show up. In any case, this will probably be Rich Rodriguez’s final game in the Maize and Blue. The buyout for his contract drops drastically after the new year and I just don’t see how Brandon keeps this guy on the payroll. I may be wrong but if the folks in Ann Arbor are as smart as we’re told they are, he is as good as gone.

Put Up or Shut Up moment for both teams.

#2 Rose Bowl (5 PM Jan. 1 @ Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA)- Wisconsin takes their power running game to SoCal against TCU’s top rated defense for the granddaddy of them all (at least it used to be). This one should be a dandy and will be very important for the public perception of the Big Ten. As I mentioned in previous posts, I am glad the Buckeyes don’t have to face TCU and am more than willing to give the Rose Bowl to the Badgers this year. God help us all if Wisconsin somehow gets blown out in this one. I am sure Mark May and Pat Forde are salivating at the idea of bashing the conference for the next 8 months but I don’t think it will happen as the horned frogs haven’t seen anything like the Clay/Ball/White combo they are about to experience. It will be imperative for the Badger running game to control the clock and pound away at that impressive TCU defensive front. The whole country will be watching as this is the only matchup in the BCS that includes on non AQ participant so Bucky better not mess around in this one.

#1 Capital One Bowl (1 PM Jan. 1 @ Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL)- Finally, we are down to my number one most intriguing game of the 2010 bowl season. Sparty’s reward for going 11-1 this season was getting the shaft from the BCS committee and a matchup against the nation’s best 3 loss team in Alabama. I kind of feel bad for MSU and coach Dantonio for getting screwed this year. Not bad enough to give them our slot in the BCS but still bad. How will MSU handle the disappointment of getting overlooked for one of the big boy games? I hope it is well because Sparty will need every ounce of talent and focus to beat the Crimson Tide. Alabama has great skill players, a punishing defense and a coach who knows how to win the big game. Even though Bama had a disappointing 3 loss season, the team has the players to blow MSU out of the water.

I am excited to see how this one plays out. Can Michigan St. run the ball? Can Cousins make the big throw when it counts? Can the MSU defense stop the Alabama running machine? All these questions and more will be answered in the next episode of Soap. In all seriousness, I can’t believe I just made a Soap reference and I don’t think MSU has the firepower to hang with Bama. I hope I am wrong and will firmly be in the corner of the boys from East Lansing. Good luck Sparty… you’re going to need it. Well, that’s my list and I’m sticking to it. If you have a different order or anything to add to my rambling dialogue feel free to add your comments below. I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday season and look forward to another great year with ITS. Is it Jan. 4th yet?