B1G: Ten Bowl games, favored in NONE of them
The Wynn Las Vegas is one of the first sportsbooks to put odds up for every Bowl game ----- the B1G better win some of these, or you know what the narrative is going to be. 0-for-10 is crazy.
Louisiana Tech -4 over Illinois
North Carolina -3 over Rutgers
Boston College -2.5 over Penn State
USC -4.5 over Nebraska
Stanford -13 (!!!) over Maryland
Auburn -5.5 over Wisconsin
Missouri -6 over Minnesota
Baylor -3 over Michigan State
Alabama -10 over Ohio State
Tennessee -3 over Iowa
December 8th, 2014 at 3:28 PM ^
we get to act all smug and vindicated if we manage to win any of them.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:06 PM ^
Nah, we'll still be ridiculed for the inevitable losing record we'll put up, unfair though that may be.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:11 PM ^
really think it is unfair anymore. I would battle for BIG pride for years. Now I am resigned to the fact that it really is true. It is not them it is us.
December 8th, 2014 at 6:10 PM ^
Tru enough- look at that list 10 TEAMS from the Big 10 are on it and we ARE NOT one of them- freakin Illinois got a bowl? Has UM ever been this far off the pack before?
December 8th, 2014 at 8:34 PM ^
Imagine that Michigan and PSU are back to being top 10 or 15 teams. Then reshuffle the deck and the Big Ten would be favored in a majority of those matchups. I can see that happening within a couple of years.
This could be seen as a "homer" POV, but on the national stage, what's bad for Michigan and PSU is bad for the Big Ten. Assuming OSU, Sparty, Wiscy and Nebraska remain top 25 caliber teams and Minnesota sustains their sudden rise, that would give the Big Ten seven top notch teams instead of five. Iowa is never all that far away, either. A Big Ten with eight very good programs would have a lot better bowl matchups than a Big Ten with six very good programs.
Michigan will be "back" next year. That will help. I don't know if PSU's scholly restrictions will become less relevant next year or 2016, but PSU will be "back," too.
Then, the Big Ten will be favored more often than not.
December 8th, 2014 at 3:28 PM ^
Will Stanford even be able to score 13 points let alone win by 13? haha
December 8th, 2014 at 3:49 PM ^
If the guy they got to pretend to be Kevin Hogan against UCLA is available, then yes. If not, then no.
December 8th, 2014 at 3:56 PM ^
with a lame duck HC. Shaw will be named UM's next HC by then.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:02 PM ^
God I hope not...
December 8th, 2014 at 4:17 PM ^
That would be awful.
December 8th, 2014 at 3:29 PM ^
Hard to make an argument to the contrary on any of these with the exception of maybe La. Tech, UNC or Tennessee. Frankly, I'm shocked that Penn State is only getting 2.5 against BC.
December 8th, 2014 at 3:37 PM ^
I'm shocked that line isn't bigger.
December 8th, 2014 at 3:29 PM ^
Yeah, so if anyone wins, it really makes the B1G look good! Stuff it Drew Sharp!
December 8th, 2014 at 3:30 PM ^
BIG TEHN!
December 8th, 2014 at 3:31 PM ^
On the plus side, we have all ten Big Ten teams in bowls!
...wait...
December 8th, 2014 at 3:33 PM ^
I want OSU and MSU to get their asses handed to them.
December 8th, 2014 at 3:45 PM ^
Yep, I want the B1G to go 8-2.
December 8th, 2014 at 3:46 PM ^
OSU will, MSU won't.
December 8th, 2014 at 3:51 PM ^
I sort of think the opposite. Albama isn't as dominant as they have been. Meanwhile, Baylor makes life difficult on safeties, the one glaring weakness of the Dantonio/Narduzzi scheme.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:18 PM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 3:33 PM ^
HALOL!
December 8th, 2014 at 3:33 PM ^
My god....we're in the same company with Indiana, Purdue and Northwestern
December 8th, 2014 at 5:41 PM ^
Making the B1G look good by not losing.
December 8th, 2014 at 3:35 PM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 3:37 PM ^
I still can't believe Illinois got into a bowl game and we didn't.
December 8th, 2014 at 3:37 PM ^
How in the world is Wisky only a 5.5 point dog to Auburn?? I can't be the only one wondering this...
December 8th, 2014 at 3:41 PM ^
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December 8th, 2014 at 3:37 PM ^
Welcome to the Big 10 without Michigan.
December 8th, 2014 at 3:38 PM ^
I think MSU has a pretty good shot against Baylor. Maybe another random win like Iowa over Tennessee could happen. Every other game has the potential to be ugly. Wisco might give up another 59 to Auburn. USC will replicate their performance against ND, against Nebraska.
I'd take Maryland with the points though.
December 8th, 2014 at 3:48 PM ^
It pains me to say almost, but the more I think about the MSU's use of quarters coverage, the more I have this suspicion that it mutes elements of Baylor's passing game, and it will probably prevent them from putting up BIg XII-ish rushing totals too. That game could definitely be closer than some people might think for that reason alone.
My image of Iowa-Tennessee is that it looks and smells very much like a Big Ten game when it comes to total offense for some reason. Also, a fair number of punts will be made by Iowa despite being within earshot of FG range, but what else is new, eh?
December 8th, 2014 at 5:17 PM ^
Haha, right on. If anyone can navigate a 12-punt game it's Kirk Ferentz. Final score could look something like 13-9. Coin flip who ends up with which totals.
December 8th, 2014 at 3:39 PM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 3:47 PM ^
Doesn't matter. Both teams would get wrecked by Bama.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:01 PM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 3:43 PM ^
Devin Gardner shoulda tea bagged JT barrett.....jk
December 8th, 2014 at 3:55 PM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 4:13 PM ^
this was not appropriate. I apologize. I'm better than that.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:19 PM ^
You're a load that should have been swallowed
December 8th, 2014 at 4:57 PM ^
i agree
December 8th, 2014 at 3:45 PM ^
I don't hate Ohio state. I just think theyre gonna lose
55-10 to bama :)
December 8th, 2014 at 3:49 PM ^
I like MN...the rest seem appropriate.
December 8th, 2014 at 3:51 PM ^
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December 8th, 2014 at 3:53 PM ^
Does Auburn -5.5 over a shell-shocked Wisconsin team look like easy money or what?
December 8th, 2014 at 5:18 PM ^
Loses 59-0 to a spread team....gets 5.5 pts next week vs likely better spread team.
Where do I bet my life savings?
December 8th, 2014 at 3:58 PM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 4:17 PM ^
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December 8th, 2014 at 4:00 PM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 4:07 PM ^
TN thumps IA IMHO. (double digits)
December 8th, 2014 at 4:06 PM ^
Illinois made a bowl game....
we didn't.......
Illinois made a bowl game....
December 8th, 2014 at 4:09 PM ^
As did Rutgers & Maryland.
You know - those two schools we were all laughing at last August.
We were very good hosts (unfortunately) on the B1G welcoming committee.