Annual Big Ten Bowl Hosing

Basically, all I'm hearing is 'That's not fair!'

Fair or not, the Big Ten needs to step it up during Bowl season.  Plain and simple.  You mention several times that the Big Ten is getting "screwed", but the fact is the Big Ten agreed to these Bowl tie-ins and thinks as a whole that they can handle it.  That's a good start to getting some of that respect back.  Now the teams just need to produce on the field.

But liked the read.

It's not getting screwed when you agree to it.

The Big 10 is going to lose most bowl games most years. That's the way it is until they decide to push for less lucrative tie-ins.

I'd take Ohio State against the spread all day against Florida. Their offense is getting a lot better (see: Game, The).

Also, I'd take Penn State against Houston, because Houston hasn't faced a decent defense yet.

I actually think the games look pretty competitive this year, outside of Iowa and probably Oregon/Wisconsin. 

Houston may have a great offense but PSU has a solid defense that may be able to shut them down.   Still could have one of those Mike Martin vs. Purdue games and just totally disrupt their game.   Illinois will probably lose just because of their horrible negative momentum and fired coach, but they were probably going to lose anyway. 

The OSU, Michigan, MSU and Nebraska games all look like pretty even match ups, even if they are against teams with better conference ranks, and btw you have Va Tech's ranking wrong.  I can't say I'm that dissapointed in the bowl match ups this year, outside of the travesty that is the national title game.

But it is a little ridiculous that nearly all Big Ten teams play " road" bowl games.

Illinois might not be very good, but UCLA is straight bad. Like really bad. I'm not saying Illinois will crush them, but they should certainly be favored.

I think most money is on Iowa for the biggest hosing

That's an "Away Game?" Come on, man.

Meh, this happens all the time.  And some of those rankings are a little skewed - I mean, yes Houston is a #1 in their conference, but they also got housed by the only decent defense they faced this season, one that is an order of magnitude worse than PSU's.  Ohio-Florida looks about right, as does Illinois-UCLA (a 6-7 team being #5 in your conference speaks poorly of your divisions, not its quality).  Iowa-OU looks like a mismatch, but so does MSU-UGA on paper (Georgia has beaten virtually no one all year, and were beaten rather convincingly by the good teams they did meet up with).  So while these matchups historically do put the Big 10 in an underdog position, this isn't a battle of Davids and Goliaths.

As for the perception issue, that doesn't come from NW losing to Oregon St. in the Beef O'Brady BBQ bowl, but in the UM's, MSU's, UW's, and Ohio's of the world losing rather spectacularly to teams from the other power conferences.  When UM was beaten nearly senseless by USC back in 2006, that was a pock on the Big 10 and UM because it was clear UM couldn't hang with an elite team like USC.  Then OSU was beaten badly by Florida, then LSU the following year, and it became dogma that the Big 10 could not compete with the best from the SEC and out West.  Then last year, Alabama destroyed MSU, Miss St. dominated UM, and Wiscy lost to TCU.  Ohio beat an okay Arkansas team by the skin of its teeth, but it was clear that, again, the best teams in the Big 10 struggled during bowl season.  Until that changes, until teams like UM beat VT and Wisyc beats Oregon, the sense that the B1G is overrated based on bowl performance will not fade.

I wish the NYD bowl games had a little more variety--we play 3 SEC teams. I think it would be better for the B1G and for fan interest if the Gator or Outback bowl dropped the SEC tie-in for an ACC or Big East tie in--we rarely play ACC teams, which is why the Sugar Bowl vs. VT is cool.

i do agree it's a big unfair that the strengths of the conferences are determined by bowl games in which the big ten teams always have a further ways to go.  however your conference rankings don't factor in that 3 games are against weak conferences.

the sec & pac12 games are even.  the big12 games are a little slighted but they should be if we're the stronger conference.

The Big Ten's problem in bowl match-ups is that the Big Ten makes money.  We have the best bowl contracts of any conference.  We travel well as a conference.  The bowls dont care about a good match-up, they want good attendance and television ratings.  The Big Ten provides that.  A midling Big Ten team is going to get picked for almost any bowl before a midling team in any other conference, including the 'mighty' sec.  Its all about the money...and we bring it.

As long as 95% of the bowls are held in warm-weather locations, this is going to happen, especially since your definition of "home" team is that campus is closer to the stadium. Keep in mind, the goal of the bowl planners is $$, so they will always select teams that will fill the stadiums, which typically means selecting close-by (i.e., warm-weather) schools. Even with your criteria, most of the "home" teams are still a plane flight--or a very long drive--away from the bowl location. I don't think this is as big of an anti-B1G problem as you suggest.

Aside from Iowa, I think everyone has a winnable pairing.

Wisconsin is the Big 10's best chance to beat Oregon.  They actually played a common opponent (Oregon State) with similar results.  Michigan got a better match up than they would have if they weren't selected in the BCS.

Our matches ups with the SEC are comparable.  It will be a good measuring stick between the two conferences.

I think the Northwestern game will be interesting.  If I was a betting man, I might put some action on that line.

Illinois couldn't ask for a better match up.  They also have a common opponent (ASU) with similar results.

Penn State's issue will be whether or not they can focus on the game.

And Purdue?  Well.....  If they can't beat the 5th (per your reasoning) place team in the MAC, then who are they going to beat?.

we're over-matched because we look to be pretty down this year as a conference... even in light of our recent mediocrity (whether perceived or actual).  We got Oklahoma v Iowa because the Sugar Bowl didn't give KSU what they may have deserved, thus shifting the B12 down.  ie-They have 1 BCS team, we have 2.  

Yeah, we have to play some away games, but that's the nature of bowl games.  It is winter. Therefore, it is an ice-box up north and a termpered sweat-box down south.  Remember, it's also an award to a good, or at least "meh", season.  More of a reward for B1G team to vacation to SoCal for a bowl game or for USC to  play a game in your hated neighbor (Ned Flanders') back yard?

Really, we should just ... uhhh... get better?!?!  Maybe then we would be favorites and have more wins than losses during "the most wonderful time of the year".