Over/under for Big Ten bowl teams: 5.5???

Submitted by turd ferguson on

The ESPN guys just posted on this topic (http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten), but I figured it’s worth discussing here.

This could be a very, very strange year for Big Ten bowl participation.

Consider that teams need to go at least 6-6 in order to go bowling (well, and not get caught cheating or covering up the sexual molestation of children).  Here’s where the Big Ten stands:


DEFINITELY GOING

Nebraska (7-2)
Northwestern (7-2)
Michigan (6-3)
Wisconsin (6-3)


PROBABLY GOING

Michigan State (5-5; Northwestern, @ Minnesota)


MAYBE GOING / PROBABLY NOT GOING

Minnesota (5-4; @ Illinois, @ Nebraska, MSU)
Indiana (4-5; Wisconsin, @ Penn State, @ Purdue)
Iowa (4-5; Purdue, @ Michigan, Nebraska)
Purdue (3-6; @ Iowa, @ Illinois, Indiana)


DEFINITELY NOT GOING

Ohio State (ineligible)
Penn State (ineligible)
Illinois (2-7)

 

There’s a real chance the conference only gets five or six teams in this year.  Last year, ten teams made it. 

Ouch.

Belisarius

November 4th, 2012 at 9:54 PM ^

Well...in our defense, two of the Big Ten's best teams, in general and this year, are inelligible. It doesn't reflect on the conference that they can't go, at least to a degree.

swan flu

November 4th, 2012 at 10:12 PM ^

I'll be the optomist and say Iowa goes on the back of wins against Purdue and an inexplicable win against Nebraska: sending Michigan to the Rose Bowl after we beat ohio.

 

I mean, sending Michigan to the nominal B1G championship game against a Stave-less Wisconsin... so yes, sending us to the Rose Bowl.

B1G_Fan

November 5th, 2012 at 8:56 AM ^

 It's the downest of down years lol. We've been saying it's a down year in the big ten for 4-5 years now. The conference gets worse and worse as a whole every year. I think that stops next year tho.

 A conference is really only as good as their worst team. Indiana and Minnesotta made some strides this year but illinois is in the cellar now. It's not surprising tho , what did Beckman exspect the response to be from his team when his first actions as a head coach where to send his coaching staff to Happy Valley and try to replace most of his roster. Coach up what you got.....

justingoblue

November 5th, 2012 at 4:35 PM ^

I'd say a conference is only as good as its best team or two. During their title stretch, the SEC hasn't had bottom dwelling teams that would do anything more than duke out a pillow fight with comparable teams from the Big Ten or Pac XII, and even the mid-level teams aren't that much better than their Big Ten counterparts; it's the top few teams like Alabama this season, Alabama/LSU last season, Auburn before that, ect. that have been making the Big Ten look bad.

Getting Minnesota and IU to seven or eight wins annually won't do much for the perception of the Big Ten. Getting Michigan, OSU, and Nebraska to 12, 13, or 14 wins definitely will.

AMazinBlue

November 4th, 2012 at 10:24 PM ^

remember 6 wins is not the requirement now,  to fill out all the bowl games they might take some teams with losing records.  There simply are too many bowls to fill and not enough teams with winning records.

WolvinLA2

November 4th, 2012 at 10:25 PM ^

Yeah, it will be at least 6, maybe 7 if Indiana or Iowa can do something big.  But this will all turn around next year when OSU is eligible and PSU wins less (thus not blowing it for other Big Ten squads).  I bet we're back to 8 or 9 next year.

Tater

November 4th, 2012 at 10:33 PM ^

I would love to see Sparty lose to NW and have to beat Minny for the privilege of going to Ford Field.  Then again, NW is another team that sees Michigan as a "rivalry game," and might expend so much energy against the Wolverines this weekend, win or lose, that they don't have a good game left for Sparty the following week.

Soulfire21

November 4th, 2012 at 10:35 PM ^

The postseason bans really hurt as PSU and OSU are two of the league's top teams at the moment, so, there's that.

It's not actually as bad as it seems.  Still bad, but not quite that bad.

WolvinLA2

November 4th, 2012 at 10:36 PM ^

Also, Indiana could be pretty good next year, so I bet they'll make a bowl for sure.  They might end up with the 3rd or 4th best recruiting class in the Big Ten, which is nuts.

LSAClassOf2000

November 5th, 2012 at 6:42 AM ^

It's strange enough when you see it laid out like this that, right now, there are only 4 Big Ten teams that are outright bowl eligible. Interesting year indeed, especially with two teams under sanctions in the conference. 

That being said, I would take the over. I could see MSU winning out and going 7-5, although they might not be huge favorites in their game against Northwestern (using the Sagarin numbers, likely only a point or two). Minnesota stands a shot at going 1-2 in their remaining games and going to a bowl as well. 

michiganfanforlife

November 5th, 2012 at 9:24 AM ^

 I would like nothing more than to get matched up with teams the B1G can beat for once. We usually get paired up with teams that are vastly better and assigned with the task of beating them in their own state. Maybe we have less teams in this year, but a winning record in bowls. I would take that all day and twice on tuesday.

RadioMuse

November 5th, 2012 at 11:55 AM ^

I think Sparty makes it easily.  They've got 1.5 wins left on their schedule...  I can easily see them finishing up 7-5; which is still brutal with how many close games they've lost this year.

Minnesota beats Illinios without a problem and will also make it.  They probably lose their other two games hard though.

The interesting question becomes the Indiana / Purdue / Iowa mess...  Of them Purdue has the best shot of winning at least 2 games, but they need 3.  IU has very little chance of beating Wisconsin or PSU, but I would pick them over Purdue at this point (LOL! BIG TENNNNNN).  Iowa...  might beat Purdue?  I think Michigan finally gets past them.  I wouldn't be surpirsed if we fashion an ugly 9-3 victory or something, but I just can't see their offense being the slightest bit functional in the Big House.  And Nebraska should  be able to pin 30+ points on them...  Iowa's offense can't match that total if they were playing against wet paper.

Honestly I see 6 teams making it pretty much "for sure".  A 7th would require one of those obnoxious 'miracle upset' wins or Purdue to go perfect against their roommates in the Big 10 basement.  Neither seems particularly likely, or unlikely.  0_o