Big Ten Bowl Games Preview

I am going to get ahead of this one and become an apologist for the Big Ten’s poor showing in the bowl games before a single game is ever played and in the process help explain the Big Ten’s historic poor bowl performance. There are, as I see it, 3 items that are to cause for the failures, past and future. Weather, distance and money.

Weather: All 11 Big Ten teams play in the north and even upper north. As a result the teams, in order to win the conference, must be built to have an offense that will function when it’s 38° and raining sideways. However, bowl games are either all indoors or in warm weather locations and because with a few exceptions the Big Ten has the most northerly and foulest weather and foul weather teams they invariably end up playing teams built to take advantage of warm weather in warm locales.

Distance: Again, bowls are all indoors or in warm climates. As such bowl games often involve Big Ten teams traveling to virtual home games against their opponents.

Money: Butts in seats. Big Ten teams are famous for bringing large numbers of fans to bowl games (this also may have something to do with the whole weather thing) and since bowl games are about generating income for the host community and not about creating intriguing match ups Big Ten teams often find themselves in games playing against a better team they have no business playing against simply to please the local Chamber of Commerce.

With that all in mind let’s look at the upcoming Big Ten bowl slate…

Motor City
December, 26 7:30pm @ Detroit MI
Central Michigan Chippewas (8-5) vs. Purdue Boilermakers (7-5)
W: This is two northern teams playing indoors so this is a wash
D: The Chipps are 154 miles from Detroit to Purdue’s 309 miles. However Purdue’s larger fan base should keep this a neutral site.
M: A mediocre Big Ten team against the MAC Champion, again it’s a wash

Overview: This game already happened back on Sept 15th and Purdue won by 23 points so…

Purdue 45 – Central Michigan 22

Champ Sports
December, 28 5:00pm @ Orlando FL
Boston College Eagles (10-2) vs. Michigan State Spartans (7-5)
W: Two northern teams playing in a warm site; push.
D: BC is 1,295 miles from Orlando and the Sparties are 1,226 away making this a true neutral site.
M: Umm… BS played in the ACC Championship game and while they got snubbed after losing their final game still qualified for a BSC bowl by finishing #14 in the post season BCS poll. Michigan State? Oh my, the Spartans have no business whatsoever playing in this game.

Overview: BC has had a great year and at one point were ranked #2 in the BSC with a chance to make the BSC Championship game. Michigan State is… Michigan State.

BC 45 – Michigan State 27

Alamo
December 29 8:00pm @ San Antonio TX
Penn State Nittney Lions (8-4) vs. Texas A&M Aggies (7-5)
W: This is a foul weather team playing a warm team in a warm site, advantage A&M
D: The Aggies are 169 miles from the game and Penn State is 1,653 miles away. Texas A&M in San Antonio Texas? Home game anyone?
M: Two mediocre teams going against each other? Fair enough.

Overview: This is a home game for the Aggies and Penn State has Anthony Morrelli at quarterback. Also, the Aggies lost their coach and this is Paterno's 500th game. Still...

Aggies 38 – Lions 34

Insight
December 31, 6:00pm @ Tempe AZ
Indiana Hoosiers (7-5) – Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-6)
W: A foul weather team going against a less foul weather team in a warm location, slight advantage Cowboys
D: Indian 1,740 and OK State 1,079 so this is closer for the Boy’s but it’s still quite a haul and Indiana hasn’t been to a bowl game since 1745 so this is a neutral site.
M: Again middling Big Ten and Big 12 teams going at it, push.

Overview: The Cowboys lost to Tory and the Hoosiers are playing for Terry

Indiana 31 – OK State 27

Outback
January 1 11:00am @ Tampa FL
Wisconsin Badgers (9-3) vs. Tennessee Voluntures (9-4)
W: A foul weather team going against a less foul weather team in a warm location, slight advantage Vols.
D: Tenn 670 miles, Wisconsin 1,322 miles, but seeing as few Vol fans have a car in good enough condition to make a 670 mile drive I’ll call this a neutral site.
M: Upper level Big Ten team vs. upper level SEC team, push.

Overview: The Badgers beat Auburn in ’06 and Arkansas last year, which is proof of Wisconsin cheating since no team from the lowly Big Ten should ever beat a team from the mighty SEC. Combine the Badgers cheating with Phil “The Choke” Fulmer coaching the Vols and…

Wisconsin 28 – Tennessee 24

Capitol One
January 1 1:00pm @ Orlando FL
Michigan Wolverines (8-4) vs. Florida Gators (9-3)
W: Foul weather team vs. a warm weather team in a warm location, advantage Gators
D: Ann Arbor is 1,149 miles from Orlando, the Gators are 115. Can you say Florida home game? Can you?
M: Michigan has had an awful year based upon what they had hoped for and was a few plays away from being 6-6. Florida was a few plays away from defending their title. Michigan has no business being in this game.

Overview: Let’s see… all three factors play into Florida’s favor and the Gators run a great spread offense which is a style of offense that always shreds Michigan’s defense and Michigan has Mike Hart playing.

Florida 41 – Michigan 14

Rose
January 1 4:30pm @ Pasadena CA
Illinois Fighting Illini (9-3) vs. Southern Cal Trojans (10-2)
W: Foul weather team vs. a warm weather team in a warm location, advantage Trojans
D: The Illini have 1,994 miles to travel to the Rose Bowl while the Trojans have 10. Ten miles. A short bike ride vs. a 5 hour plane flight. Right. This isn’t a “virtual” home game for the Trojans it is a home game.
M: This one isn’t so much money as it is tradition. The people running the Rose Bowl would sell our state secretes to the bloody Al Qaeda if it would ensure a Pac 10 / Big Ten match up. Illinois did technically qualify for a BSC game by finishing #13 but USC’s only loses are due to injuries earlier in the season. USC is healthy now.

Overview: USC is at home, with good weather and is playing like the monster everyone thought they’d be now that they are healthy. Illinois is a solid club but come on… everyone knows Georgia should be in this game.

USC 48 – Illinois 31

BSC National Championship Game
January 7 8:00pm @ New Orleans LA
Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1) vs. Louisiana State Tigers (11-2)
W: Foul weather team vs. a warm weather team at an indoor location, advantage Tigers.
D: The Buckeyes are 909 miles from the Superdome. The Tigers? 80. Everyone should be so lucky as to play home games for the National Championship.
M: BSC #1 vs BSC #2, push.

Overview: Having been pantsed by Florida last year and then spending all year hearing how bad the Big Ten is vs. the Godlike SEC the Buckeyes will, I repeat, will be ready to play this year. Sadly, it’s still an LSU home game.

Tigers 27 – Buckeyes 21


So my overall prediction for the Big Ten is to go 3-5 in bowl games this year, leading to yet another year of trash talking about how awful the Big Ten is with not one bit a thought given to the inherit disadvantages that Big Ten teams face in the warm weather “neutral” site bowl games.