We all cheered as Oregon took down Oregon State last night. The Beavers loss would likely mean an Ohio State BCS bowl birth, meaning every Big Ten team moves up one spot on the bowl pecking order. In addition, Penn State avoided a dreaded rematch with Oregon State, who they pounded earlier in the year.
But now, as the dust settles, you’ve gotta be thinking: “Can we do this over?”
Take a look at this Big Ten bowl lineup:
Rose Bowl: Penn State vs Southern Cal
Sugar/Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State vs Alabama/Texas
Capital One Bowl: Michigan State vs Georgia
Outback Bowl: Iowa vs South Carolina
Alamo Bowl: Northwestern vs Missouri
Champs Sports Bowl: Minnesota vs Georgia Tech
Insight Bowl: Wisconsin vs Kansas
Yes, Ohio State’s back-to-back BCS National Championship blowouts were devastating for the reputation of the Big Ten. As were 3 straight Rose Bowl losses for Michigan. But fans from inside the conference often overestimate the value of playing top competition. The Big Ten needs to put together bowl wins against…anybody…before they worry about beating the big boys.
Take a look at the PAC-10 this past year. And first let me note, no one spews anything at all toward the PAC-10. This is a conference that is widely considered to be one of the best in college football each and every year. This is a conference that went 4-2 this past bowl season. Conference champion Southern Cal took down an undermanned, badly coached Illinois team. The second place team, Oregon State, defeated a Maryland team that finished 6-7 and finished in 5th place in the ACC Atlantic. And the third? Oregon had their way with a South Florida team that finished in 4th place in a less than spectacular Big East. An Oregon State State win yesterday would have afforded the Big Ten a similar opportunity.
I’m not telling you to hope for gimme wins for the Big Ten. Look, I understand the angle of wanting to play the best. But you’ve got to be in a manageable situation. How much better does this look?
Rose Bowl: Penn State vs Oregon State
Capital One Bowl: Ohio State vs Georgia
Outback Bowl: Michigan State vs South Carolina
Alamo Bowl: Iowa vs Missouri
Champs Sports Bowl: Northwestern vs Georgia Tech
Insight Bowl: Minnesota vs Kansas
Motor City: Wisconsin vs Ball State
Instead, with a near certain BCS bid for the Buckeyes, the bowl slate leaves the Big Ten scratching for wins yet again. We will be left wondering what went wrong, and the talking heads will have even more material to throw in our faces for an agonizing 364 days.
