Coming into the final week of regular season play, the race for first place in the Big Ten between three strong contenders led many to believe that the conference would be a force to reckoned with come January.

The calendar has officially rolled over into 2011, and the Big Ten started the new year with five straight bowl losses.

The first came in Dallas, where the Texas Tech Red Raiders corralled the Northwestern Wildcats, 45-38, in the TicketCity Bowl. The Wildcats lost QB Dan Persa for the remainder of the season back in November and still managed to hang with Texas Tech QB Taylor Potts and his four touchdown passes.

The second came on the reunion of a coach with his former team. Nick Saban and his defending champion Alabama Crimson Tide destroyed the Michigan State Spartans in the Capital One Bowl, 49-7. Alabama's rushing attack was too much for Sparty, yielding 275 yards and six touchdowns.

Across the state in Tampa, the Florida Gators picked off Penn State QB Matt McGloin five times in a 37-24 win over the Nittany Lions in the Outback Bowl. The win sent Florida head coach Urban Meyer off to retirement with an impressive 62-15 record with the University of Florida.

Elsewhere in the sunshine state, the Michigan Wolverines took on the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the Gator Bowl. The Wolverines, like their head coach's tenure at the program, came out flat and lost, 52-14. The 38-point loss to the Bulldogs ranks as the worst in school history. Although not confirmed, the loss likely will cost Rich Rodriguez his job.

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Finally, in the "grandaddy of them all", the TCU Horned Frogs nipped the Wisconsin Badgers, 21-19. Wisconsin scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to bring the deficit down to a two-point conversion, but had the pass knocked down at the line of scrimmage.

TCU then recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock for the first Rose Bowl win in school history.

Give credit where credit is due. Texas Tech, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi State and TCU all prepared for their respective opponents and came out punching. The Big Ten forgot how to block and was KO'd after taking too many shots to the chin. 

However, there is still hope for a win by a Big Ten team in 2011. The Ohio State Buckeyes will play on Jan. 4 against the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Sugar Bowl. The Buckeyes will have QB Terrelle Pryor and the four other players slapped with a suspension by the NCAA effective next season for receiving inappropriate benefits.

The Big Ten started bowl season 2-0 with wins by Iowa and Illinois.

Statistics provided by ESPN.com.

Steven Ball is the author of "The Crystal Ball" weekly column syndicated on Facebook and the Bleacher Report. Like what you just read? Become a fan on Facebook here!