Nebraska Football: What Bowl Will the Cornhuskers Play in Next Year?

Sure, we’re hip-deep in recruiting season. But what are those recruits for, ultimately? For success on the football field, of course.

Ultimately, that’s what Nebraska fans are hoping for, that the fresh-faced recruits coming into the program will translate to major bowl appearances for NU.

So, let’s take a look at all of the B1G-affiliated bowl games and think ahead to 2012 to assess (at a very early stage, to be sure) Nebraska’s chances to appear in those games.

BCS National Championship

For Nebraska to make a run at an undefeated season would be a huge leap from NU’s 9-4 finish in 2011.

For Nebraska to finish as a one-loss team good enough to vault over the other contenders would be challenging, given the strength of NU’s schedule in comparison to other conferences.

Is it possible? Sure. Is it likely? No.

Percentage chance: The BCS title game is Nebraska’s version of Mitt Romney—the 1 percent

Rose Bowl

Nebraska fans had visions of a trip to Pasadena in NU’s first year as a B1G member. Trips to Madison and Ann Arbor derailed that dream in a fairly brutal manner.

While the B1G likely takes a bit of a step back at the top, earning a Rose Bowl berth is still a long shot given where Nebraska is starting from in 2012.

Percentage chance: 5 percent

Capital One Bowl

For Nebraska to get a repeat invite to Orlando, a number of things would have to break for NU. If a B1G team plays for the national title, the Capital One Bowl moves from taking the second-place team to the third-place team in the conference.

Similarly, if the BCS takes two B1G teams as it did in 2011, then the other teams in the bowl pecking order move up a spot.

Unfortunately for Disney fans wearing red, neither of those two scenarios seem likely to occur. If they don’t, the Capital One Bowl will likely take the loser of the B1G championship game, and that will likely not be Nebraska.

Percentage chance: 9 percent

Outback Bowl

The Outback Bowl will likely be the destination for the best B1G team that did not play in the conference title game.

Given the struggles at Penn State and that Ohio State is ineligible for a bowl, it’s likely the runner-up in the Legends Division will get a ticket to Tampa. If Michigan is the odds-on favorite to win the division, then it would be between Nebraska, Michigan State and Iowa for the Pirate Ship Bowl.

I like Nebraska’s chances in that matchup.

Percentage chance: 40 percent

Gator Bowl

A return to Bo Pelini’s first bowl victory as head Husker would not be viewed nearly as positively after the 2012 season.

A Nebraska trip to the Gator Bowl would likely mean an NU slip-up against either Michigan State or Iowa—not at all an unlikely outcome.

Percentage chance: 25 percent

Insight Bowl

The Tempe bowl game would likely be looking as much at crowd draw as matchup, and would very much like to avoid having Iowa arrive for a third straight visit.

A Nebraska trip to the Insight Bowl would likely happen if NU stumbles against both of its rivals in the Legends Division, or drops an unforeseen game against a lesser-regarded foe along the way in 2012 (because, you know, that’s never happened before).

Percentage chance: 10 percent

Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas

This Frankenstein’s Monster of a bowl name would be Nebraska’s post-season home if NU gets edged out by its nearest rivals for second place in the Legends Division, and drops an unexpected game along the way.

If Nebraska gets into this territory, look for Bo Pelini’s seat to warm up significantly in 2013.

Percentage chance: 5 percent

TicketCity Bowl

Postseason games in Dallas haven’t exactly been kind to Nebraska. But if NU ends up in the TicketCity Bowl, it will have signified a pretty-significant collapse of a season.

Nebraska seems to have the horses—particularly with the amount of returning talent on offense—to avoid a trip to the old Cotton Bowl

But seasons have a funny way of surprising people.

Percentage chance: 3 percent

Little Caesar's Bowl

I have a confession to make. I love Little Caesar’s pizza.

It was the staple dinner of D&D nights when I was in high school (and college, and perhaps beyond), and I still find myself indulging in some Crazy Bread goodness when both the calendar and the wallet are tight.

But Nebraska fans would have no such positive memories if NU makes a trip to Detroit for its postseason home.

Percentage chance: 1 percent

No Bowl

A return to the dark days of Bill Callahan’s bookend seasons at Nebraska would require NU to finish 2012 at 5-7 or worse. For that to happen would require either a catastrophic rash of injuries or a colossal implosion of the team.

While the possibility can’t be discounted, the likelihood of that happening is slim.

Percentage chance: Sort of the low-rent Mitt Romney in this case—1 percent

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