Predicting the MVPs of Each Big Ten Bowl Game
College football's bowl season is officially underway, but for the Big Ten, all 10 of its postseason matchups remain ahead.
Despite not being featured through the first week of bowl season, the conference will have a heavy presence this weekend—and beyond—with two Big Ten teams playing on Saturday and another one taking the field next Monday.
And while it's ultimately the outcomes of the bowl games that will matter most, the postseason presents no shortage of opportunities for memorable individual outings to take place, as well. Some bowl games have even come to be defined by their lineage of MVPs, and this postseason will give the Big Ten 10 opportunities to showcase outstanding individual performances.
In some cases, it will be an opponent and not the Big Ten representative who has a specific player rise to the occasion in a winning effort.
With that in mind, here's a look at my predictions for the MVP of each Big Ten bowl game to take place in the coming weeks.
Foster Farms Bowl: Josh Rosen
1 of 10
The good news for Nebraska is that despite its 5-7 regular-season record, the Cornhuskers find themselves bowl-eligible this postseason thanks to both their APR and a lack of bowl-eligible teams.
The bad news is that they now find themselves preparing to take on a UCLA team that accumulated an 8-4 record in 2015 and at one point was ranked as high as seventh in the country.
One of the biggest reasons for the Bruins' success has been the play of quarterback Josh Rosen, who completed 59.5 percent of his passes for 3,351 yards, 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions in his freshman season. And while Rosen has failed to connect on 60 percent of his pass attempts in each of his last three outings, the Foster Farms Bowl will present the Manhattan Beach native with an opportunity to end his debut campaign on a positive note.
Facing a Nebraska defense that ranks 121st in the nation at defending the pass, having surrendered an average of 288.2 yards per game through the air, look for Rosen to do exactly that. The Huskers find themselves fortunate to be playing in a bowl game this winter, but they shouldn't count on getting much more out of their unexpected path to postseason eligibility than a trip to Santa Clara.
Pinstripe Bowl: Thomas Sirk
2 of 10
Serving as the Big Ten's representative in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, Indiana finds itself postseason-eligible for the first time since 2007.
But if the Hoosiers are going to pick up their first bowl win since 1991, they're going to have to do so against a Duke team whose potent passing attack could spell trouble for their shaky defense.
With Indiana ranking last in college football in passing yards allowed (326.3 per game), Blue Devils signal-caller Thomas Sirk could be in for a big day in the Big Apple on Saturday. In 11 games this season, Sirk completed 60 percent of his passes for 2,462 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions, while also adding 648 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
"You've got a 6-foot-4, 225 pound quarterback running read zone," IU defensive coordinator Brian Knorr said, per IUHoosiers.com. "He's the number one ball carrier on their team."
Against the Hoosiers, who won their first four games before embarking on a six-game losing streak and eventually closing the season with wins over Maryland and Purdue, the Macclenny, Florida, native's numbers will likely only look inflated. Whether he does his damage through the air or against Indiana's 77th-ranked rushing defense, look for Sirk to put up the type of yardage that would likely lead to MVP honors in a Duke victory.
Quick Lane Bowl: Theiren Cockran
3 of 10
Like Nebraska, Minnesota finds itself playing in a bowl game this winter under the unusual circumstance of entering postseason play with a losing regular-season record.
But unlike the Cornhuskers, the Golden Gophers are projected to make the most of their bowl appearance, with Minnesota listed as a six-point favorite over Central Michigan in the Quick Lane Bowl (per Bovada, via Odds Shark).
If the Golden Gophers are going to make good on the oddsmakers' confidence in them, defensive end Theiren Cockran will likely be a big reason why. In his senior season, the 6'6", 258-pounder has recorded 28 tackles, seven of which have came for a loss, and three sacks while serving as one of the key components on the Golden Gophers' 36th-ranked defense.
Facing a Chippewas offensive line that has allowed 26 sacks this season, Cockran could find himself in the Central Michigan backfield early and often in Detroit. If that proves to be the case, the Homestead, Florida, native could be ending his college career with both a win and MVP honors in the Quick Lane Bowl.
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Holiday Bowl: Alex Erickson
4 of 10
Accumulating a 9-3 regular-season record, Wisconsin earned its berth to the Holiday Bowl in a way that's been unconventional for the Badgers in their recent history. Despite their overall success on the field, Wisconsin's effectiveness in its rushing game has been lacking, with the Badgers ranking 96th in the nation in rushing (148.1 yards per game) under first-year head coach Paul Chryst.
Fortunately for Chryst, a passing offense that ranks 58th in college football (229.3 yards per game) will likely only look better against a Southern California opponent that's had trouble stopping teams through the air in 2015. The Trojans possess the country's 95th-ranked passing defense this season, having surrendered an average of 254.2 passing yards per game.
For Wisconsin, that could mean a big day for wide receiver Alex Erickson, who has served as senior signal-caller Joel Stave's top option in 2015. The first-team All-Big Ten selection tallied 72 catches for 924 yards and three touchdowns in his senior campaign.
If the Badgers are going to beat USC, Erickson will need to be one of the primary reasons why their trip to San Diego winds up a success. Don't be surprised to see Chryst find creative ways to get the ball into the hands of his top wideout, either, as the 6'0", 199-pounder has also recorded 111 rushing yards on just seven carries this season.
TaxSlayer Bowl: Leonard Floyd
5 of 10
After beating Boston College in last season's Pinstripe Bowl, Penn State's trip to the TaxSlayer Bowl on Jan. 2 can only be seen as a step forward.
But against Georgia, the Nittany Lions find themselves facing what appears to be a matchup nightmare in postseason play. The Bulldogs' talented front seven could very well have their way with Penn State's still-struggling offensive line, which ranked 118th in the country in sacks allowed with 39 in 2015.
"Just watching their defense, they have some really good players up front and overall a really, really good, physical, fast defense," said center Angelo Mangiro, per Audrey Snyder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "We definitely have a challenge up against us."
If there's one player who could benefit most from the Nittany Lions' shaky offensive line, it could be outside linebacker Leonard Floyd. The 6'4", 231-pounder recorded 68 tackles, 10.5 of which have come for a loss, and 4.5 sacks before declaring for the 2016 NFL draft at the end of the 2015 regular season.
Don't be surprised if Floyd is joined in the professional ranks next season by Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg. But the Eastman, Georgia, native should find himself plenty familiar with the Nittany Lions' signal-caller before then, in what could be an MVP outing in his college finale.
Outback Bowl: Joshua Dobbs
6 of 10
From enduring consecutive 5-7 seasons in 2013 and 2014 to compiling a 10-2 record and earning a New Year's Day bowl berth against Tennessee in the Outback Bowl, Northwestern has been one of the biggest surprises in not just the Big Ten, but all of college football this season.
Against the Volunteers, however, the Wildcats will have their work cut out for them, particularly when it comes to defending quarterback Joshua Dobbs.
One of the SEC's top dual-threat signal-callers, Dobbs threw for 2,125 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions in his junior campaign while adding 623 yards and nine scores on the ground. At 6'3" and 207 pounds, the Alpharetta, Georgia, native is a load to bring down and will be the focus of the 11th-ranked Northwestern defense's focus in Tampa.
"They do a great job in their zone and gap schemes with him," Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald said of Dobbs, per Matt Slovin of The Tennessean. "He’s a threat on every play."
Come New Year's Day, that threat could prove to be too much for Northwestern to handle. Look for Dobbs to ultimately be the difference in what will be an otherwise evenly matched game.
Citrus Bowl: Jabrill Peppers
7 of 10
When it comes to picking an MVP for Michigan's Citrus Bowl showdown with Florida, there's an easy solution: Find the player capable of impacting the game in the most possible ways.
For that question, the answer is obvious: Safety/nickelback/running back/wide receiver/Wildcat quarterback/punt returner Jabrill Peppers.
Having been used as all of the above in Jim Harbaugh's debut season in Ann Arbor, the former 5-star prospect has become the Wolverines' jack of all trades in 2015. In addition to tallying 45 tackles and breaking up 10 passes, Peppers has accumulated 151 yards and two touchdowns while receiving 26 touches in what's been a growing role on offense since Michigan's midseason matchup with Michigan State.
"He’s such good player. I can think of five different positions he could be really good at in football," Harbaugh said. "Can somebody be the Willie Mays of football? Can somebody be the five-tool player, the five-position player? Maybe. Maybe that’ll end up being Jabrill Peppers."
With a month to prepare for the Gators, the Wolverines coaching staff has had no shortage of time to design and experiment with new ways to get Peppers involved in their game plan. Add in what he's capable of defensively, and the New Jersey native is the safest pick to walk away from Orlando with MVP honors on New Year's Day.
Fiesta Bowl: J.T. Barrett
8 of 10
While Ezekiel Elliott has dominated the Ohio State headlines—for sometimes negative reasons over the past few months—J.T. Barrett has quietly had a strong finish to what's otherwise been a rocky 2015 season.
After returning from a one-game suspension following his insertion into the Buckeyes starting lineup in late-October, the redshirt sophomore quarterback closed the regular season with numbers resembling his record-breaking 2014 campaign. In Ohio State's final three games, Barrett tallied 566 yards of total offense and seven touchdowns, including a 252-yard, four-score effort in the Buckeyes' 42-13 regular-season finale win over Michigan.
For Notre Dame—Ohio State's upcoming opponent in the Fiesta Bowl—that could prove to be problematic. Against Clemson quarterback DeShaun Watson, who features a skill set similar to that of Barrett's, the Fighting Irish allowed the eventual Heisman Trophy finalist to gain 93 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
A more effective runner than Watson, Barrett could ultimately do more damage than that. And if he does, MVP honors and a jump-started Heisman Trophy campaign will be likely for Barrett in a Buckeyes win in the desert.
Rose Bowl: Christian McCaffrey
9 of 10
After just missing out on the College Football Playoff following a loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game, fifth-ranked Iowa's trip to Pasadena for its first Rose Bowl appearance since 1991 is hardly a disappointing consolation prize.
But the pageantry of arguably college football's most storied bowl game may not seem like much fun for the Hawkeyes once they take the field and find themselves facing Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey.
Having broken Barry Sanders' record for all-purpose yards with 3,496 to his credit, McCaffrey has been college football's most dynamic player in 2015. Iowa has hardly faced a player of his caliber on its schedule, making it all the more interesting to see how the Hawkeyes will match up with the 6'0", 201-pounder on New Year's Day.
"He's a tremendous football player," Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. "Our preparation starts right there. You better find a way to contain him a little bit. And that's going to take a really great team effort. Not only defensively, but on special teams, as well, punting and kickoff."
Doing just that, however, will be easier said than done.
Look for McCaffrey to add to his record-breaking season with an exclamation point in Pasadena.
Cotton Bowl/College Football Playoff Semifinal: Derrick Henry
10 of 10
Having made the College Football Playoff as the nation's third-ranked team, Michigan State finds itself heading to clash with Alabama in a Cotton Bowl Classic that will double as a playoff semifinal.
And all factors considered, the Spartans actually matchup pretty well with the Crimson Tide.
While the strength of the Alabama offense rests with Heisman Trophy-winning running back Derrick Henry, Michigan State has been pretty stout at stopping the run. The Spartans ranked seventh in the nation in rushing defense in 2015, having surrendered an average of just 113.1 yards per game on the ground.
But despite what the numbers may say, there's also a reason Henry won college football's most prestigious award this past season.
Having rushed for more yards (1,986) in a single season than any other player in SEC history while also rushing for a nation-best 23 touchdowns, the 6'3", 242-pound Henry has put together a truly historic season. And although Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio admitted his team's ability to stop the run gives it confidence heading to North Texas, he also noted just how talented Henry is.
"Very physical," Dantonio said of Henry. "He's a physical running back and well deserved of the Heisman Trophy and everything he's been able to accomplish."
In a game that could be described as two sledgehammers going at it, Henry is going to have to truly earn each yard.
But in the end, look for him to prove why he's been considered college football's best in 2015.
Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten lead writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.
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