Predicting Winner for Every Big Ten Football Bowl Game
The Big Ten was the strongest conference in college football this year, and it will be well-represented in the postseason as 10 teams make their way around the country for bowls this winter.
Ohio State headlines the league with a College Football Playoff showdown with Clemson on New Year's Eve, while Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin received invites to New Year's Six bowl games.
With conference supremacy and bragging rights on the line, how will the Big Ten hold up this bowl season?
Quick Lane Bowl: Maryland Terrapins vs. Boston College Eagles
1 of 10
Maryland's first year under new head coach D.J. Durkin was a success as the Terrapins hit the six-win mark and became bowl eligible for the first time since 2013.
The defensive intensity is the biggest difference, as the Terrapins jumped from the No. 103-ranked scoring defense a season ago to the No. 71 scoring defense this season. But in its six wins, Maryland flexed its muscle, allowing just 14.7 points per game.
Boston College shouldn't pose much of a threat to that defense, as it brings an offense averaging just 19.1 points per game to the Quick Lane Bowl. The Eagles have a solid defense of their own, though, so it should be a low scoring affair in Detroit.
Maryland 24, Boston College 20
National Funding Holiday Bowl: Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Washington State Cougars
2 of 10
A three- and four-game win streak proved Minnesota can play good football in long stretches, but it faltered against the best teams on its schedule, and that was especially the case down the stretch.
The Gophers lost their four games to Penn State, Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin by an average of less than eight points, but they struggled the most against the pass, ranking 67th nationally in passing yards allowed.
That doesn't bode well for the Gophers, who face the country's second-ranked passing attack in Washington State. Quarterback Luke Falk averaged 350 passing yards a game and threw 37 touchdowns, and he had the Cougars one win away from playing for the Pac-12 Championship.
Washington State 38, Minnesota 27
New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Pitt Panthers vs. Northwestern Wildcats
3 of 10
After winning 10 games a season ago, Northwestern was expected to battle with Wisconsin and Iowa for the Big Ten West Division.
Those aspirations plummeted instantly as the Wildcats stumbled out of the gate, when they fell to Western Michigan in the season opener (which was respectable) then a week later to FCS foe Illinois State (which was disastrous).
But they bounced back and registered a 5-4 record in league play, highlighted by wins over Iowa and Indiana and a near-upset of Ohio State on the road.
There are plenty of weapons offensively, namely running back Justin Jackson and wideout Austin Carr, and they'll need every bit of firepower they have to keep up with Pitt.
The Panthers have had an up-and-down season as well, but they boast two of the most impressive wins of the entire college football season against No. 5 Penn State in the season opener and then against No. 2 Clemson on the road.
Pitt 41, Northwestern 34
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Foster Farms Bowl: Indiana Hoosiers vs. Utah Utes
4 of 10
It's hard to argue against the opinion Indiana drew one of the shortest straws of the bowl season.
The Hoosiers had a fine season—one of their best in recent years—despite what their 6-6 record might indicate. The defensive improvements they made under Tom Allen were drastic, as they allowed an average of 10 fewer points in 2016 than they did the previous year.
But the college football world was caught by surprise when it was announced Indiana head coach Kevin Wilson resigned amid reports of player mistreatment, vaulting Allen into the head coaching role.
He'll be tasked with regrouping the Hoosiers and taking them across the country to face No. 19 Utah, which will be playing much closer to home.
Utah 30, Indiana 18
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Tennessee Volunteers
5 of 10
Nebraska worked its way into the top 10 and College Football Playoff contention with seven consecutive victories to start the year, but back-to-back road trips to Wisconsin and Ohio State spoiled the championship run.
Injuries to quarterback Tommy Armstrong complicated things in the final weeks, with sloppy wins over Minnesota and Maryland preceding a blowout loss to Iowa in the season finale.
Head coach Mike Riley will use the bowl prep to get Armstrong healthy and his team ready for a Tennessee squad that also started hot before faltering in the final month.
The Volunteers will be looking to avenge the disastrous loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores at the end of their regular season, and they proved last year they know how to perform in a bowl game with a 45-6 demolition of a 10-win Northwestern team in the Outback bowl.
Tennessee 41, Nebraska 28
Outback Bowl: Florida Gators vs. Iowa Hawkeyes
6 of 10
Defense will be front and center when Iowa squares off against Florida in the Outback Bowl on January 2.
Iowa was on the wrong end of one of college football's biggest upsets this year when it fell to North Dakota State 23-21 in Week 3. The Hawkeyes lost to Northwestern two weeks later and then dropped back-to-back games against Wisconsin and Penn State, the latter of which was a blowout 41-14 loss.
But that somehow catapulted Kirk Ferentz's squad to a strong finish. Iowa stunned No. 3 Michigan at home with a walk-off field goal and 14-13 win, then went on to beat Illinois and Nebraska by an average of 29 points.
The Hawkeyes shouldn't need that many points to beat a Florida team that ranks 110th in scoring offense.
Iowa 20, Florida 13
Capital One Orange Bowl: Michigan Wolverines vs. Florida State Seminoles
7 of 10
Michigan was solid in the first year under head coach Jim Harbaugh in 2015, but it made a huge jump and became a major College Football Playoff contender this season.
The Wolverines used one of the most imposing and dominant defenses to rattle off nine consecutive victories to start the season, but they faltered down the stretch, losing on the last play of their only two defeats this season against Iowa and Ohio State.
The latter hurt the most, as Michigan blew a 17-7 lead in a game it dominated until the fourth quarter. Ohio State rallied to force overtime, and it prevailed in double overtime in a 30-27 thriller in Columbus.
That loss spoiled the Wolverines' playoff hopes, but they received a solid consolation prize with an Orange Bowl matchup against Florida State.
Seminoles running back Dalvin Cook and superstar redshirt freshman Deondre Francois should be a great test for Michigan's defense, but with a month to stew over that Ohio State loss, expect a motivated Michigan team to close strong.
Michigan 31, Florida State 20
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: Western Michigan Broncos vs. Wisconsin Badgers
8 of 10
Wisconsin started with a bang when it beat a then-ranked No. 5 LSU Tigers team on the opening Saturday of the college football season. Over the course of the year, the Badgers showcased one of the stingiest defenses in the country, and they enter the bowl season ranked No. 4 in scoring defense and No. 7 in total defense.
What the Badgers are looking for is a signature win—something that eluded them all season because the Tigers, while highly ranked at the time, went on to lose four of their 11 games. There were plenty of opportunities, but Wisconsin lost by a touchdown in each of its games against Michigan, Ohio State and in the Big Ten title game against Penn State.
The Cotton Bowl presents the final opportunity for the Badgers. Western Michigan, the 13-0 MAC champion, has been the best Group of Five team in college football this year, and it has a quarterback-wide receiver duo in Zach Terrell and Corey Davis that could give fits to a secondary that buckled in the Big Ten title game.
With a month to prepare, the Badgers should bounce back and close the season on a high note.
Wisconsin 38, Western Michigan 17
Rose Bowl: USC Trojans vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
9 of 10
There isn't a hotter team in the country right now than Penn State.
Something clicked for the Nittany Lions when they came from behind to beat Minnesota in overtime. They were fresh off a 39-point shellacking on the road to Michigan and had every reason to just give up after entering halftime in a 13-3 hole.
But they stormed back to beat the Gophers in extra time, then registered what looked like the upset of the year when they once again rallied and overwhelmed the Buckeyes on defense and special teams for a 24-21 victory.
Since then, the Nittany Lions have been the second-half team, overcoming halftime deficits in three of their last four games.
James Franklin's squad can't afford to fall too far behind USC in the Rose Bowl. The Trojans, much like Penn State, surged after deflating early-season losses, which included a 52-0 drubbing at the hands of Alabama in the season opener.
With a month to prepare, the Nittany Lions won't bury themselves in a big first-half hole, but they'll need everything they have to hold off the Trojans.
Penn State 38, USC 34
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Clemson Tigers
10 of 10
J.T. Barrett guided Ohio State to an 11-1 regular season and a playoff berth during his redshirt freshman season in 2014, but a broken ankle suffered against Michigan kept him out of postseason play.
Two years removed from that historic run to the national title, Barrett is back at the helm and fresh off another 11-1 run to a playoff bid. With his spotlight ready, the third-seeded Buckeyes will travel to Glendale, Arizona, for a showdown with No. 2 Clemson.
Despite Barrett's solid play that earned him Big Ten Quarterback of the Year honors, it could be the defenses that rule the day in the Fiesta Bowl.
Ohio State will face a stiff challenge stopping Deshaun Watson and a Clemson offense that's scoring more than 40 points a game. But the Buckeyes are allowing just 14.2 points per outing, while the Tigers themselves surrendered an average of just 18.4 in 13 games this year.
Both teams will have trouble putting points on the board, and a late forced turnover from the Buckeyes will be the difference in a close game.
Ohio State 24, Clemson 20
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
