Big Ten Conference: More Bowl Blues Ahead?

I am typically a pretty positive person and normally have a solid outlook on things concerning the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Big Ten. The latest bowl projections don't have me so optimistic though. Check them out and see if you feel the same way!

Unfortunately, the Big Ten has set itself up for failure when it comes to the bowl season (even though the future schedule does get better), especially when it comes to the timing of how they end the season.

Ending two weeks earlier than everyone else not only means less practices and a larger gap in time before the bowl game; it also means teams slide up in the rankings. Some of you might be asking, "Drew, how is that a bad thing?" Well normally it isn't, but this year it is.

Iowa and Penn State are now fighting for a BCS spot and let's be honest, the Big Ten doesn't need another BCS team. Anyone who has watched the brand of football the Big Ten has produced this season will undoubtedly agree.

Several weeks back as the Big Ten concluded play, fans and writers discussed how the Big Ten should actually have a manageable bowl schedule this season. After the 1-6 record of a year ago, everyone was ready for the conference to gain some perception points this year with only the Buckeyes heading to a BCS game.

What happened? Well, upsets happened. With teams like Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, and Georgia Tech all going down, Iowa and Penn State have crept up the rankings.

Sounds great, right? Heck no! I say this is incredibly detrimental to a conference that is trying to get back in everybody's good graces. 

Lets just take a look at the projections (via cbssports.com):

Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon
Fiesta Bowl: Iowa vs. Boise State
Capital One: Penn State vs. LSU
Outback: Wisconsin vs. Auburn
Alamo: Michigan State vs. Texas Tech
Champs Sports: Northwestern vs. Clemson
Insight: Minnesota vs. Missouri

It is easy to see how harmful it is for Iowa to get bumped up into a BCS game, pushing all the other Big Ten teams up to face tougher opponents. The Big Ten is normally slated for the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl against a MAC team (for No. 7 Big Ten team), but will forgo that bowl if another team does actually get thrown into the BCS from the conference.

While things would be much more manageable if you took Iowa out of the Fiesta Bowl and bumped everyone down a game, we have to live with the reality that this will most likely not happen. Outside of a Nebraska upset of Texas (and maybe a Pittsburgh upset of Cincinnati), the Big Ten is looking at another team in the BCS.

As I look at the schedule, I don't see many favorable matchups for the conference. If the bowl schedule resembles this in any way, I could easily see the Big Ten looking at another 1-6 or 2-5 record.

I am not trying to be pessimistic at all, just realistic. I find myself rooting for the conference as a whole a lot more these days and was pretty bummed to see these projections.

I believe the conference will once again regain some of the perception and power it had in the '90s, but this schedule will not help it build back to that reality. I may be proved wrong, but you can count on me rooting for the Huskers this weekend!