College Football Week 13: Why Big Ten Has the Most To Gain This Bowl Season

In the 2009-10 bowl season, the Big Ten was able to resurrect its image after being looked upon as a joke by media pundits.

Now on the eve of the 2010-11 bowl season and with the reputation of being the nation's No. 2 conference behind the SEC, the Big Ten can still gain so much more even before welcoming Nebraska next season.

With the potential for three teams with only one loss and a good amount of quality second-tier teams, the conference has shown it has a great deal of depth.

But it will be the top of the crop, most especially Ohio State and Wisconsin, who can do the most for the conference.

Wisconsin is the most likely of the two teams to play in the Rose Bowl, and Michigan State may be on the outside of the BCS picture looking in should the Badgers and Buckeyes win Saturday.

Should Oregon win out, Wisconsin will most likely face off against Boise State, giving the Broncos arguably their toughest opponent in team history.

Unlike last season, where the BCS selected Boise State and TCU to face off, the bowl committees may have no choice but to end the mid-major debate once and for all.

If Wisconsin is able to beat Boise State, the Broncos may not have a case to play for the national championship anymore.

The problem for the Broncos is that even though they are a very talented bunch, they have never faced a team that plays so physical. Just ask Ohio State and Iowa what happened when they faced Bret Bielema's bunch.

While Boise State is no doubt a very talented squad, there is not much that can simulate the brute force which John Clay and Wisconsin's powerful running attack utilize often.

Meanwhile, the Big Ten's most popular and most hated school, Ohio State, should have a shot to rid itself of its own demons against the SEC.

Should Ohio State win along with Wisconsin, it may be hard for the Sugar Bowl to pass the Buckeyes up and face them off against either Auburn, LSU or South Carolina.

Since Jim Tressel came to Columbus in 2001, the Buckeyes have been an 0-fer against the SEC's powerhouse schools.

And while the guaranteed spot in the Sugar Bowl is not exactly certain compared to the Rose Bowl, SEC teams, especially LSU, do have a major advantage of playing in their own backyard.

Whether that really gives them an edge is anyone's guess.

But whatever the reason, the SEC has been a thorn in Ohio State's side, while it doesn't seem to bother most of the rest of the Big Ten as much.

And it's because of the SEC that Ohio State's reputation on the national stage took major, crippling blows in recent years.

A win by Ohio State against an SEC opponent would do wonders for repairing its reputation, which began with the Rose Bowl victory over Oregon last season.

Obviously, however, the Big Ten won't get a shot to play for the national title.

But with two teams almost guaranteed to play BCS bowl games (three if Nebraska wins the Big 12), the Big Ten can continue to build more street cred before it expands to 12 teams.

What can also help is if the strong teams in the second-tier—like Illinois, Penn State and Michigan—win their own bowl games against teams with better records.

The key for the Big Ten this year will be to generate big momentum going into the 2011 season, when the conference expands to 12 teams and plays a conference championship game.

With the strength at the top that was clearly established this season and the addition of a Nebraska program that is still on the rise, the Big Ten on paper already looks like a powerhouse for the future.

A strong bowl season will only add to that perception.

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