Big Ten Football: Predicting the Conference's Bowl Games

Well, it's Oct. 18 and that can only mean one thing: bowl predictions.

This year, the Big Ten has eight automatic tie-ins. Moreover, the conference currently has only one undefeated team—the Wisconsin Badgers—and thus, only one realistic chance at a bid to the national championship game.

Ten of the past 13 years have seen the conference put two teams in the BCS, so odds are on the Big Ten's side.

However, this season, the teams that might stand in the Big Ten's way—and thus, the teams that fans of Big Ten teams should be rooting against—are Notre Dame, Boise State, Houston, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, LSU and Alabama.

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl

Northwestern shocks Penn State next week to keep its bowl hopes alive and then beats Indiana to get back to .500.

The Wildcats wind up finishing the conference schedule 4-2, with wins over Rice and Indiana.

At 6-6 overall, they secure bowl eligibility and get picked up by the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl where they play the second team from the MAC.

Probable Opponent: Toledo or Temple

TicketCity Bowl

After beating Michigan, MSU drops two in a row to find itself at 5-3 heading into November.

The Spartans pull off a win against Minnesota before dropping a heartbreaker to Iowa.

At 6-4, MSU finishes off the year strong, beating both Indiana and Northwestern to finish at 8-4.

This leaves it in the TicketCity Bowl.

Probable Opponent: SMU or Southern Miss

Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas

I have OSU losing to Wisconsin and slipping to 4-4. It beats Indiana and Purdue and then surprises Penn State for its seventh win.

However, that is all the Buckeyes do, as they finish the year with their first loss to Michigan since 2003.

At 7-5, the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas opts to take a chance on a reeling OSU program over 8-4 MSU due to the Spartan fanbase's notoriously poor reputation for traveling.

Probable Opponent: Missouri or Baylor

Gator Bowl

Iowa cruises by both Minnesota and Indiana before hitting a wall against Michigan.

The Hawkeyes proceed to beat Michigan State in a close contest.

They then go on the road and struggle but win in West Lafayette before dropping the day-after-Thanksgiving game against Nebraska.

At 8-4, the Hawkeyes take their second-ever trip to the Gator Bowl.

Probable Opponent: Florida or Georgia

Insight Bowl

I have Penn State losing to Northwestern next week.

The Nittany Lions then surprise Illinois as they head into their bye week.

I then have the Nits beating the Cornhuskers before tripping up against Ohio State in Columbus. They finish the year with a loss at Wisconsin.

At 8-4, the Insight Bowl chooses the Nits over the 8-4 Hawkeyes in order to be able to say Joe Paterno coached his last game in Tempe.

Probable Opponent: Texas A&M or Texas

Outback Bowl

I have the Illini taking out Purdue, but slipping up against Penn State on the 29th.

However, they follow their bye week by handing Michigan its second loss.

This will leave them at 8-2 as they head into the big showdown against Wisconsin. The game will be for the Eastern Division championship. They will lose that game, but will finish strong by kicking the tar out of Minnesota.

At 9-3, they hope to slip into a BCS game à la 2007, but it won't happen this season.

Still, an Outback Bowl invite is a nice consolation prize for Ron Zook's third bowl bid as the Illini head coach.

Probable Opponent: Georgia or Auburn

Capital One Bowl

I have the Huskers coming out of their bye week by steamrolling the Gophers.

I then have them beating both Michigan State and Northwestern in close games.

This is followed by losses to both Penn State and Michigan—both away games—before finishing the season with a win over Iowa on the day after Thanksgiving.

At 9-3 and 5-3 in conference, the Capital One Bowl will jump at the chance to grab Nebraska over the Illini.

Probable Opponent: Arkansas or South Carolina

Rose Bowl

Michigan will roll over Purdue following its bye week. That will leave the Wolverines at 7-1 as they head into their toughest stretch of the year.

Much as I would like to, I cannot see the Iowa defense containing Denard Robinson this year. I also don't see OSU beating the Wolverines. Not this year and not in the Big House.

That leaves Nebraska and Illinois. I think Michigan will split those games. Specifically, I have them beating the Huskers, but losing to the Illini.

At 10-2 and 6-2 in conference, they will represent the Western Division in the Big Ten Championship Game. I have them losing that, but at 10-3, the Rose Bowl will opt for a Big Ten team over a higher ranked Big 12 team.

Thus, the Wolverines will get a nice consolation prize in their 21st Rose Bowl appearance.

Probable Opponent: Oregon or Stanford

BCS National Championship Game

Right now, I don't see anybody beating the Badgers through the regular season.

Minnesota and Purdue should be cakewalks. Penn State has a tough defense, but the offense is just not good. Moreover, that game will end the season and it is at Camp Randall, so if the Badgers are indeed 11-0, the home stadium and the team will be on fire.

That leaves Michigan State, Ohio State and Illinois, all of which are away.

OSU can't go toe-to-toe with UW right now. MSU will give the Badgers a game, but I don't see the Spartans being able to compete with Wisconsin if Wisconsin brings their A game. In other words, for Michigan State to beat UW, UW will have to slip up.

That leaves Illinois, which will have the best chance of beating Wisconsin, but the Illini are still substantial underdogs.

After that, UW will take on the winner of the Eastern Division. Right now—and according to my predictions—that is Michigan.

I think that will be a good, offensively charged game, but my money is on Wisconsin in that one, which leaves it 13-0.

In the end, UW's biggest challenge might be against teams it'll never play.

In short, there is no way Wisconsin will jump over an undefeated Oklahoma/Oklahoma State or LSU/Alabama. That means the Badgers are depending on two of those four teams to lose (LSU/Bama and OU/OSU play each other so two of them have to lose at least one game).

I have this sneaking feeling that the Big 12 champ will trip up somewhere, which will land the Badgers in the national championship game against Bama or LSU.

However, if I'm wrong, the Badgers will undoubtedly be in Pasadena and on the outside looking in.