Bowl Projections: Picking Bowl Games for the Top Big Ten Teams

The Big Ten has nine teams eligible for postseason bowl play.

The Legends and Leaders' division standings are tight. Michigan State wrapped up the Legends division with their Week 12 victory over Indiana and Michigan's victory over Nebraska.

Penn State kept their Big Ten title hopes alive and well with a Week 12 victory in Columbus over the Buckeyes. The winner of Wisconsin and Penn State in Week 13 will decide who will play the Spartans in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship.

Five quality Big Ten teams will see five quality bowl games at season's end.

Here are the bowl projections for the class of the Big Ten.

Insight Bowl: Nebraska Cornhuskers

Nebraska suffered their third Big Ten loss in Week 12 when the Cornhuskers were thrashed by Michigan in Ann Arbor, 45-17.

The Huskers have also lost to Northwestern and Wisconsin in the Big Ten.

Wisconsin is understandable.

However, Northwestern should be handled by a great team.

These three losses will send Nebraska to the Insight Bowl.

An Insight Bowl matchup would pit the Huskers against the fourth-best team from the Big 12. Familiar faces for an ex-Big 12 team. Baylor, Missouri and Texas A&M are all possible opponents for the Cornhuskers.

Gator Bowl: Michigan Wolverines

Michigan's Week 12 victory over Nebraska provided the Wolverines a huge boost heading into the final week of the season.

In Week 13, the Wolverines face their daunting rival, Ohio State. The Buckeyes lost to Penn State in Week 12, but are a dangerous team to overlook.

Michigan has lost to Michigan State and Iowa this season. Other than their two losses, the Wolverines have had an impressive season on both sides of the ball under new coach Brady Hoke.

The Wolverines could be looking at a fourth-place finish in the Big Ten. That sends them to the Gator Bowl to play the sixth-best team out of the SEC.

Florida and Auburn are two possible adversaries for the Wolverines in the postseason.

Outback Bowl: Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State has had an incredible ride this season. A surprising 9-2 season has the Nittany Lions on the verge of a berth in the Big Ten Championship Game.

The Nittany Lions finish the season in Camp Randall against Wisconsin. The winner heads to Indianapolis to take on the Michigan State Spartans with a berth in the Rose Bowl on the line. 

Penn State will come up just short against the Badgers and find themselves in third in the Big Ten. That lands them in the Outback Bowl against the third or fourth-best team from the SEC.

With the logjam of SEC teams in BCS contention, the Nittany Lions could likely face South Carolina in this game.

An Outback Bowl berth would be considered a victory after Penn State's tumultuous season.

Capital One Bowl: Michigan State Spartans

The Michigan State Spartans locked up first place in the Legends division with their Week 12 victory over Indiana, and Michigan's victory over Nebraska sealed the Spartans' spot in the Big Ten Championship Game.

The Spartans will face either Penn State or Wisconsin in the title game.

Expect the Badgers, and expect that the Badgers have not forgotten how the Spartans won the last time these two squared off.

A loss in the championship game will land Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl as the second-best team out of the Big Ten.

Arkansas or Georgia will be their opponent depending on the finale in the SEC circus.

Rose Bowl: Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin defeated Illinois in Week 12 to set up a winner-take-all scenario in Camp Randall next week.

If the Badgers win they will get another chance to defeat Michigan State. Don't expect any prayers to be answered for the Spartans the second time around.

A Badger victory will land them in the Rose Bowl as the Big Ten's BCS representative. The Badgers will likely face Oregon coming out of the Pac-12.

Wisconsin is two desperation passes away from being in national title discussions. The Rose Bowl is not the title game, but its tradition is unrivaled.