Bowl Predictions 2012: Big Ten Will Not Lose in Rose Bowl

I feel a sense of moral obligation to let you know that this headline may be somewhat misleading, being that I firmly believe neither the Michigan State Spartans nor the Wisconsin Badgers has a shot at winning the Rose Bowl if Oregon is their opponent.

I do believe the Big Ten will come out as a winner though, even in a loss.

Not to assume, but it's a safe bet to say that No. 10 Oregon has a good shot to beat an unranked UCLA team in the Pac-12 championship, thus securing a spot in the Rose Bowl.

This is an Oregon team that averages 45.9 points per game and is highly regarded, having one of the most explosive offenses in football.

No offense to either MSU or Wisconsin, but that would be a tough draw that I don't see ending up well for either of them.

You are probably wondering how I could write that the Big Ten will not lose in the Rose Bowl then.

I can't be that misleading, can I?

Well, here's the deal folks. While a matchup with Oregon does not bode well for either team, the conference as a whole will end up being represented very nicely this bowl season.

The Big Ten has taken somewhat of a hit in the past few years, and many people have claimed that its old-school smashmouth style of football is going out of style.

With conferences like the SEC and Pac-12 dominating the BCS as of late, the respect level for the Big Ten is noticeably down.

For a while, Ohio State was the only nationally relevant program, but if this year has proven anything, it's that times are changing.

The Big Ten will finish the regular season with five teams in the Top 25, and more than one of those teams has been nationally relevant for at least one point of the season.

Wisconsin found themselves sniffing the Top 5 for the first part of the season until Michigan State pulled that away from them with a last-second Hail Mary win. 

The very next week Nebraska beat Michigan State, and then Michigan beat Nebraska a few weeks later.

Finally, lost in the Joe Paterno scandal was a pretty good season from Penn State.

The point is, the Big Ten looks to be on the up-and-up as far as national relevancy is concerned.

What was becoming a conference of outdated and mediocre teams is now competitive and interesting, and at the very least, that will be displayed at the Rose Bowl.

Off-field issues aside, this is a conference that is on the rise.

The very fact that a team other than Ohio State is in a position to represent the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl points to how far the conference has come.

Michigan State is a growing program with national hopes, and Nebraska and Wisconsin always field good football teams.

Ohio State and Penn State are in the midst of coaching transitions but may very soon find themselves with high-profile leaders once again, and Michigan is building what looks to be a resurgent football program.

The good ole days of Big Ten glory may never be replicated, but this new era certainly has potential.

That's why even if the Big Ten loses the Rose Bowl, they still come out winners.