Creed
New member
Two years in a row of bad bowl match ups for the B1G. Why is the B1G always playing a higher ranked teams in bowl games? I realize this year Mich backed into a BCS game beacuse of their name recognition (other teams higher ranked) and it had a ripple effect. Add the fact that B1G bowl games are typically "away" games and it looks to be another bad bowl season. Here is my spin:
ROSE: Wisconsin (BCS #10) v. Oregon (BCS #5) -
OK no excuses here - conf champ vs conf champ. Wisc needs to pull out a win especially given the TCU loss LY but Oregon will be too much for the pasty white boys at UW. Also, Oregon was a legit NC contender for most of the year while Wisc turned out to be a good B1G Champ. Oregon by 21.
SUGAR: Michigan (BCS #13) v. Virginia Tech (BCS #11)
Half-empty view Mich should be playing in cap one bowl vs SCar to make the parings more equal. Half full view - Mich has a national stage to make a stmt. I am not sure Mich is ready for prime time vs a top 10ish team and a team raned near the top 5 for much of the season. Va Tech by 9.
OUTBACK: Michigan State (BCS 17) v. Jawja (BCS 16)
Fairly even match-up on paper. UGA's D looked great in the first half vs LSU and their O has some playmakers. Time for MSU to see if it can play its best vs a team not named Wisconsin. As usualy the SEC team will eek out a win vs supposedly even teams. UGA by 3.
TICKETCITY: Penn State (22) v. Houston (19)
Penn State is avg and I thought them falling to this bowl vs CUSA would guarantee a W for the B1G. Unfortnately they draw a team ranked higher then them, playing close to home with a great QB and one that was ranked in the top 10 for the latter half of the season. CUSA will not produce a team like this more than once a decade but the B1G draws them. If PSU shows up to play then it will be close otherwise Houston pours it on. Houston by 10.
CAPITALONE: Nebraska (20) v. South Carolina (9)
A fair match up based on BCS rankings would be Mich vs SCar but the B1G draws another paring (like prior years) against a tough higher ranked SEC team. I don't think Neb has the offense to score on SCar. Scar by 13.
INSIGHT: Iowa (UR) v. Oklahoma (14)
B1G's 7-8th best team vs B12's 2/3. Again an unranked B1G team draws a much higher ranked B12 team in the Insight. Last year - UR Iowa beat #12 Missouri. OU was a top 10 team most of the season while Iowa never cracked the top 25. OU by 28
MEINEKE: Northwestern v. Texas A&M
AM was supposed to be a 9 or 10 win team this year and was ranked for much of the year. NW is NW. Even with how things went with AM this year, they still can easily out-athlete NW and win this game. Being a home game doesn't help NW either. AM by 10.
GATOR: Ohio State v. Florida
Home game for UF. UF has a strong D which will stop OSU's meager offense. Even though UF has struggled on O they have some play makers that can have a field day on OSU. UF by 14.
LITTLECAESAR: Purdue v. Western Michigan
Fair match-up. Hopefully Purdue will continue to improve and pull out a W. Purdue by 7.
KRAFT: Illinois v. UCLA
Fair match-up between 2 down-trodden teams and really a toss up. I think UCLA is the better team athlete wise and the game is in California so I say UCLA by 7.
Ok -my pessimistic analysis says 1-9 for B1G but the odds say B1G will win a couple more "upsets" so my final win total is 3.
ROSE: Wisconsin (BCS #10) v. Oregon (BCS #5) -
OK no excuses here - conf champ vs conf champ. Wisc needs to pull out a win especially given the TCU loss LY but Oregon will be too much for the pasty white boys at UW. Also, Oregon was a legit NC contender for most of the year while Wisc turned out to be a good B1G Champ. Oregon by 21.
SUGAR: Michigan (BCS #13) v. Virginia Tech (BCS #11)
Half-empty view Mich should be playing in cap one bowl vs SCar to make the parings more equal. Half full view - Mich has a national stage to make a stmt. I am not sure Mich is ready for prime time vs a top 10ish team and a team raned near the top 5 for much of the season. Va Tech by 9.
OUTBACK: Michigan State (BCS 17) v. Jawja (BCS 16)
Fairly even match-up on paper. UGA's D looked great in the first half vs LSU and their O has some playmakers. Time for MSU to see if it can play its best vs a team not named Wisconsin. As usualy the SEC team will eek out a win vs supposedly even teams. UGA by 3.
TICKETCITY: Penn State (22) v. Houston (19)
Penn State is avg and I thought them falling to this bowl vs CUSA would guarantee a W for the B1G. Unfortnately they draw a team ranked higher then them, playing close to home with a great QB and one that was ranked in the top 10 for the latter half of the season. CUSA will not produce a team like this more than once a decade but the B1G draws them. If PSU shows up to play then it will be close otherwise Houston pours it on. Houston by 10.
CAPITALONE: Nebraska (20) v. South Carolina (9)
A fair match up based on BCS rankings would be Mich vs SCar but the B1G draws another paring (like prior years) against a tough higher ranked SEC team. I don't think Neb has the offense to score on SCar. Scar by 13.
INSIGHT: Iowa (UR) v. Oklahoma (14)
B1G's 7-8th best team vs B12's 2/3. Again an unranked B1G team draws a much higher ranked B12 team in the Insight. Last year - UR Iowa beat #12 Missouri. OU was a top 10 team most of the season while Iowa never cracked the top 25. OU by 28
MEINEKE: Northwestern v. Texas A&M
AM was supposed to be a 9 or 10 win team this year and was ranked for much of the year. NW is NW. Even with how things went with AM this year, they still can easily out-athlete NW and win this game. Being a home game doesn't help NW either. AM by 10.
GATOR: Ohio State v. Florida
Home game for UF. UF has a strong D which will stop OSU's meager offense. Even though UF has struggled on O they have some play makers that can have a field day on OSU. UF by 14.
LITTLECAESAR: Purdue v. Western Michigan
Fair match-up. Hopefully Purdue will continue to improve and pull out a W. Purdue by 7.
KRAFT: Illinois v. UCLA
Fair match-up between 2 down-trodden teams and really a toss up. I think UCLA is the better team athlete wise and the game is in California so I say UCLA by 7.
Ok -my pessimistic analysis says 1-9 for B1G but the odds say B1G will win a couple more "upsets" so my final win total is 3.
