The Big Ten has taken a lot of abuse the past 18 months as it relates to its standing in college football.

Iowa was the lone Big Ten team to win a bowl game, which is a measuring tool that some people use to guage the strengths of conferences as they play against one another.  While I don’t think that is an end all, be all barometer, it is what it is and it has had an impact on the national perception of the league.

I won’t sit here and try to convince you the league is the best in the nation, because it’s not.  It might be third, fourth or fifth.

One thing that could help the league is to have a strong showing in bowl play this year.  Here is a quick look at what the league faces in its seven bowl games:

ROSE:  Ohio State vs Oregon.  Some people think this is a bad matchup for Ohio State, and perhaps I am falling into a traditional trap, but I think the Buckeyes can beat the Ducks.  Purdue lost in Eugene 38-36 earlier this year and Stanford hung 51 on Oregon in Palo Alto back on November 7th, the day Ohio State dismantled Penn State in Happy Valley.  I know, I know, Purdue beat Ohio State.  It was Ohio State’s worst game of the year, and worst game since 2004 or 2005.  Since the Purdue loss, Ohio State has gained more than 220 yards rushing in each of their five contests, averaging 257.6 on the ground.  They have played power football with a quarterback capable of running and who can sometimes throw a decent ball.  Stanford might be the closest thing the Pac 10 has to Ohio State in that regard.

ORANGE:  Iowa vs Georgia Tech.  I can’t wait to dive into the match ups for this game, as we have a contrast of styles and it should be an interesting coaching battle.  Norm Parker’s teams have typically played well against the option, because their defensive ends and linebackers are so disciplined and are excellent in assignment football.  But Iowa has not seen an option attack like the one it will face in Miami.  Few teams run a system like this anymore, but Norm Parker was calling defensive plays when teams ran offenses similar to this.  Iowa will have a month to get ready for this system, which is a real, real good thing.  I don’t know how you can prepare to play against Tech in one week.  In their two losses, Tech has been gashed on the ground and their defense has just 14 ‘three and outs’ all season long.

CAP ONE:  Penn State vs LSU.  LSU has a great defense, but their offense is simply not good.  Penn State has a great defense and an offense that can be explosive at times, but has been inconsistent this year.  These extra bowl practices should serve their offensive line well, which was their achilles heel this season.  They should also get healthy on defense, which will be a boost.  I think this is the ‘lock of the league’ as it comes to the game involving a Big Ten team the league is most likely to win.

OUTBACK:  Northwestern vs Auburn.  The Wildcats finally get over on a fellow Big Ten team, as they get the nod to the Outback over Wisconsin.  Sure, they beat Wisconsin on the field but that doesn’t necessarily matter when it comes to which teams the bowls want.  The Cats were passed over for the Outback last year in favor of the Hawkeyes, but they trump Wisconsin this year, which says something.  I think it means the Outback will have tens of thousands of empty seats.  This is a winnable game and I think the Northwestern defense could play it’s best ball of the year as it gets healthy.  I hope Corey Wootton gets to go out with a bang.

CHAMPS:  Wisconsin vs Miami.  I don’t like this match up for the Badgers.  They put together a fine season, better than I expected and they closed strong at Hawaii.  They killed themselves against Ohio State and they were pounded into submission at home against Iowa, but the Northwestern loss is going to linger for them for a while.  It cost them an invite to the Outback Bowl, that and the trip to Hawaii, which I would not schedule ever again were I a Big Ten team.  I love Miami QB Jacory Harris, have since their bowl game last year.  The Canes beat Florida State, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma and South Florida this year, and lost to Virginia Tech, Clemson and North Carolina.  Harris would have been first team All BigTen at quarterback, as he threw for 3,164 yards and 23 touchdowns.  Their running attack is not overpowering, but fast.

ALAMO: Michigan State vs Texas Tech.  If Penn State was the lock to win pick, Michigan State is the lock to lose pick from the league.  The program unraveled with the dorm incidents and suspensions last month and the fact that the Alamo took them over Minnesota shows you just how little bowl cache Minnesota has.  Texas Tech is going to destroy Michigan State.  There is always one team that doesn’t want to be in this bowl game.  Usually it’s because that team got passed over (Missouri AND Northwestern last year) or the team didn’t live up to expectations.  MSU fits that bill, and they are going to get a beat down.

INSIGHT: Iowa State vs Minnesota.  It’s the Gopher’s third trip to this bowl in the last four years.  Poor Phoenix.  The good news for the Insight is that this will probably be the last time they have to have the Gophers, as the bowl moves up in the Big Ten’s hierarchy starting next year, filling the slots the Alamo and Champs have had.  The Gator and Insight will alternate between the 4th and 5th picks from the Big Ten for the 2010-2011 bowl season.  That means Minnesota won’t be under consideration for that level of tiering, as long as the Gophers keep being the Gophers.  Given that their front seven on defense consists 100 percent of seniors, that’s a safe bet.  I think Iowa State has the edge in this game, as they definitely are pumped to be in this game and their offense can make huge strides with the extra practices.

In all, the best I see the Big Ten finishing would be 5-2, with a 4-3 finish being decent if they win the right four, but a losing record a strong possibility.

I hope to see you in Miami, and if you are interested in traveling, HawkeyeNation.com has teamed up with the University of Iowa Alumni Association as the providers of the OFFICIAL University of Iowa charter package. Click on this link to learn more about our packages.

Tags: Big Ten, Big Ten Football, bowl projections, hawkeye football, Hawkeye Nation, hawkeyenation.com, Iowa football, Jon Miller