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Ten Big Ten teams made it into postseason play, nine into bowl games and Michigan State into the College Football Playoff.
OMG, there are too many bowl games and it's a travesty that 5-7 Nebraska and Minnesota made it into bowl games, it's the end of all humanity, it's just another sign of the wimpification of America, and everyone gets participation trophies.
Whine whine whine, and why? Because there's more college football? Are you that guy that complains about too much ice cream?
I like the match ups for Big Ten teams this year. They're listed below by date.
New Era PinStripe Bowl: Duke Blue Devils vs. Indiana Hoosiers
(Dec. 26, 3:30 p.m., ABC) - Yankee Stadium (Bronx, NY)
What's the line? Two basketball schools playing a football game in a baseball stadium. This one will be about who wants it more, but I feel like the Hoosiers should be able to outscore Duke easily.
Foster Farms Bowl: Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. UCLA Bruins
(Dec. 26, 9:15 p.m., ESPN) - Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, CA)
Love this match up. Any time we get a chance at UCLA it's all right with me. We'll have more on this later obviously.
Quick Lane Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers
(Dec. 28, 5 p.m., ESPN2) - Ford Field (Detroit, MI)
Keep in mind that new coach Tracy Claeys fired his offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover and quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowski. Do we know what we'll get out of the Gophers in a bowl game?
Nope.
Holiday Bowl: Wisconsin Badgers vs. USC Trojans
(Dec. 30, 10:30 p.m., ESPN) - Qualcomm Stadium (San Diego, CA)
Wisconsin has a problem with offense. USC does not. Trojan JuJu Smith-Schuster finished third nationally in receiving yards this season. Maybe if USC does one of their "we don't care to be here" things, but that doesn't look like it's happening this year.
College Football Playoff: Michigan State vs. Alabama
(Dec. 31, 8 p.m., ESPN) - AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX)
The line is +10 for Michigan State, which plays right into their hands as the "we don't get no respect" team. You have to like Connor Cook more than Jake Coker, and 'Bama's defense still has a problem with giving up long balls.
Outback Bowl: Northwestern Wildcats vs. Tennessee Volunteers
(Jan. 1, noon, ESPN2) - Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, FL)
Big Ten vs SEC. Northwestern finished 115th in total offense this year. Tennessee finished 49th.
Battlefrog Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
(Jan. 1, 1 p.m., ESPN) - U. of Phoenix Stadium (Glendale, AZ)
This is an excellent match up on New Year's Day. The Buckeyes finished with about as well a season as they could expect, and now it's time to send a bunch of Buckeyes to the NFL after they smash Notre Dame. And if they don't, everyone will be screaming about Tim Beck.
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl: Michigan Wolverines vs. Florida Gators
(Jan. 1, 1 p.m., ABC) - Orlando Citrus Bowl (Orlando, FL)
Michigan lost their defensive coordinator when D.J. Durkin left for Maryland to become their head coach. Greg Mattison will take over as defensive coordinator for the bowl game. There won't be a big change there, methinks.
How will Michigan score on the Gators? They won't. How will Florida score on Michigan? Special teams. If you chose a game that'd end up 3-2, this is it.
Rose Bowl: Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Stanford Cardinal
(Jan. 1, 5 p.m., ESPN) - Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA)
These teams appear to be pretty evenly matched. Both play fairly clean football, but Iowa finished +12 in turnovers on the year and Stanford finished even. I don't see Stanford as being able to wear down the Hawkeyes like Michigan State did.
TaxSlayer Bowl: Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Georgia Bulldogs
(Jan. 2, noon, ESPN) - EverBank Field (Jacksonville, FL)
Georgia's entire coaching staff has been replaced. Penn State fired their offensive coordinator. Any predictions or previews on this one are being done with tea leaves.
Stuff
Armour: Count the ways college bowl system is broken
Unless you’re an alum of, say, Nebraska, Nevada or Auburn, you may not have realized what an overgrown mess the bowls have become. And I’m not just talking about the names of some of these games. (The Cure Bowl? Is that similar to the old Fight Hunger Bowl? Or are organizers just huge Robert Smith fans?)
OMG a Cure joke. Talk about edgy!
Leonard Fournette's reaction to not being a Heisman finalist: one emoji - CBSSports.com
Leonard Fournette was not named a Heisman Trophy finalist on Monday and he wasn't pleased with it.
Only three Heisman finalists were named: Alabama running back Derrick Henry, Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey and Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson. I think it's surprising Baker Mayfield wasn't in that group, but the same goes for Fournette.
Michigan Will Play Florida in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl - Maize n Brew
It will be the first meeting of the two schools since 2008's Capital One Bowl.
The Fiesta Bowl is what Ohio State deserved this season, and that's fine - Land-Grant Holy Land
The Buckeyes won't get a shot at defending their title, and they got passed up for the Rose Bowl, but that doesn't mean they were robbed.
Pat Fitzgerald talks Outback Bowl, previews Tennessee, gives injury updates - Inside NU
Northwestern is headed to the Outback Bowl to play the Tennessee Volunteers on Jan. 1. A few hours after the announcement, Pat Fitzgerald spoke with the media. Here's what he had to say:
Minnesota Football Headed to the Quick Lane Bowl; Will Face Central Michigan - The Daily Gopher
Minnesota will face the Central Michigan Chippewas, their third opponent out of the Mid-American Conference. The Gophers defeated Kent State and Ohio earlier this season.
Wisconsin vs. USC: Trojans to provide test for Badgers in 2015 Holiday Bowl - Bucky's 5th Quarter
For the first time since the greatest game in the pre-Barry Alvarez era of Badger football, the Badgers take on USC.
THERMOPYLAE - Black Heart Gold Pants
The great irony of Saturday night's Big Ten Championship Game was that it was Iowa, and not the Spartans of Michigan State, making the three-day defensive stand only to fall in the end.
THE TAKEAWAY: MICHIGAN STATE - Black Heart Gold Pants
Sure, Iowa just bowed in the closing seconds to Michigan State, 16-13. But how much do we really know? What was really important about losing to the Spartants? What does it all mean, Basil? The Takeaway has the answer.