Thanks to Ohio State University’s 28-23 victory over Washington in the Rose Bowl New Year’s Day, the Big Ten Conference finished the postseason with a 5-4 record in college football bowl games. Add the 7-1 showing in bowl games by the Big Ten last season and the Big Ten Conference can point with pride to a 12-5 record in the past two seasons.
Of course, there always is a bit of a dark cloud to explain. No Big Ten team has qualified for the final four of the College Football Playoff the past two seasons.
There was no conference dominance this season at bowl time nationally. Clemson, with its dominant 44-16 victory over Alabama in the national championship game Monday this week left the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 6-5 record in bowl games. Alabama’s loss to Clemson meant the Southeastern Conference (SEC) was 6-6 in bowl games.
A closer look at the Big Ten offers some smiles and frowns.
On the upside, what about Northwestern University’s 31-20 victory over Utah in the Holiday Bowl December 31, 2018? The manner in which the Wildcats won was memorable!
Utah led Northwestern, 20-3, at halftime. Then in the third quarter the Wildcats outscored the Utes, 28-0, to lead 31-20. The scoreless fourth quarter sealed the deal.
Minnesota and Wisconsin were the first two Big Ten teams to play in bowl games in December 2018. Minnesota beat Georgia Tech, 34-10, in the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit, Mich.. Wisconsin trounced Miami (Fla.), 35-3, in the Pinstripe Bowl in New York City.
Then, somebody let the air out of the Big Ten balloon. Purdue fell to Auburn in the Music City Bowl, 63-14, after trailing 56-7 at halftime. The 56 points were the most in one half of any bowl game.
Last season, when the Big Ten had a shot at an 8-0 record in bowl games, it was Michigan that choked in the late going of the Outback Bowl and lost, 26-17, to South Carolina, to give the Big Ten its only bowl loss.
This time Florida dumped Michigan, 41-15, in the Peach Bowl. After Michigan State lost, 7-6, to Oregon in the Redbox Bowl, Northwestern restored a bit of conference pride with its victory over Utah.
An Iowa victory in the Outback Bowl over Mississippi was offset by Penn State’s loss to Kentucky in the Citrus Bowl. Ohio State followed with victory in the Rose Bowl.
Four teams from Michigan all lost in bowl games. Eastern Michigan failed to contain Georgia Southern in the late going and lost, 23-21, in the Camellia Bowl. Western Michigan allowed Brigham Young University quarterbacks to complete all 19 pass attempts. Western Michigan fell, 49-18, in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.