So the Big Ten has drawn a giant blank in its first three bowl games. On the surprise scale of 1-10, this merits a zero.
Iowa, a 10-point underdog to Texas, nearly upset the Longhorns in San Antonio’s Alamo Bowl. An ineligible-receiver penalty prevented Iowa from taking a 21-3 lead, and the Hawkeyes could not corral Texas’ passing game.
Purdue barely put up a fight in a 24-7 thrashing by Maryland in the Champs Sports Bowl, while Minnesota’s 31-point meltdown to Texas Tech in the Insight Bowl left Gophers coach Glen Mason out of a job. That sacking was a surprise, if only because the school has to pay nearly $4 million to buy him out.
But all along we knew that the Big Ten was top-heavy like Pamela Anderson. Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin all rank in the top 6. No other team in the conference is in the AP’s Top 25.
And there’s a precedent: Last year the Big Ten went 0-3 before New Year’s Day and 3-1 the rest of the way. That loss was in part due to horrid officiating in the Outback Bowl between Florida and Iowa.
So parity, thy name is not Big Ten football.
At least the league gets four more chances again this year to earn respect.
