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Editor's Note: This page includes a listing of the game times and telecasts for all bowl games involving Big Ten teams, as well as all BCS game. With each game, Big Ten Country includes a brief primer on the Big Ten's recent history in each particular bowl, as well as the recent bowl history of the participating team. For the BCS games, the focus remains on how the Big Ten has done in that particular game. "Recent" history is defined more or less by what's taken place in the 21st century, though we do stretch back further if the storyline warrants it. At the conclusion of each game we will add up a wrap-up note.
Big Ten History Here: This bowl has only been in existence since 1997, and the Big Ten has only sent a team here once. Northwestern lost to Bowling Green in 2003. The Motor City has traditionally been the showcase for the MAC champion.
Purdue's Recent Bowl History: Joe Tiller came to Purdue the same year the Motor City was founded. The Boilermakers had not been to a bowl game since 1984 and hadn't won one since 1980. Tiller ended both streaks his first year at the Alamo Bowl. The following year he went back to the Alamo and stunned Kansas State, a team that had been within seconds of playing for the national title. Better things were yet to come. A Rose Bowl trip came in 2000. Tiller has racked up nine bowl trips in ten years.
Big Ten History Here: The Big Ten is new to this game. Purdue lost to Maryland last year, the first time the game was in the Big Ten's ladder of committments. The game has been previously called the Micron PC Bowl, in which Illinois hung a 63-21 thrashing on Virginia in 1999. In the early 1990s it was called the Blockbuster Bowl and achieved its greatest notoriety when Penn State signed a committment to play in the game before the season started. This was in 1992 when the Lions were one year away from starting Big Ten play, and this was the only way they could be assured of a bid.
Michigan State's Recent Bowl History: The Spartans beat Fresno State in the Silicon Valley Classic in 2001. In 2003, John L. Williams' first MSU team went to the Alamo Bowl before losing to Nebraska. This year is the first time State has been back to the bowl party.
Big Ten History Here: In 1993 Iowa came here for the inaugural game, losing badly to Cal. After a one-year hiatus, this game has been the annual showdown between the Big Ten & Big 12 every year since 1995. The Big Ten is 7-5, although our rivals are closing fast, winning three of the last four. The most noteworthy win was Purdue's 37-34 stunner over Kansas State in 1998. Wisconsin won a thrilling 31-28 overtime game against Colorado in 2002. The low points have been Nebraska's mastery of this game. The Cornhuskers are 3-0 in this event, including a come-from-behind win against Michigan in 2005.
Penn State's Recent Bowl History: The only bowl trip during the 2000-04 dark ages was an '02 visit to the Capital One Bowl, a close loss to Auburn. The Paterno-led restoration began in 2005, with a triple-overtime win the Orange Bowl over Florida State, a battle renowned for featuring Division I's two winningest coaches. The Lions followed that up with an Outback win over Tennessee last year.
Big Ten History Here: This is another new one on the conference docket, making its apperance in the Big Ten chain of command last year. Minnesota let a 38-7 lead slip to Texas Tech and lost in overtime. It cost Glen Mason his job, an overreaction that produced this year's winless conference slate. This game has previously been known as the Copper Bowl, and Wisconsin and Indiana both made visits here in the 1990s.
Indiana's Recent Bowl History: Indiana hasn't made a bowl trip since 1993, an Independence Bowl loss to Virginia Tech. That game was a crossroads battle. It was the first bowl game for Tech in the Frank Beamer era and they haven't missed since. It was the last bid for Bill Mallory and IU hasn't been back until now. Indiana's last bowl victory came on their visit to this very locale in 1991 when they beat Baylor.
Big Ten History Here: Big Ten participation in this late morning New Year's appetizer has been continuous since 1993, and the game has been a Big Ten-SEC rivalry since '95. The Big Ten is 7-7 overall, though 5-7 against the SEC. Penn State has carried us in this game, winning it three times.
Wisconsin's Recent Bowl History: The Badgers haven't been to the Rose since 1999. Highlights of the new century have included a victory over Colorado, a program that handed them embarassing defeats in the mid-1990s. UW had problems with the SEC throughout the Alvarez Era, losing bowl matchups in 1997, 2003 & 2004. But they got the monkey off Barry's back in his final game, a Capital One Bowl victory over Auburn in '05. It was followed up with another win in the Capital One last season.
Big Ten History Here: This game is the second part of the unofficial Big Ten-SEC New Year's Challenge. The two power conferences have been at war in Orlando since 1992. The SEC holds an 8-7 edge, but the Big Ten is on a roll. Wisconsin has won the last two games, and Iowa nailed LSU on a thrilling last-play touchdown pass in 2004. The SEC's fast 5-1 start in this rivalry is narrowing fast, and Lloyd Carr can pull us even in his final game.
Michigan's Recent Bowl History: From 1998-2001, the Wolverines came to this bowl(then called the Citrus)three times and posted two wins. In 2002 they got another SEC scalp, beating Florida in the Outback. Then the problems that--along with their recent struggles against Ohio State--would do in Lloyd Carr set in. They lost three Rose Bowls in four years, with an Alamo loss mixed in for seasoning. One wonders if Carr might be back in Ann Arbor if only he'
d gone to lesser bowl games and won them, rather then ending the season on a loss.
Big Ten History Here: If you need an extensive primer on Big Ten history in Pasadena, you're visiting the wrong site. Since 1946, the Rose Bowl has had tie-ins to both the Pac-10 and Big Ten champs. The ties began to loosen in 2001 when the Rose had the right to host the national title game for the first time and Miami-Nebraska played here. That was the only time neither the Big Ten or Pac-10 had a team in this game. The last time there was a "pure" Rose Bowl was USC-Michigan in 2003. The two conferences have each had teams here the past two seasons, although for the Big Ten it's been the runner-up, with Ohio State going on to the national championship game.
Illinois' Recent Bowl History:: It's feast or famine for the Illini in the new century. They won the Big Ten in 2001. As noted above, that was the year the Rose Bowl had the top game so Illinois went to the Sugar. They haven't been back to a bowl until this year.
Big Ten History Here: Illinois' 2001 appearance here was the last time the Big Ten was on the Bayou. Ohio State came here in 1998 as tri-champs of the conference (losing a tiebreaker to Wisconsin for the Rose Bowl nod), beat Texas A&M and finished #2 in the country. The Buckeyes were also here in 1997, a decisive loss to Florida State. After that, you have to go back to the 1983 game between Michigan and Auburn. And though they weren't a Big Ten member yet, it's worth noting that Penn State won its first national title here in 1982, beating Georgia 27-23.
Big Ten History Here: The folks in Columbus have been able to book their winter vacations here lately. Ohio State won the 2002 national championship here when they stunned Miami in double overtime. The Buckeyes also have Fiesta wins over Kansas State and Notre Dame this decade. Penn State has fond memories of Tempe, also upsetting Miami for a national championship back in its pre-Big Ten days (1986). Since becoming a conference member, the Nittany Lions have come here to cap off a Top 10 season in 1996 with a win over Texas. After that, you have to go back to 1985 when Michigan beat Nebraska to rise to #2 in the final polls.
Big Ten History Here: Penn State's 2005 conference champs came here, due to the Rose hosting the USC-Texas national title bout. The Nittany Lions beat Florida State in a matchup of the game's winningest coaches, concluding a season that left them just one play from perfection. In 2002, a psuedo "Rose Bowl" matchup took place in Miami when Iowa played USC. The Hawkeyes were blown out by Trojan Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer. And Tom Brady ended his college career in this game, throwing four touchdowns to help Michigan win a 35-34 thriller over Alabama in 1999.
Big Ten History Here: This game is in its infancy, and the Big Ten history here is the history of the game. It's boiled down to Ohio State vs. the SEC in what seems to be the high-stakes finish to the Outback/Capital One rivalry. OSU lost badly to Florida in 2006 and is hoping for redemption this season.
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