I'll start at the Insight Bowl and work my way up to the Rose Bowl.
Insight- Minnesota vs. Kansas
Minnesota really struggled to end the season. At one point they were looking to fight for a New Years Day bowl game and now they fall all the way back to the bowl that picked the last eligible Big Ten team. I don't know if Minnesota exceeded expectations early in the year and fell back to where they belong or what. Adam Weber and Eric Decker are a dangerous duo but they have lost their last four games and Kansas has an offense that can put up a lot of points however, they give up a lot as well. The big thing for Kansas is that they are coming off a big win against Missouri to finish the season and could be back on track after being ranked earlier in the year.
Pick: Kansas 38, Minnesota 21
Champs Sports Bowl- Wisconsin vs. Florida State
Wisconsin has been the biggest disappointment in the Big Ten this season. Besides a 3-0 start Wisconsin had nothing to cheer about. They lost to anyone good they played and they almost lost to Cal Poly to end the year. In fact they should have lost and because Cal Poly couldn't make extra points they lost. Florida State on the other hand has played in a relatively weak ACC conference and is led by sophomore quarterback Christian Ponder. The issue for him is keeping the ball as he has thrown 13 INT's to his 12 TD's this season. As is the case for most of the Big Ten's bowl games this is practically a home game for Florida State. I believe the toughness of the Big Ten and the disappointment Wisconsin has gone through this year will lead to a very hungry team coming into Orlando.
Pick: Wisconsin 24, Florida State 21
Alamo Bowl- Northwestern vs. Missouri
This one could be a tough draw for the Big Ten. Northwestern had a great year but Missouri is a very tough team and dangerous offense. Northwestern's defense has improved but I don't think they are good enough to stop Missouri's offense. Chase Daniel is too good of a quarterback and will be the best quarterback Northwestern has seen all year. The only way Northwestern can win this game is by forcing turnovers.
Pick: Missouri 42, Northwestern 17
Outback Bowl- Iowa vs. South Carolina
South Carolina is a very beatable team because they lack an offense. However, they do boast the 11th rated defense in the nation. Therefore the Hawkeye's offense will have to be on top of their game. If they play like they did in their 4 losses there is no way they win. Shonn Greene has been everything for the Hawks this year and he will have to have a 100 yard performance again to open up the play action pass. The Hawks defense should force a few turnovers as the Gamecocks offense has been extremely inconsistent. This game will rely on Ricky Stanzi's ability to throw the ball and make plays with his legs because they cannot be one dimensional against South Carolina's defense. The Hawks are on a roll and that will continue once they get to Tampa.
Pick: Iowa 28, South Carolina 13
Capital One Bowl- Michigan State vs. Georgia
Alright Michigan State had a great year in the Big Ten. However, they have only beaten two teams worth mentioning and that's Iowa and Northwestern. I believe Iowa is a better team than Northwestern but Northwestern is ranked so they are still worth mentioning. Georgia was expected to compete for a national championship and were the pre-season #1. However, they have not looked very strong this year. They finished at a solid 9-3 but they were suppose to be much better. Michigan State can win this game by running the football. Georgia Tech was able to win their rivalry game with Georgia to end the year and they rushed for 409 yards. Georgia has a good offense that could be tough on Michigan State but the Spartans rushing attack runs all over Georgia and keeps the Bulldogs offense of the field.
Pick: Michigan State 37, Georgia 30
Fiesta Bowl- Ohio State vs. Texas
This is a great opportunity for the Big Ten and I will only discuss briefly as I went into more depth in my previous post. The Buckeyes have a lot to prove as they have not beaten an elite team in two opportunities this season. Colt McCoy is a Heisman trophy candidate and is tough for anyone to stop. The issue is whether or not Ohio State's defense can hold the Texas' offense down enough.
Pick: Texas 38, Ohio State 21
Rose Bowl- Penn State vs. USC
In what is a home game for USC this won't come easy for Penn State. However, Penn State has something USC hasn't seen most of this year. That is a balanced team. The Nittany Lions have a solid offense that can put up big numbers and a stellar defense that can limit USC's offense. This game could go either way and Penn State's offense has to be on top of its game like it was earlier in the year to have success against this USC defense. I believe this game will be low scoring as both defenses are outstanding and both offenses are inconsistent. If Penn State doesn't turn the ball over I believe they win because USC's offense doesn't have the explosiveness that everyone is used to.
Pick: Penn State 17, USC 14
