ESPN: Big Ten bowl projections: Way-Too-Early edition (National Univ Holiday: MN)

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per ESPN:

It’s never too early for bowl projections. Here’s a look, more than seven months before pairings are set.

College Football Playoff semifinal (Capital One Orange Bowl or Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic): Ohio State

Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual: Michigan State
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus: Wisconsin
Outback: Nebraska
National University Holiday: Minnesota
Franklin American Mortgage City Music/TaxSlayer: Penn State
Foster Farms: Michigan
New Era Pinstripe: Iowa
Quick Lane: Maryland
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces/Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas: Rutgers

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/118683/big-ten-bowl-projections-way-too-early-edition

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
per ESPN:

It’s never too early for bowl projections. Here’s a look, more than seven months before pairings are set.

College Football Playoff semifinal (Capital One Orange Bowl or Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic): Ohio State

Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual: Michigan State
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus: Wisconsin
Outback: Nebraska
National University Holiday: Minnesota
Franklin American Mortgage City Music/TaxSlayer: Penn State
Foster Farms: Michigan
New Era Pinstripe: Iowa
Quick Lane: Maryland
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces/Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas: Rutgers

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/118683/big-ten-bowl-projections-way-too-early-edition

Go Gophers!!
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How would Michigan State go to the Rose Bowl when they cannot win their division? If Minnesota wins the division, plays OSU (who will be favored) and loses to mentioned team, Minnesota would be in a position to be invited as BIG runner up. Given the decades of an absent Minnesota squad, a invite would be appropriate. If OSU wins the BIG and is top 4, the Rose Bowl can invite whom ever they want. I predict Oregon will be top 4 and Rose Bowl will feature no conference champs. I could see a Notre Dame vs Minnesota Rose bowl. Here is more fantasie: We beat Michigan state in the BIG championship and go to the Rose bowl and play Utah.
 

gopherjay said:
How would Michigan State go to the Rose Bowl when they cannot win their division? If Minnesota wins the division, plays OSU (who will be favored) and loses to mentioned team, Minnesota would be in a position to be invited as BIG runner up. Given the decades of an absent Minnesota squad, a invite would be appropriate. If OSU wins the BIG and is top 4, the Rose Bowl can invite whom ever they want. I predict Oregon will be top 4 and Rose Bowl will feature no conference champs. I could see a Notre Dame vs Minnesota Rose bowl. Here is more fantasie: We beat Michigan state in the BIG championship and go to the Rose bowl and play Utah.
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I'd prefer to beat Ohio State for the Big Ten Championship, avenging our only loss and move on to play Alabama in the first round of the playoffs.
 


If Minnesota, Wisconsin and Nebraska are all in the same bowl tier like last year, then the most likely scenario would be Minnesota to the Outback, Wisconsin to the Holiday bowl and Nebraska to the Citrus bowl I think. Wisconsin has been in Florida the past two years both in Tampa and Orlando so I think they would be a lock to go to San Diego. We went to Orlando last year so Tampa Bay would be the most likely destination and that leaves Nebraska to the Citrus bowl and they haven't been in Orlando for the last two years (although many times before that) and were in the Holiday Bowl last year.
 


gopherjay said:
How would Michigan State go to the Rose Bowl when they cannot win their division? If Minnesota wins the division, plays OSU (who will be favored) and loses to mentioned team, Minnesota would be in a position to be invited as BIG runner up. ... If OSU wins the BIG and is top 4, the Rose Bowl can invite whom ever they want.
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Yes (per New Year's 6 rules below), it appears in your scenario the Rose Bowl (not the CFP committee) would get to select the Big Ten representative in the Rose Bowl. Have a hard time believing they'd ever NOT select the next highest ranked team, no matter the division.

Participants in the New Year’s Bowls
Both participants in the Orange, Rose and Sugar Bowls are contracted outside the playoff arrangement (Big Ten and Pac-12 to Rose Bowl; SEC and Big 12 to Sugar Bowl; ACC to Orange Bowl against the highest ranked available team from the SEC, Big Ten and Notre Dame). If a conference champion qualifies for the playoff, then the bowl will choose a replacement from that conference.
 

SelectionSunday said:
Yes (per New Year's 6 rules below), it appears in your scenario the Rose Bowl (not the CFP committee) would get to select the Big Ten representative in the Rose Bowl. Have a hard time believing they'd ever NOT select the next highest ranked team, no matter the division.

Participants in the New Year’s Bowls
Both participants in the Orange, Rose and Sugar Bowls are contracted outside the playoff arrangement (Big Ten and Pac-12 to Rose Bowl; SEC and Big 12 to Sugar Bowl; ACC to Orange Bowl against the highest ranked available team from the SEC, Big Ten and Notre Dame). If a conference champion qualifies for the playoff, then the bowl will choose a replacement from that conference.
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As Selection Sunday wrote, on paper it seems the Rose Bowl would choose a one-loss Michigan State club over say, a Minnesota team with 2 regular seasons losses (TCU and Ohio State being the most likely) and a loss in the Big 10 championship game. However, Michigan St. will be in an ideal spot to garner 1 of the 4 playoff spots should they run the table and lose a close game to Ohio State. They will start the season in the top 10 and with a victory over Oregon in week 2 they likely could be top 4 going into the Ohio State game in week 12 of the season.

If Michigan State goes 11-1 with their sole loss to Ohio State and Ohio State goes undeafeated with their easy schedule the Big 10 can land 2 teams in the playoffs which means the Rose Bowl bid is wide open again. Funny to think that the Gophers Rose Bowl hopes potentially rest on the first game of the season, a non-conference one at that. A 2 loss Gopher team (both to OSU) would be a real attraction in that scenario, one in which I believe Dark Sith Lord Delany would see to it that the Gophers land in Pasadena.
 

Both have TCU in the championship. What do you think they'll be ranked in the opening poll? I was thinking top five. Now maybe top two?
 

TCU comes into to TCF ranked #2 and leaves with a black eye and a loss.
 



This is speculation. The East can take care of who they want. I see three teams who can win the division. Ohio State, Michigan State, or Penn State. Note Michigan is not in the running. In the West it will be a two team race. And will be settled with the AXE. If we advance to the Conference Championship, we are headed for the Citrus Bowl.
 

husker70 said:
This is speculation. The East can take care of who they want. I see three teams who can win the division. Ohio State, Michigan State, or Penn State. Note Michigan is not in the running. In the West it will be a two team race. And will be settled with the AXE. If we advance to the Conference Championship, we are headed for the Citrus Bowl.
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I predict that Michigan will be better than PSU. I just don't see it with the Nittany Lions...yet.
 

I'm in PHX over the Holidays this year so it is Holiday, Rose, or bust for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

husker70 said:
This is speculation. The East can take care of who they want. I see three teams who can win the division. Ohio State, Michigan State, or Penn State. Note Michigan is not in the running. In the West it will be a two team race. And will be settled with the AXE. If we advance to the Conference Championship, we are headed for the Citrus Bowl.
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PSU and MI have similar issues their offensive lines aren't good enough to compete for the division.
 



Faith and begora, if we got to the Rose Bowl there would be 40,000 Gopher fans in Pasdena. I know friends who would crawl on their belly to get there, including myself.
 

Spoofin said:
I'm in PHX over the Holidays this year so it is Holiday, Rose, or bust for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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When the Wright Bros invent the airplane it will expand your opportunities.
 

My preferred option would be to beat Michigan in the B1G Title game and give TCU a chance for revenge in the national championship game.
 


ruppertflywheel said:
Faith and begora, if we got to the Rose Bowl there would be 40,000 Gopher fans in Pasdena. I know friends who would crawl on their belly to get there, including myself.
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I think this is true. My friends and I don't travel to bowl games, but all have agreed that if the Gophers ever make the Rose Bowl again we will go no matter what.
 

Gopher fans would flock to Pasadena no doubt. We did alright just going to Orlando, there are generations of gopher fans that are waiting for the opportunity to see them play in the Rose Bowl. I would be there for sure as my in-laws are from that area and we would have a free place to stay.
 

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