The 2011 Rose Bowl is about to kickoff, and I am still having a hard time getting over that the game is televised on ESPN instead of ABC. But, as the No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers get ready to battle the No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs, the Badgers are left to salvage what has been an awful day so far for the Big Ten conference. The Rose Bowl is the fifth of five New Years Day bowls for the Big Ten, and the conference lost its previous four January 1 contests.
TicketCity Bowl: Texas Tech 45, Northwestern 38
The Wildcats made a valiant comeback effort, but ultimately fell short in a game played at the Cotton Bowl that wasn't the Cotton Bowl.
Gator Bowl: Mississippi St 52, Michigan 14
The Wolverines were taken to the woodshed in what may have been coach Rich Rodriguez's final game. Jim Harbaugh, Ann Arbor turns its lonely eyes to you, woo woo woo.
Capital One Bowl: Alabama 49, Michigan State 7
The Spartans were crushed by the Crimson Tide, in a game that frankly didn't seem that close. Oh yeah, the Spartans were co-champions of the Big Ten. Yikes.
Outback Bowl: Florida 37, Penn St 24
This game was actually a close game throughout, but a slew of interceptions by Matthew McGloin of Penn St sealed their fate.
So, that's four games, four losses by a combined score of 183-83 for the Big Ten today. Wisconsin, a three-point underdog to TCU, has its work cut out if it is to avoid an 0-5 day for the Big Ten conference.