INDIANAPOLIS - Saturday's championship game determined which team will represent the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl, but the rest of the conference's 10 bowl-eligible teams remain in limbo until all bowl matchups are announced Sunday.
Big Ten is hoping for second bid to BCS
December 4, 2011 at 6:26AM
The key factor holding up most projections is the uncertainty about whether the conference will send a second team to a BCS bowl. Legends Division runner-up Michigan is 10-2 and would seem an attractive participant for a bowl game with its large fan base and five-year BCS bowl drought. But the Wolverines are ranked 16th in the BCS standings, and only the top 14 teams are eligible for an at-large berth.
It's possible that Georgia, Michigan State and perhaps Houston could fall below the Wolverines, but it's also possible that Baylor and TCU, the two teams immediately behind Michigan, could surpass them after lopsided victories Saturday. And TCU is in line for a second consecutive automatic selection as the top team from a non-AQ conference, removing one of the four at-large selections.
After the BCS games are set, the Capital One Bowl chooses a Big Ten team to match with a team from the Southeastern Conference. Then, in order, comes selections by the Outback Bowl in Tampa, the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Ariz., and Jacksonville's Gator Bowl, which cannot turn down the title-game loser if it hasn't been chosen already. The final three Big Ten selections are made by the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Houston, the TicketCity Bowl in Dallas and the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit.
Two Big Ten teams will be available for selection by bowls whose conferences didn't supply enough eligible teams to fill their commitments. The Military Bowl in Washington, D.C., and the Pinstripe Bowl in New York are games that will be seeking eligible teams.
Championship game feel Four hours before kickoff Saturday, more than 10,000 Spartans and Badgers fans packed bleachers set up in a huge ballroom at the Indiana Convention Center, across the street from Lucas Oil Stadium. The downtown sidewalks were packed with people wearing red and green, and lines stretched out the door of several bars and restaurants as fans passed the time waiting for the football game.
It's easy to see why Indianapolis was the Big Ten's choice to be the host of the conference's first five title games, through 2015. The beautiful, $720 million retractable-roof stadium is within walking distance of a couple dozen hotels, and there are more than a half-million square feet of exhibit space at the convention center, which is connected to the stadium.
The game is expected to add an estimated $18 million to the city's economy, according to the Indianapolis Star.
Maturi takes part Joel Maturi was at Lucas Oil Stadium upon the invitation of the Big Ten, which asked each of the league's athletic directors to observe the league's inaugural championship game and take part in some of the ceremonies and events surrounding the game. The 12 school presidents are also here, and held a business meeting on Saturday. Maturi, who spent 10 years at Wisconsin as associate athletic director, insisted that he was remaining neutral as he watched the game. "I'm anxious to watch a game without worrying about who will win," Maturi said. "I'm looking forward to that."
Etc. B.J. Cunningham broke Michigan State's career receiving record on his third TD catch. He came into the game needing 88 yards to pass Andre Rison.
The Spartans' Keshawn Martin had a career high nine receptions for 115 yards, the second 100-yard game of his career.
How did Michigan State's players spend the night before the championship game? They got together in a hotel ballroom for a screening of "Home Alone." Explained Spartans coach Mark Dantonio: "There was no message to it. It's just something that reminded them of when they were kids. They've been wanting to watch it for four weeks now."
When Wisconsin officials arrived at the stadium several hours before the game, they discovered Michigan State had laid out "rally towels" on each seat in sections where Spartans fans would be sitting. With no comparable giveaway, Badger officials rushed to buy several thousand red T-shirts -- blank ones, since there was no time to emboss Wisconsin logos on them -- and put them on each seat in several Wisconsin sections.
Each team has a loss to Michigan, by the same score (27-24), that suggests this one could be close, too.
