The Big Ten has three snazzy, shiny new bowl trips lined up, starting next season.
Now, if it could just figure out a way to win more bowl games.
The conference announced this week that it has signed agreements for the 2010-13 seasons with the Gator, Texas and Dallas bowls and has dropped its affiliations with the Alamo, Champs and Motor City bowls. The Big Ten is in the midst of an eight-year extension with the Rose Bowl that runs through the 2013 season, and still retains affiliations with the Capital One, Outback and Insight bowls.
The three new Big Ten bowls will pit conference teams against opponents from the SEC, Big 12 and Conference USA in Jacksonville, Fla., Houston and Dallas, respectively.
The Texas Bowl will be played in late December, followed by six more Big Ten bowl games over a 26-hour window on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, 2010-13.
“This bowl lineup is a natural fit and should provide some compelling matchups on the field,” commissioner Jim Delaney said.
postseason showings?
Big Ten teams went 1-6 in bowls last year; the conference is 9-20 over the past four years. They have also lost six consecutive Bowl Championshp Series games and the last six Rose Bowls.
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BRET WHO? Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema has a pretty good idea why Iowa’s defensive line is so good year after year.
“I think it was because I was such a good player there,” Bielema joked during preparations for Saturday’s home game with the 11th-ranked Hawkeyes. “They’ve been able to say, ‘You could be the next Bret Bielema – walk on at 190 pounds and grow into a defensive lineman.”’
Bielema joined the Iowa program in 1989, earned a scholarship in 1990, became a starter on the defensive line in 1991 and was a team co-captain in 1992. He later spent eight seasons as a graduate assistant and linebackers coach there.
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NON-DISCLOSURE: Purdue coach Danny Hope isn’t exactly a fan of letting the world know his team’s injury situation.
“I don’t know why we would want to. What does it matter?” he said to reporters during preparations for Saturday’s home game with No. 7 Ohio State. “What good is it going to do you? Why do we have to give that information out?”
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YOUTH IS SERVED: Iowa’s 6-0 start wouldn’t have been possible without contributions from a number of young players.
unch in the backfield, and freshman OL Riley Reiff has forced his way into the starting lineup. Sophomore CB Shaun Prater has also played well in his first season as a starter.
“I’m happy with the way guys have responded to all the challenges that we’ve had so far,” coach Kirk Ferentz said. “Team-wise I think the attitude has been great, but that’s not a surprise. They’ve been that way since January.”
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BY COMMITTEE: Since Rashard Mendenhall left Illinois for the NFL after the 2007 season, Ron Zook has turned the running duties over to a small village.
Five RBs have carried the ball this season – Jason Ford, Mikel LeShoure, Daniel Dufrene, Troy Pollard and Justin Green. None has more than 29 carries through five games, while Mendenhall averaged 20 a game in his last season in Champaign when he ran for 1,681 yards.
“We’d all like to have one feature running back,” Zook said. “Even with that being said, it’s hard to have one guy nowadays. There are not many of them.”
Only one Big Ten back is averaging 20 or more carries this season, Wisconsin’s John Clay at 22. He’s also the only back in the conference averaging 100 or more yards a game.
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ard fumble return for a touchdown last week against Eastern Illinois, which earned him ribbing from teammates because he nearly stumbled at the opponents’ 25 before regaining his balance.
“It actually hasn’t looked as bad as people made it,” Bowman said about being teased.
Instinctive with an explosive burst, Bowman has the tools to play in the NFL and could skip his final year of college eligibility. He’s on track to graduate in December.
“I’m thinking about it, but it’s not my main focus,” Bowman said about the draft. “I’m trying to focus on graduating … thinking about a good season and trying to get us to a great bowl game.”
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SPARTAN STREAK: Michigan State has won 10 of its last 13 Big Ten games, a stretch that started late in the 2007 season. It’s the best 13-game conference stretch for the Spartans since they won 11 of 13 during the 1989-90 seasons.
Michigan State won its last two Big Ten games in 2007, went 6-2 last year and is off to a 2-1 start in 2009.
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NOT LOSING FAITH: Indiana has lost three straight games – five straight in conference play.
Even after getting outscored 80-21 the last two weeks, the Hoosiers (3-3) believe they can still become bowl eligible.
“Coach (Bill Lynch) said we have a lot of football left to play and that is true,” LB Matt Mayberry said. “We have six games left, and it starts this week with Illinois.”
oosiers are hoping they can get it done.
“The losses definitely hurt us individually,” DE Jammie Kirlew said. “But as a unit, as a team, we’re still together.”
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QUICK-HITTERS: Other games this Saturday: Northwestern at Michigan State, Minnesota at Penn State and non-league game Delaware State at Michigan. … Players of the week: Iowa TE Tony Moeaki, Ohio State LB Ross Homan, Michigan P Zoltan Mesko. … Purdue is 0-4 and Wisconsin is 4-0 in games decided by eight or fewer points. … In the latest Sagarin rankings, here’s the pecking order, starting with the strongest conference: Pac-10, SEC, ACC, Big East, Big 12, Big Ten. … Almost 40 percent of Illinois’ 986 rushing yards came in its only win, 45-17 over FBS Illinois State. … The initial BCS rankings come out Sunday.
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AP Sports Writers Luke Meredith in Iowa City, Iowa; Colin Fly in Madison, Wis.; and Mike Marot in Indianapolis; and Associated Press Writers Genaro Armas in State College, Pa.; David Mercer in Champaign, Ill.; Cliff Brunt in West Lafayette, Ind.; and Tim Martin in East Lansing, Mich.; contributed to this report.
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