Non-Playoff Thread

[ohio1317]

Last year, someone on the board noted that the playoff has taken the focus off everything else of the season that used to get talked about.  I thought that was kind of a good point, so thought I'd try to post and see if it gains any traction. This thread is for talk on the following that might not gain a ton of traction as their own threads, but might in a combined one:

1. Non-playoff bowl pecking order.
2. Making bowls
3. Awards
4. Rivalry wins
5. Anything else with teams that probably don't have playoff implications, but are good/fun to talk about.

I'll start with a few things (some from other threads, some not).

1.  I thought Washington going to Maryland and winning last week was a bit under the radar win. I don't think either of big playoff chances this year, but it was a cross country trip a week after a loss I was surprised by the result.

2.  Iowa and Wisconsin:  This might actually be more important for Iowa bowl eligibility than I would thought looking at the schedule.  They are not big favorites here.  


3.  I will be rooting for Oregon State to get their first win this week vs. Wake Forest.  Oregon State was actually really progressing right before the PAC-12 collapsed and then seemed to lose everything all at once.  I think they had a story which could have been very different if not for that collapse.

4.  I was surprised to see Ohio University lose to Ball State last year.  After beating West Virginia and staying competitive for awhile vs. Ohio State, they felt like a pretty good MAC team to me.  The MAC race is still pretty wide open though.

[ELA]

Don't we already have a Penn State season thread? 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Purdue is 2-3. 

What are the odds they're sitting at 5-3 by Halloween? 

Next three games are @MN, @NU, vRU. The only conference wins any of those three teams have is Northwestern beating UCLA, and Minnesota beating Rutgers in a close game--they couldn't both lose. 

Apparently the early line is Minnesota by 9.5. Not sure I buy it. Purdue has looked a lot more competitive in their losses, against teams with a combined 12-4 record, two of the three currently being ranked and the other in the ORV category. Minnesota obv wasn't going to hang with OSU, but losing to Cal, a team that lost to SDSU and Duke, and whose only other P4 win was over 1-4 Boston College, is not inspiring a lot of confidence.

And if they get by Minnesota, I think it's possible Purdue would be favored in their next two. 

If Purdue manages it, they would then head to 5-6 as the next three games are @UM, vOSU, @Wash. 

Which would set them up against IU, at home, in a game for bowl eligibility (and to potentially spoil IU's season)...

[medinabuckeye1]

2.  Iowa and Wisconsin:  This might actually be more important for Iowa bowl eligibility than I would thought looking at the schedule.  They are not big favorites here. 

This!

Iowa's schedule is rough largely because of the HFA issue.  They are 3-2/1-1 and here is what remains:

• At Wisconsin
• vs Penn State
• vs Minnesota
• vs Oregon
• At USC
• vs Michigan State
• At Nebraska

If they lose this they drop to 3-3/1-2 then host Penn State.  Penn State looked dreadful in Pasadena but unless that continues I just don't see the Hawkeyes having a shot and a loss would drop them to 3-4/1-3.  They should beat Minnesota at home so that makes 4-4/2-3.  I give them no shot against Oregon nor against USC in LA so that would drop them to 4-6/2-5 and they would have to win out to go bowling.  

Ie, with a loss here there is a decent chance that the Hawkeyes could miss a bowl.  

[medinabuckeye1]

Which would set them up against IU, at home, in a game for bowl eligibility (and to potentially spoil IU's season)...

You can't tell me that the parenthetical wouldn't be the bigger deal!

I can see it, but this game against Minnesota is clearly the key.  If the Boilermakers can win in Minneapolis then HFA isn't really a factor in whatever pop-up stadium the Wildcats are playing in this week so they should win that and beat Rutgers at home which adds up to a three-game winning streak and the 5-3 record that you alluded to.  As you said, that probably leads to 5-6.  Purdue has pulled some massive upsets over the years but beating #1 Ohio State or winning in either Ann Arbor or Seattle is pretty unlikely.  Purdue fans would LOVE to spoil Indiana's season at home.  

[ManHawk]

ESPN bowl projections for Big Ten Teams

Ohio St:  playoffs
Oregon :  playoffs
Indiana : playoffs

Wash:  LA Bowl (Sofi Stadium)
Or Valero Alamo Bowl (San Antonio TX)

USC :  Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl (El Paso Tx)
Or Valero Alamo Bowl (San Antonio TX)

Mich:  Reliaquest Bowl (Tampa, FL)
Or Cheez-It Citrus Bowl (Orlando FL)

Penn St :  Music City Bowl (Nashville TN)
Or Reliaquest Bowl (Tampa, FL)

ILL :  Music City Bowl (Nashville TN)
Or Cheez-It Citrus Bowl (Orlando FL)

Neb:  SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl (Allegient Stadium)

Iowa:  Rate Bowl (Chase Field, Phoenix AZ)
Or Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl (Yankee Stadium,  NYC)

MD:  Rate Bowl (Chase Field, Phoenix AZ)
Or Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl (Yankee Stadium,  NYC)

Minn:  Game Above Sports Bowl (Detroit)

Mich St:  Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla bowl (Tampa, FL)
Or No Bowl

NW: No Bowl
UCLA: No Bowl
Rutgers: No Bowl
Wisconsin:  No Bowl
Purdue : No bowl

I assume the Reliaquest Bowl is the old Outback Bowl.  I have to confess,  I never knew there was another bowl in Tampa.  Not sure how Mich St ended up in that one

[ManHawk]

I know everybody groans when they see their team projected for the Pinstripe Bowl.  I think every Big Ten school absolutely hates it.    There once was a rule that the Big Ten had to pick 8 different schools in 8 years,  but its now been more than 8 years.  So I don't know what the rule is now.  I know the old Pac-12 schools are not part of the 2025 bowl contracts,  so they don't have to worry about it. 

Looking back to the Big Ten teams that have gone to the Pinstripe

2014: Penn St
2015:  Indiana
2016:  NW
2017:  Iowa
2018:  Wisc
2019:  Mich St
2020:  Cancelled
2021:  MD
2022:  Minn
2023:  Rutgers
2024:  Neb

Interesting that no Big Ten schools have been forced to go twice to the Pinstripe as a Big Ten School.  If that trend continues,  there are not a lot of choices left that have never gone.

Big Ten Teams that have never gone to Pinstripe (not counting old Pac-12 schools)

Ohio St
Mich
ILL
Purdue

My guess is if Michigan or Illinois don't make it into the playoffs or into the Citrus Bowl,  then one of them will be forced to take the Pinstripe Bowl slot.  Everybody gets a turn, buddy.  Its your turn.

[betarhoalphadelta]

You can't tell me that the parenthetical wouldn't be the bigger deal!

If Purdue is worse than 5-6, then it's about spite. Being the spoiler and regaining the bucket is all we'd be playing for. 

If Purdue is 5-6--or, in some crazy scenario, better--then the bigger deal is Purdue's success and the spite is just a bonus. 

[847badgerfan]

I'd love to see USC play in the Pinstripe Bowl.

[OrangeAfroMan]

Florida belongs in this thread.  The difficult schedule before the season started has somehow gotten harder, despite Texas' issues, FSU is much better than we thought, and potentially, so are Ole Miss, Miami, and A&M (with their win over ND).  

[Brutus Buckeye]

[ManHawk]

I'd love to see USC play in the Pinstripe Bowl.

I am sure if the Big Ten keeps the Pinstripe Bowl in the next bowl contract (I really hope they don't),  then USC will get its turn too. 

Nothing would symbolize USC's move to the Big Ten any better than forcing a California school to play its bowl game in a baseball stadium in the cold winter weather.

[847badgerfan]

I am sure if the Big Ten keeps the Pinstripe Bowl in the next bowl contract (I really hope they don't),  then USC will get its turn too. 

Nothing would symbolize USC's move to the Big Ten any better than forcing a California school to play its bowl game in a baseball stadium in the cold winter weather.

Hopefully it would make them leave the conference and take fOregon, Washington and UCLA with.

It has me thinking positively.

[Brutus Buckeye]