Official Big Ten Bowl Selections

The Big Ten will send seven teams to the college football post season, with the marquee game in Pasadena between Penn State and Southern Cal. You could say it's important for the conference as a whole to have a strong showing, especially since every opponent will be from a BCS conference. But you could also argue that if Penn State loses to USC, no one in the main stream media will care what the rest of the Big Ten does. Here's a quick rundown of all the Big Ten bowl games:

Rose: Penn State vs. USC - "The Grand Daddy Of Them All" could earn its weight in TV ratings this New Years Day, especially if Penn State pulls the upset. Would it really be an upset? Anyone who watched Penn State closely this year will tell you, not really. USC is a bit overrated, but I wouldn't be at all shocked if the Trojans win another Rose Bowl. This could be the best bowl game of the season, outside of the national championship game.

Mark May opened his fat mouth again, saying he doesn't think it will be close. Lou Holtz is a Penn State (or at least, a geriatric for JoePa) homer and said Penn State should win. I don't think I've disliked an "analyst" as much as I do Mark May.

Fiesta : Ohio State vs. Texas - How great is this game? I love it. Texas is a monster, who I feel should have played for the national championship. Ohio State should come out ready, particularly since this isn't a national championship game against the SEC. I don't think the Buckeyes will win this game, but you have to remember just how good this Texas team is. The Longhorns could be the best team ever, not to play for the title.

Capital One: Michigan State vs. Georgia - Georgia will be out for blood, after coming into the season as the anointed national champion, only to lose three games. The Bulldogs are probably one of the most overrated teams in recent history. Michigan State couldn't be happier, emerging as a late contender for the Big Ten title after years of mediocrity. This game will probably come down to

Outback: Iowa vs. South Carolina - This won't be as good a game as ESPN would like it to be. South Carolina is not a very good team, in a vastly overrated conference this year. Did you think that should a game come down to quarterbacks, Iowa would have the edge over anyone? Well, the Hawkeyes have a much better offense, led by Shonn Greene, and a much better defensive front than the Gamecocks. It could get ugly in Tampa.

Alamo: Northwestern vs. Missouri - Missou doesn't deserve to be this low in the bowl pecking order, a victim of the best conference in college football this year. Northwestern had a great run this year, and deserved a good bowl game against a good opponent. The Tigers could prove to be too much for the Wildcats, but there's always hope.

Champs Sports: Wisconsin vs. Florida State - Two brand-name teams in an off-brand bowl game. I'll watch this bowl, just because I enjoy big-name teams facing off in the post season. I don't expect it to be good football, though. The Badgers might get caught in the "if only" mentality, after falling from their lofty preseason hype.

Insight: Minnesota vs. Kansas - The Golden Gophers are headed to a bowl game, but it probably feels like the national championship after going 1-11 last year. This year wasn't just a turnaround, it was a complete re-direction of the program, and could end with an exclamation point with a win over the Jayhawks.

*Ed- Every few days, I'll post a preview of all the Big Ten bowl games, in chronological order. Then I'll tackle the non-Big Ten BCS bowls. Also this week, I'll post the normal stuff, like my Top 25 tomorrow.