Big Ten Bowl Review: Insight

Gee, thanks Minnesota. Not only did you manage to get every break in the book but still lost the game, you did it in the utmost painful fashion imaginable. One more point. That's all you needed. Just one.

• Adam Rittenberg says it all, pointing to the Marquise Gray's fumble near the Iowa State 20 as the "most damaging giveaway" of the game. So frustratingly true... Meanwhile, ESPN Big XII blogger Tim Griffin likes how head coach Paul Rhodes brought Iowa State back from the depths of the conference, capped off by this win over the Gophers. Incidentally, it was the Cyclones' first over Minnesota in 21 attempts.

• I guess when your bowl game is on the NFL Network, it won't get as much main stream coverage. SI.com, CBSSports.com and SportingNews.com didn't have anything beyond the wire reports. Hey, if they need someone to pump out a few hundred words on a bowl game, I'm free...

Tomorrow is the big one, New Year's Day. Outback, Capital One, and Rose Bowls all packed into a seven-hour orgy of Big Ten football. It's amazing how one single day can make or break an entire conference's national perception for the next 365 days.