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Chief Illinilinks: The Bowl Season Still Hates The Big Ten

The Big Ten finished the bowl season with a 2-5 record and that losing mark is nothing new. I wrote about how bad it's gotten over at CBSSports.com.

By Apollo Forza
FUCKING NURDS
FUCKING NURDS
USA TODAY Sports

Over at Eye On College Football this morning I wrote about the Big Ten having yet another rough go of it in the postseason, as the conference went 2-5 in bowl games this season. The worst day came yesterday when the conference went 1-4, with Northwestern -- NURDS!!! -- being the only team capable of finishing off a victory.

And when Northwestern is your flag-bearer, that's not a good thing.

Still, of all the negative statistics I mention in my post, this is probably the most damning one out there.

The Big Ten has won the Rose Bowl, the game it has fought to keep at every step along the way to college football's new playoff system, only twice since the turn of the century. The Big 12 has won three Rose Bowls over the span.

And that number goes up to four if you want to include TCU's win over Wisconsin, but now that Texas A&M has left the conference, the Big 12 isn't really in the habit of claiming championships it didn't really win anymore.

So what's the solution to the Big Ten's problems in bowl games? It's pretty simple.

It's Illinois of course! (By the way that 8-13 mark was before yesterday. The record now stands at 9-17.)

Elsewhere

-- If you missed it I answered a few questions about tonight's game and Illinois basketball for Hammer and Rails. H&R also preview the game here.

-- As you'd expect, Sippin' On Purple is pretty pumped about that whole winning a bowl game for the first time in 64 years thing. But don't worry, Illini fans. While Northwestern fans are pumped up right now, the four of them will still be around in March when they miss the tournament again. Then we shall pounce.

-- Speaking of teams from Illinois that aren't Illinois but actually got to play in a bowl game, Florida State wasn't very impressed with Northern's Jordan Lynch.

-- Mark Tupper writes about ending the Purdue jinx.

-- Meanwhile Scott Powers writes about the three things we've learned about Illinois already this season.

-- And then there's Marcus Jackson talking about the Big Ten and what we should expect this season.

-- This is a few days old, but let's see if you get as giddy as I do when you get to the end and read about Jahlil Okafor and Cliff Alexander.

-- Meyers Leonard will be re-examined today after spraining his ankle last week.

-- Go Hawkeyes.