The 'Cats will attempt to return to the postseason in
'14. When they do, it will be with a new bowl lineup.
The Big Ten unveiled last summer its new bowl arrangements, including
11 different bowl games that will rotate to fill nine spots per
year. Nine landing places for the conference is a record for the
B1G.
The first three bowls with B1G selection opportunities are unchanged
from recent seasons: the Rose, Capital One, and Outback Bowls will pick
in order. However, the Wings / Gator pairing at the #4/#5 spots
has been eliminated. The Holiday Bowl will be #4.
Who will be #5? Well, 2014 will begin a new selection process as
well for the B1G. The Gator and the Music City Bowls could pick
fifth, depending on available matchups. The B1G will rotate
between these bowls. The #6 bowl will also rotate, between the
Heart of Dallas or the Armed Forces Bowl.
The #7 conference selection will not rotate: the Pinstripe Bowl in Yankee Stadium will get that bubble team.
If there is an eighth eligible team in the conference, it will go to the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco.
In those years when the mediocrity of the conference trickles down to a
ninth eligible team, that team will find itself in Detroit, in
December, in a Delightful bowl game at Ford Field. Not the Motor
City Bowl, not the Pizza Pizza Bowl, it is the Bowl That Must Not Be
Named-- for now.
We'll have more on each bowl, a little more detail about the selection
process, and the first look at NU's chances for each later in 2014.
