Confused about what Saturday’s action actually means for Northwestern’s post-season possibilities? Here’s a quick primer to let you know whom exactly you should be rooting for in order to ensure that the Wildcats go to the highest bowl possible.
The Bowl Selection Process
The Big Ten has an agreement with seven bowls: the Rose, Capital One, Outback, Alamo, Champs Sports, Insight and Motor City Bowl, with the Rose Bowl for the “best team” and the Motor City Bowl for the “worst” of the bowl eligible teams. It takes six wins to be bowl-eligible. The process basically works like a draft where each bowl committee (the Rose Bowl picking first, Motor City picking last) selects a Big Ten team to invite to their bowl. The bowl committees may not pick a team if there is another team who has two more wins but has not yet been chosen. For example, a bowl committee can not pick Illinois over Northwestern because no matter what happens on Saturday the ‘Cats will have two more wins than the Illini. Three teams — Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State — are guaranteed to finish before the ‘Cats in the standings, so the best NU can do is the Outback Bowl, while the worst they can do is the Insight Bowl.
Scenarios
Outback Bowl: Tampa, Florida, Big Ten v. SEC
How Northwestern gets there:
- NU beats Illinois
- and Ohio State beats Michigan
- and Oregon State loses before end of year
- and Iowa loses to Minnesota or bowl committee selects NU over Iowa despite the large Hawkeyes fan base
Likely opponents: LSU, Vanderbilt, South Carolina
If NU is to have any playing in the Outback Bowl, two Big Ten teams must play in the Bowl Championship Series to free an extra spot in the bowls that have official Big Ten tie-ins.
Alamo Bowl: San Antonio, Texas, Big Ten v. Big XII
How Northwestern gets there:
- NU beats Illinois
- and Iowa loses to Minnesota or bowl committee selects NU over Iowa despite the large Hawkeyes fan base.
or
- NU loses to Illinois
- and Minnesota beats Iowa but the bowl committee selects NU over Minnesota despite the large Gophers fan base.
Likely opponents: Oklahoma State, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas
This is NU’s likely destination. Bowl committees want to make certain that their game will be sold out, but NU has a small fan base and did not sell out the last bowl game they played in. There’s probably no way NU will be selected for the Outback Bowl above Iowa unless the Hawkeyes lose on Saturday and Northwestern wins.
Champs Sports Bowl: Orlando, Florida, Big Ten v. ACC
How Northwestern gets there:
- NU beats Illinois
- and Iowa beats Minnesota and Alamo Bowl committee selects Iowa and its large fan base over NU
or
- NU beats Illinois
- and Minnesota beats Iowa and Alamo Bowl committee selects Iowa and its large fan base over NU
or
- NU loses to Illinois
- and Champs Sports Bowl committee selects NU over loser of Iowa/Minnesota game
Likely opponents: Any ACC school with the exception of Clemson, NC State, Virginia and Duke.
Insight Bowl: Tempe, Arizona, Big Ten v. Big XII
How NU gets there:
- NU loses to Illinois
- and Minnesota beats Iowa and the Champs Sports Bowl committee selects Minnesota over NU
Likely opponents: Oklahoma State, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas
The Wrap Up
So basically, if you’re an NU fan you want the following things to happen this Saturday so that the ‘Cats can go to the Outback Bowl:
- Northwestern beats Illinois
- and Ohio State beats Michigan
- and BYU beats Utah
- and Arizona beats Oregon State
- and Minnesota beats Iowa
Clarification: The original version of this article gave an incorrect location for the Outback Bowl.