Dec. 05--The Big Ten sent a memo to athletic directors Wednesday with the message that one bowl-eligible team might be left out of the postseason.
That could be bad news for Illinois, which finished 6-6 and could be passed over in the scenarios the conference laid out.
Most projections have placed Michigan State in the Orange Bowl, which would create a trickle-down to other Big Ten teams that thought they already cleared a hurdle by winning at least six games.
If the Spartans play in the Orange Bowl, that means no Big Ten team would be in the Citrus Bowl because of an agreement that the conference sends only one team to the Orange or Citrus.
And that would translate into the Big Ten having more bowl-eligible teams than contractual bowl spots.
Penn State (6-6), Rutgers (7-5) and Maryland (7-5) also could be the odd team out, although Penn State seems the least likely based on a large fan base that travels well. The Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium is expected to invite the Nittany Lions.
The memo, which the Tribune obtained Thursday, encouraged schools to advocate for themselves with the bowls for an invitation, noting the conference would not interfere.
An Illinois spokesman said the school could point to large alumni associations in many bowl cities and a history of traveling well to bowl games, as well as three victories in its last five games, two over bowl-eligible teams (Minnesota and Penn State).
The Illini, however, were 12th in the conference with an average home attendance of 41,549, better than only Northwestern and Purdue.
The prospects become murkier if Ohio State beats Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game Saturday. The Buckeyes would earn a spot in the College Football Playoff or another New Year's Six bowl, and a Michigan State berth in the Orange Bowl would leave seven spots in contracted bowls for eight other eligible Big Ten teams.
If Wisconsin beats Ohio State, the Badgers, Buckeyes and Spartans all could end up in New Year's Six bowls, ensuring a spot for all 10 eligible Big Ten teams.
The memo noted the Big Ten "explored availability of open spots in other aligned bowls," but there are no at-large spots because all 38 bowls have closed contracts or contractual backups. Also, 80 bowl-eligible teams are vying for the 76 spots.
The Big Ten declined to comment.
sryan@tribpub.com
Twitter @sryantribune
