By Jeffrey Bathe (BleacherReport.com) -- The Big Ten got 10 bowl bids this season, matching the most ever received by a conference in one season. Unfortunately, like the Big East last March Madness, more bids does not mean that the conference will thrive. While having the most bids is an impressive feat, there are four reasons why the conference ended up with the most embarrassing bowl season on record.   Bottom Half of the Conference In a bowl era where ... Read More

By: Henry Brown (BleacherReport.com) -- It has been 12 years since the Big Ten conference has had anyone sit atop the final rankings in college basketball. Not since the 1999-2000 season has a member of the nation's oldest intercollegiate conference won a national title. That team was Michigan State. Since then, the basketball power conference has taken a backseat as the ACC, SEC, Big East and Big 12 have all won national titles. However, the Big Ten may finally be back. Last weekend, Big Ten ... Read More

From: AP via ESPN.com -- COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State asked for and received NCAA approval to exceed the limit of football coaches on staff through the Buckeyes' bowl game. The existing staff, under Luke Fickell, will prepare the Buckeyes on the field in the days leading up to and including their Gator Bowl game against Florida on Jan. 2. Then there is incoming coach Urban Meyer, who will handle only recruiting while hiring his own ... Read More

By: Bud Elliot (SBNation.com) -- Wednesday night I was fortunate enough to chat with Tyler T. of Along The Olentangy, the excellent Ohio State site on the SB Nation network. Our main topic of conversation was, of course, Urban Meyer. And specifically Urban's plan to recruit at Ohio State. And it's safe to say that Tyler believes Meyer is going to be a major hit. "Meyer is bringing that SEC aggressiveness that hasn't been seen in the Big Ten. And I think he'll have immediate ... Read More

By: MArk Snyder (freep.com) -- Though Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller is only a freshman, Michigan coach Brady Hoke already respects his talent. “He, obviously, presents a lot of problems because of being a dual-threat quarterback,” Hoke said during today’s Big Ten teleconference. “How well he is with the ball in his hands, he drops back and runs it or runs the draw scheme or speed option or whatever decision his instinct helps him make. He’s difficult to defend, and I think he’s ... Read More

By Thomas Bradley (TheLantern.com) -- With a high-powered running offense led by junior quarterback Denard Robinson awaiting Ohio State in Ann Arbor, Mich., the Buckeyes will lose to Michigan for the first time since Nov. 22, 2003. After a game that was predicted to be a defensive struggle against Penn State on Saturday, the scoring was high and the defense was almost non-existent in the first half. OSU allowed 20 points in the first half to a PSU squad that, ... Read More

By: AP via TheRepublic.com -- Columbus, OH -- During a question-and-answer period with an Ohio State player the week before last, a young reporter asked if it inspired the Buckeyes to be so close to being "in the driver's seat" in the Big Ten's Leaders Division. Well, now the Buckeyes — never actually in the driver's seat after an 0-2 start in conference play — are sitting in the third row of a sputtering minivan, facing backward. The 26-23 ... Read More

By: Brent Yarina (BTN.com) -- Every week during the football season, Brent Yarina posts his latest Big Ten Power Rankings. As for the power rankings, they are not meant to mimic the Big Ten standings. What fun would that be? They aren’t scientific, either. They’re simply Brent’s thoughts on where each Big Ten team stands after its latest game and entering its next contest. Agree? Disagree? Tweet @BTNBrentYarina. 1. Wisconsin (8-2, 4-2) – Star center Peter Konz’s foot ... Read More

From: AP via CirclevilleHerald.com -- COLUMBUS — Ohio State embraces being one-dimensional. The Buckeyes run, run and run some more — and have found success doing it. Over their last three games, they’ve run the ball 155 times for 825 yards — an average of 275 yards a game — and not so coincidentally have won all three. By contrast, over that same span, they’ve passed just 27 times, completing 13 throws for 161 yards — a mere 54 per game. “People know we’re going ... Read More

By Sayre Bedinger (SBNation.com) -- ESPN Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg already thinks the Ohio State Buckeyes are a top 25 team in the country, and they are receiving votes in both the coaches polls and AP polls, so it’s only a matter of time before it actually happens. With a win this weekend against a struggling Purdue squad, Ohio State could be back in the top 25, something fans and critics probably never saw coming. Purdue gave Penn ... Read More