Going bowling, but where?

By KENT YOUNGBLOOD, Star Tribune

Last update: November 21, 2008 - 11:49 PM

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With seven victories entering today's regular-season finale against Iowa, the Gophers already are assured a bowl berth. But where? It might be early December until we know, but today's game will go a long way toward settling the Gophers' postseason fate. A victory would mean eight victories and a warm destination. A loss could land the Gophers in the Motor City Bowl in Detroit.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

The pecking order Here's how the official Big Ten bowl pecking order goes, assuming no Big Ten team is in the national championship game. Remember, bowl selections don't automatically follow conference standings: 1. Rose; 2. Capital One; 3. Outback; 4. Alamo; 5. Champs Sports; 6. Insight; 7. Motor City.

Seven or eight? Entering today's games, there are seven bowl-eligible Big Ten teams. Illinois (5-6) needs to beat Northwestern to become eligible.

Free-for-all If the BCS selects two Big Ten teams for spots in its five bowls, both the Outback and Alamo bowls would be allowed to choose whomever they want from among the eligible teams, meaning they could take a 7-5 or even a 6-6 team over an 8-4 team. In that scenario, the Capital One and Champs Sports bowls would have to honor rules that prevent them from taking a team with two fewer victories or two more losses than another eligible team.

Two for BCS? If Penn State and Ohio State both win today, the Nittany Lions would be the conference champions based on their victory over Ohio State. The Buckeyes, at 10-2, also would have a good chance to go to a BCS bowl. That would leave -- at most -- six other bowl-eligible Big Ten teams. A scenario with two conference teams in BCS bowls would help the Gophers' chances at moving up the bowl ladder.

Watch out for Beavers If Oregon State beats Arizona and Oregon to capture the Pacific-10 title, a one-loss Southern California team likely would earn that conference a second BCS team. In that case, the Big Ten would get only one BCS team. Of the 10 BCS spots available, two almost certainly will go to the Big 12, two to the SEC, one each to the Big East and ACC and one to Utah if it beats Brigham Young today. That would leave three spots total for the Big Ten and Pac-10.