The Big Ten won the mythical regular-season best conference trophy. Now it is time to find out if that distinction is legitimate.
Wins over Oklahoma, Colorado, LSU, Oregon and Notre Dame propelled the Big Ten to the top, but two of those wins turned out to be insignificant.
Regardless, the College Football Playoff Committee strongly backed the Big Ten and now the conference has four teams playing in the New Year’s Six bowls, doubling the amount from the mighty SEC, Pac-12 and ACC. The Big 12 and the MAC each have one.
Bowl season presents the opportunity to boost the image and brand of the Big Ten, most notably the top teams.