Welcome back, Northwestern. You are now part of a muddled mess in the middle of the Big Ten bowl projections.
Sure, the Big Ten was largely spared from the chaos we saw nationwide in Week 6. Michigan State held off a late Nebraska rally, and Ohio State thumped Maryland on the road. The Spartans and Buckeyes remain the class of the conference, and Nebraska isn't too far behind.
After that, it's anyone's guess as to who goes where.
Wisconsin's loss to Northwestern knocks the Badgers down a spot. Iowa is projected to the Outback Bowl, which would be a repeat postseason destination, something the Big Ten wants to avoid in its new approach. But we don't see another team rising to that tier right now. If Minnesota, Northwestern or Rutgers continues winning, things will shift.
My apologies for an error last week: Indiana appeared in the rundown even though I wrote that the Hoosiers had fallen out of the mix following their loss to Maryland. Despite the North Texas win, we still have IU on the outside.
Rutgers moves up to the San Francisco Bowl after evening its Big Ten record at 1-1. The Scarlet Knights played in the Pinstripe Bowl last year, so something new is in order.
Penn State and Minnesota both return to action this week with chances to improve their bowl stock.
The latest projections:
Chick-fil-A Peach/Cotton/Fiesta/Orange: Michigan State
Chick-fil-A Peach/Cotton/Fiesta/Orange: Ohio State
Capital One: Nebraska
Outback: Iowa
National University Holiday: Wisconsin
TaxSlayer/Franklin American Mortgage Music City: Minnesota
San Francisco: Rutgers
New Era Pinstripe: Penn State
Quick Lane: Maryland
Heart of Dallas: Northwestern