Trying to predict what will happen on a week-to-week basis in the Big Ten is hard enough. Trying to predict which bowls teams will go to before the season even starts is pretty crazy.

Well, call us crazy then. We're taking our best preseason stabs at how the 2012 league bowl lineup might shake out. Remember that Penn State and Ohio State are ineligible for the postseason, which means only 10 teams are competing for eight slots. Will the Big Ten get another BCS at-large berth, creating nine bowl opportunities?

Our in-season projections likely will be a combined effort, but we see things a little differently right now.

Here are our forecasts ...

Brian Bennett's projections

Rose Bowl (Jan. 1): Michigan State

Capital One Bowl (Jan. 1): Michigan

Outback Bowl (Jan. 1): Nebraska

Gator Bowl (Jan. 1): Wisconsin

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl (Dec. 29): Northwestern

Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas (Dec. 28): Iowa

TicketCity Bowl (Jan. 1): Purdue

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl (Dec. 26): Illinois

Adam Rittenberg's projections

Rose Bowl (Jan. 1): Michigan State

Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 3): Wisconsin

Capital One Bowl (Jan. 1): Michigan

Outback Bowl (Jan. 1): Nebraska

Gator Bowl (Jan. 1): Iowa

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl (Dec. 29): Purdue

Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas (Dec. 28): Illinois

TicketCity Bowl (Jan. 1): Northwestern

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl (Dec. 26): Non-Big Ten team