Hoosier Huddle's 2021 Big Ten Bowl Projections: Version 3.0

2021 Bowl Projections – September 27, 2021

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

With the season a quarter of the way through, these projections are nothing more than educated guesses with very little information to guide us. That being said, it’s fun to look forward to the potential options for the Indiana Hoosiers and other Big Ten squads.

A few notes to kick off the projections: the top four teams, according to the College Football Playoff selection committee, will be selected and placed into the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl for the semifinal contests. The winners will meet in the College Football Playoff National Championship in Indianapolis on January 10.

This means the Rose Bowl returns to the traditional Big Ten versus PAC-12 matchup.

I do not have any Big Ten teams in the College Football Playoff. Both Ohio State and Iowa could end up proving me wrong. For now though, I’m going with both schools in a New Year’s Six bowl but neither in the playoff.

Rose Bowl – Iowa vs. UCLA (Last Week – Iowa vs. UCLA)

I am projecting the Oregon Ducks into the College Football Playoff so the second-place PAC-12 school goes into the Rose Bowl. UCLA is still my pick, even after dropping to Fresno State. There’s just no one to trust in the PAC-12. It’d be fun to put someone like BYU in this spot as the “West Coast” representative instead. The Iowa Hawkeyes have as impressive a resume as nearly anyone through four weeks but it must be said they were not great against Colorado State. Their defense is nasty and the offense appears solid enough to compliment it.

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl – Ohio State vs. Ole Miss (Last Week – OSU vs. Ole Miss)

The Buckeyes need to improve some, no question about that. If their defense does not get corrected some, they will not be playing in a New Year’s Six bowl. CJ Stroud appears to be a step down from what they’ve had the past few seasons as well. That being said, I have them as an at-large selection against the Ole Miss Rebels. Lane Kiffin has things rolling in Oxford and I think their offense is enough to consider them the second best in the SEC West…an upcoming matchup against Arkansas may very well determine that.

VRBO Citrus Bowl vs SEC – Penn State vs. Florida (Last Week – Penn State vs. Florida)

Penn State certainly looks better than they did a season ago, particularly on defense. Their win over Wisconsin is devalued a bit and I still think OSU is better. The Florida Gators are likely going to be turning over the quarterback position to the dynamic Anthony Richardson sooner rather than later. Even if he just plays a part-time role, Florida has enough to win nine or ten games. I already have three SEC teams in New Year’s Six games (Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss) and I don’t see a fourth getting selected.

Outback Bowl vs SEC – Michigan vs. Kentucky (Last Week – Michigan vs. Kentucky)

While I do not trust Kentucky’s defense right now, their offense has really turned into a fun watch. It’s unclear what exactly Michigan is but I do believe it is safe to assume they have improved from a year ago and they might be able to reach eight or maybe nine wins. I don’t think they have dynamic playmakers on offense to climb much higher.

SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl vs. PAC-12 – Michigan State vs. Arizona State (Last Week – MSU vs. ASU)

The PAC-12 bowl selection process is a bit murky and it’s unclear where exactly the Las Vegas Bowl fits in but this appears to be fourth or fifth bowl for the conference. Michigan State survived against Nebraska and is 4-0. Mel Tucker has turned the Spartans around rather quickly but there is still a lot to prove to move ahead of Penn State and Michigan in the pecking order. Next up is a very interesting contest against Western Kentucky.

TransPerfect Music City Bowl vs. SEC – Maryland vs. Arkansas (Last Week – Maryland vs. Arkansas)

The Terrapins appear to have the same speed and firepower they’ve always had on offense but it’s very possible they have improved on defense enough to make it pay off with some wins. The opening week victory over West Virginia was a great statement for the Terrapins. I think Arkansas is really, really good but their schedule is brutal and I believe that places them behind four or five others in the pecking order.

New Era Pinstripe Bowl vs. ACC – Wisconsin vs. NC State (Last Week – Wisconsin vs. NC State)

Man, I wish IU was in the Big Ten West. We finally get to our second team from that division as the Badgers slot into the Pinstripe Bowl against a talented NC State squad. 

Guaranteed Rate Bowl vs. Big 12 – Purdue vs. Kansas State (Last Week – Minnesota vs. Kansas State)

The Golden Gophers had an atrocious loss to Bowling Green to drop to 2-2. I have no idea what to make of them but they get punished. Purdue slides in thanks to a 3-1 start. KSU was one of my sleeper picks for the season but they appear to have lost their quarterback and that is a major blow. I still think they are solid enough to go bowling though and I might have them low here.

Quick Lane Bowl vs. MAC – Indiana vs. Central Michigan (Last Week – IU vs. CMU)

IU survived a very scary game against a Western Kentucky squad to get a gritty win on the road. At this point, I think most fans would take a 6-6 win with a bowl game victory and that’s what I am projecting here.