A little over two weeks ago, I asked a friend with close, longtime ties to the Big Ten if there was any chance of a 6-6 team from the league — say, oh, Illinois — missing out on a bowl game. The reply was emphatic.
“If [commissioner Jim] Delany wants a team in a bowl, he’ll get it done.”
A couple of days after that, I ran the question up the Big Ten office flagpole just to be sure. The reply I received from a conference spokesman put my mind at ease. In hindsight, it shouldn’t have; it wasn’t a definitive answer. I just wasn’t paying close enough attention. Read more