The Big Ten bowl schedule is out, and if you liked four games of conference interest going on at once this past New Year's Day, get ready for the sequel on Jan. 2, 2012. New ESPN.com Big Ten blogger Brian Bennett has the full lineup of non-BCS bowls.
Non-BCS Big Ten bowls
Outback Bowl: Jan. 2, 1 p.m. (Tampa, Fla.): Big Ten vs. SEC
Gator Bowl: Jan. 2, 1 p.m. (Jacksonville, Fla.): Big Ten vs. SEC
Capital One Bowl: Jan. 2, 1 p.m. (Orlando, Fla.): Big Ten vs. SEC
Ticket City Bowl: Jan. 2, 12 p.m. (Dallas): Big Ten vs. Conference USA
Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas: Dec. 31, Noon (Houston): Big Ten vs. Big 12
Insight Bowl: Dec. 30, 10 p.m. (Tempe, Ariz.): Big Ten vs. Big 12
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl: Dec. 27, 4:30 p.m. (Detroit) Big Ten vs. MAC
The Outback Bowl really screwed things up for everyone. It used to be that you could turn that game on at 11 A.M., watch it straight through and just miss the beginning of the Capital One and Gator Bowls. Now, all three start at the exact same time, just an hour after the Ticket City Bowl gets underway, and it's nearly impossible to track them all, especially if your team is one of the four competing at the same time.
Having five New Year's Day games, counting the Rose Bowl, is great for the conference, but if stinks out loud for the fans. The start times should be staggered, but any bowl starting later than 1 P.M. might mess with Jim Delany's precious Rose Bowl, and that can't happen.
All the more incentive to earn those BCS berths, I suppose....