Big Ten Football Bowl Preview

• Nine Big Ten schools were chosen for postseason bowl games this year, including two teams (Ohio State and Michigan) that earned berths in one of the six College Football Playoff bowls …
• Big Ten Champion Ohio State will participate in the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual, while Michigan will compete in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, joining the Buckeyes as the Big Ten representatives in this year’s College Football Playoff bowls. The Buckeyes were ranked No. 6 by the College Football Playoff selection committee and will play No. 9 Washington on Jan. 1 in Pasadena, Calif. The Wolverines were No. 7 and meet No. 10 Florida on Dec. 29 in Atlanta, Ga. …
• Ohio State was crowned Big Ten Champion after its 45-24 win over Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship Game presented by Discover on Dec. 1 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. It was the Buckeyes’ 37th Big Ten title and second in as many years …
• The Big Ten continues to feature the largest and most diverse postseason lineup in conference history, with six schools making their first appearance in their assigned bowl. Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin will all make their first trip to their destinations. Two teams will return to their respective bowls for the first time since 2009, as Ohio State returns to the Rose Bowl and Penn State heads to the VRBO Citrus Bowl …
• Three Big Ten students took home national honors. Iowa’s T.J. Hockenson was chosen as the recipient of the John Mackey Award, which goes to the nation’s best defensive back. Purdue’s Rondale Moore earned the Paul Hornung Award as the nation’s most versatile player, while Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor collected the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back …
• Sixteen conference standouts were named All-Americans, including seven that earned first-team distinction from at least one organization. In addition, four Big Ten players were named consensus All-Americans, including a unanimous first-team honoree. Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor was a unanimous first-team All-American, while Michigan’s Devin Bush, Purdue’s Rondale Moore and Wisconsin’s Beau Benzschawel earned consensus All-America status …
• Purdue’s Tyler Trent received the Disney Sports Spirit Award, given to the nation’s most inspirational player, team or figure in college football. Trent was diagnosed with bone cancer in 2015 and has become a fixture around the Purdue football program, serving as the team’s honorary captain. Trent’s decision to live life on his own terms has also provided hope, encouragement and optimism to legions of fans of college football because of the courageous manner in which he has faced the disease — determined, unbowed and unafraid …
• Eight Big Ten students were named Academic All-Americans, giving the Big Ten 102 honorees in the past 14 seasons. The Academic All-America first-team honorees from the Big Ten include Minnesota’s Payton Jordahl and Gary Moore, Ohio State’s Jordan Fuller and Penn State’s Blake Gillikin. Iowa’s Anthony Nelson, Michigan State’s Cole Chewins, Minnesota’s Sam Renner and Purdue’s Joe Schopper are the Big Ten students who received Academic All-America second-team accolades this season …
• The Big Ten posted the fourth-highest single-season attendance total in conference history with 6,356,865 fans attending home games. This marks the sixth consecutive season and seventh time in eight years that more than six million fans have attended Big Ten home football games …
• Ohio State announced Dec. 4 that Urban Meyer, who coached 17 collegiate teams to a record of 186-32, three national championships and the third-highest winning percentage in the history of major college football, will retire from coaching following the Buckeyes’ appearance Jan. 1 at the Rose Bowl Game. Ryan Day, the Ohio State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach who led the team to a 3-0 record at the start of this season, will take over as head coach of the program on Jan. 2. Day, 39, will be the 25th head coach in program history …
• Michael Locksley was named the University of Maryland’s 37th head football coach, Director of Athletics Damon Evans announced on Dec. 4. Locksley brings over 20 years of coaching experience, including two separate stints at Maryland, totaling 10 years with the Terps. The winner of the 2018 Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach, Locksley has spent the last three years working under Nick Saban at the University of Alabama …