Dienhart: Ranking the 2016-17 Big Ten bowls, from 1-10 (#8. Holiday Bowl)

per Dienhart:

8. Holiday Bowl: Minnesota vs. Washington State. A win over Washington State would be the biggest of the season for a Minnesota squad that lacks a marquee triumph in Tracy Claeys’ first full season. And Minnesota has bad memories of Wazzu coach Mike Leach. Back in 2006, Leach rallied his Texas Tech team from a 38-7 deficit with eight minutes left in the third quarter to topple the Gophers 44-41 in overtime in the Insight Bowl. Minnesota coach Glen Mason was subsequently fired. Leach has done a great job reviving Washington State with his “Air Raid” offense, bringing Wazzu to the precipice of the Pac-12 North title this season before losing the Apple Cup to Washington.

http://btn.com/2016/12/12/dienhart-ranking-the-2016-17-big-ten-bowls-from-1-10/

Go Gophers!!

At least it's better than the Quick Lane Bowl. That would be super humiliating if it wasn't.

These may be a bit of a reach...

4. Pinstripe Bowl: Northwestern vs. Pitt. This could be a game that features a lot of points, as each program has a prolific offense. Pitt is playing well under Pat Narduzzi, the former Michigan State defensive coordinator. The Panthers are the only team to have beaten two Power Five league champs, taking down Clemson and Penn State. The big storyline will be the battle of running backs between the Panthers’ James Conner and the Wildcats’ Justin Jackson. Conner is an inspirational story, overcoming cancer and a knee injury to run for 1,060 yards and 16 TDs this season. This will be his final game, as he has declared for the NFL draft. Jackson is No. 2 in the Big Ten with 1,300 yards rushing (108.3 ypg).

5. Foster Farms Bowl: Indiana vs. Utah. Indiana is in a bowl for a second season in a row. And that’s a big deal, as the Hoosiers last pulled off that feat in 1990 and 1991 under Bill Mallory. In fact, the last time IU won a bowl was 1991, when it knocked off Baylor in the Copper Bowl. Talk about X-factors: The abrupt resignation of Kevin Wilson over “philosophical differences” with the Indiana brass earlier this month throws a twist into things for Indiana. Defensive coordinator Tom Allen has been promoted to lead the program. How will he perform in his debut as the top man? Utah has a nice QB in Troy Williams, who has thrown for 2,579 yards with 15 TDs and has a good target in Tim Patrick. But Utah has no mojo entering this bowl, as it has lost three of its last four. -

See more at: http://btn.com/2016/12/12/dienhart-ranking-the-2016-17-big-ten-bowls-from-1-10/#sthash.8h3wNeR3.dpuf