The Wolverine recaps all the action that occurred in Big Ten bowl games this season:
Iowa (8-5, 4-5 Big Ten)
Iowa won a 27-20 thriller against Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl ... With the game tied at 20 and just 3:10 to go, fifth-year senior fullback Drake Kulick ran it in from a yard out to give the Hawkeyes the game-winning score ... The Eagles attempted to mount a game-tying drive on their ensuing possession, but weren't even able to pick up a first down ... The victory snapped Iowa's five-game bowl losing streak ... Redshirt junior cornerback Josh Jackson recorded his nation-leading eighth interception in the fourth quarter.
No. 16 Michigan State (10-3, 7-2 Big Ten)
No. 16 Michigan State blew away No. 18 Washington State, 42-17, in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 28 … The game was all but wrapped up at halftime, with the Spartans holding a 21-3 lead … The Cougars were missing their two leading receivers — Tavares Martin (dismissal) and Isaiah Johnson-Mack (transfer), along with starting quarterback Luke Falk (injury) … Junior running back LJ Scott rushed for 110 yards, marking just the third time this year he crossed the century mark; Scott announced he would return for his senior season after the game.
No. 21 Northwestern (10-3, 7-2 Big Ten)
No. 21 Northwestern nabbed a dramatic 24-23 victory over Kentucky on Dec. 29 ... Trailing 24-17 with 37 seconds left, Kentucky scored a touchdown but attempted a game-winning two-point conversion and failed ... Redshirt junior quarterback Clayton Thorson left the game in the second quarter with injury and never returned; fifth-year senior Matt Alviti played the rest of the contest in his place ... Combined with last year's postseason victory over Pittsburgh, Northwestern has now won consecutive bowl games for the first time in school history.
No. 5 Ohio State (12-2, 8-1 Big Ten)
No. 5 Ohio State beat No. 8 USC, 24-7, in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 29 … The game was all but over when senior safety Damon Webb ran back an interception 23 yards at the 14:42 mark of the second quarter to extend OSU’s lead to 17-0 … Junior cornerback Denzel Ward sat out the contest and declared for the NFL Draft afterward; redshirt junior defensive end Sam Hubbard also declared but chose to play … USC actually outgained the Buckeyes, 413-277, but were doomed by four turnovers … The victory snapped OSU's seven-game losing streak to the Trojans (the 1974 Rose Bowl was the last time the Buckeyes beat them).
No. 9 Penn State (11-2, 7-2 Big Ten)
No. 9 Penn State defeated No. 11 Washington in the Fiesta Bowl, 35-28 ... The Nittany Lions actually held a 28-7 lead in the second quarter and a 28-14 advantage at the break ... The Huskies had a chance to go on a game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter, but a lateral attempt was recovered by PSU to end the game ... Washington's defense only allowed an average of 92 rushing yards per game coming into the contest, but junior running back Saquon Barkley racked up 137; he announced on Monday he'd be going pro ... Redshirt junior quarterback Trace McSorley completed 32 of 41 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns.
Purdue (7-6, 4-5 Big Ten)
Purdue took down Arizona Dec. 27, 38-35, in the Foster Farms Bowl ... The Boilermakers built a 31-14 halftime lead, but saw the Wildcats go up 35-31 with just 3:21 remaining in the game ... Senior wideout Anthony Mahoungou hauled in the 38-yard game-winning score with 1:44 left ... Redshirt junior safety Jacob Thieneman's interception on Arizona's ensuing possession sealed the win ... The bowl victory was Purdue's first since defeating Western Michigan, 37-32, in the 2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.
No. 6 Wisconsin (13-1, 9-0 Big Ten)
No. 6 Wisconsin took down No. 10 Miami (Fla.) in the Orange Bowl, 34-24, on Dec. 30 ... The Hurricanes actually led 14-3 in the second quarter, before the Badgers went on a 31-10 run ... Redshirt sophomore quarterback Alex Hornibrook had an outstanding game, completing 23 of his 34 passes for 258 yards and four touchdowns ... The 13 wins for the Badgers were the most in school history.
Results
Dec. 27
— Iowa 27, Boston College 20
— Purdue 38, Arizona 35
Dec. 28
— No. 16 Michigan State 42, No. 18 Washington State 17
Dec. 29
— No. 21 Northwestern 24, Kentucky 23
— No. 5 Ohio State 24, No. 8 USC 7
Dec. 30
— No. 9 Penn State 35, No. 11 Washington 28
— No. 6 Wisconsin 34, No. 10 Miami (FL) 24
Jan. 1
— South Carolina 26, Michigan 19
Big Ten teams who did not make a bowl game: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Rutgers
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