All factors considered, the Big Ten's bowl season isn't off to a bad start.
Despite two of its representatives possessing 5-7 regular-season records, the conference has earned a 3-2 record at the midway mark of its postseason play. The league has five bowl games left, with two teams favored to win their matchups on New Year's Day.
But regardless of what Ohio State does in the Fiesta Bowl or how Michigan fairs in the Citrus Bowl, only one game will stand out for the conference when it comes to this season's bowl slate.
And for the Big Ten, Michigan State's Cotton Bowl Classic and College Football Playoff semifinal against Alabama might as well have doubled as a black eye for the rest of the Big Ten.