The Big Ten is making a loud statement this bowl season - and Oregon head coach Dan Lanning isn’t shy about saying it out loud.
Heading into Thursday’s Orange Bowl, Lanning was asked about the strength of the conference in the postseason, and his answer was as direct as it was confident: “I definitely think the Big Ten is the best conference in college football.” And frankly, it’s hard to argue with the results so far.
The Big Ten is off to a blistering 6-1 start in bowl games, with Oregon leading the charge after a strong showing in its College Football Playoff first-round win. Washington, Northwestern, Minnesota, Penn State, and Illinois have all added to the win column, stacking up a résumé that speaks volumes about the depth and quality across the league.
The only blemish so far? USC’s loss to TCU in the Alamo Bowl - a tough one, but not enough to dull the shine of what’s been a dominant December for the Big Ten.
“The record itself just speaks for the conference,” Lanning said. “The quality of players and coaches and teams in this conference.”
He pointed to the last two national championships as further evidence of the Big Ten’s rise to the top of the college football hierarchy - and he’s not wrong. The conference has been building toward this moment, and now it’s delivering when it matters most.
But the job’s not done. There are still plenty of Big Ten teams left with a shot to add to the win total - and to the narrative.
No. 5 Oregon is set for a marquee clash with No.
4 Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day (Noon ET, ESPN), and that one has all the makings of a heavyweight battle. Elsewhere, Iowa, Michigan, and Nebraska are all suiting up for bowl games on Wednesday, and the CFP quarterfinals will showcase two more Big Ten powers: No.
2 Ohio State and No. 1 Indiana.
Lanning summed it up simply: “There’s some good Big Ten teams still playing football right now, so I hope they show out.”
So far, they have - and if this momentum holds, the Big Ten could be looking at one of its most successful postseason runs in recent memory.