Bowl eligible.

Not assured of a bowl bid by any means, but bowl eligible. I was away all day today and failed to record the BSU game, so any review I post will be based on highlights and the box score. It sounds as if we managed a comfortable win despite continuing to turn the ball over way too often.

In any event, since the jinx doesn't apply, I'll post a review of where the other conferences stand some time in the next couple of days. As for the Big Ten's bids, there are now six teams with seven or more wins. It would have been better for us if Northwestern had won today. Iowa, known for traveling well, is 5-5 with games against Minnesota and Western Michigan remaining. If IU wins one more, it is therefore likely that the Big Ten will have eight teams with seven wins. As noted previously, no six win Big Ten team can be selected for an affiliated bowl unless all seven win teams are served. Accordingly, Michigan State and Northwestern each would have to win out be selected ahead of a seven win IU team.

Also, the Michigan and OSU wins today guarantee that the winner of the Michigan-OSU game will receive the Big Ten's automatic bid. As I have noted before, the best thing that could happen in that game for IU's bowl fortunes is for Michigan to steal the Rose Bowl bid from an undefeated Ohio State team. So, Hoosier fans, our agenda next week:

• Beat Northwestern, of course.
• Root for Ohio State to remain undefeated by beating Illinois (the Michigan-Wisconsin game is irrelevant).
• Root for Minnesota to salvage a shred of respectability by beating Iowa.
• If you can stomach it, root for Purdue to hand MSU its sixth loss.

If 1, 3, and 4 occur, IU will have secured no worse than a Motor City Bowl bid. If not, things will remain in flux. Hence the look at what conferences might not satisfy all of their bowl tie-ins.