The Big Ten had a national champion in 1997, but the league as a whole had a much more special year in 1998. Led by tri-champions Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Michigan, it accomplished something that it had never done before, and has never done since.
It swept its bowl games.
Date
Bowl
Winner/Tie
Pts
Loser/Tie
Pts
Notes
1999-01-01
Citrus Bowl
#15 Michigan
45
#11 Arkansas
31
Citrus Bowl (Orlando, FL)
1999-01-01
Outback Bowl
#22 Penn State
26
Kentucky
14
Outback Bowl (Tampa, FL)
1999-01-01
Rose Bowl
#9 Wisconsin
38
#6 UCLA
31
Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA)
1999-01-01
Sugar Bowl
#3 Ohio State
24
#8 Texas A&M
14
Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, LA)
1998-12-29
Alamo Bowl
Purdue
37
#4 Kansas State
34
Alamo Bowl (San Antonio, TX)
That's right. The Big Ten played 4 of the Top 12 teams in the country in bowl season. It beat them all, including upsets over two schools that were one game away from playing for the national championship. In no other year that the Big Ten has sent multiple schools to bowls has the Big Ten been so magnificent.
