Big Ten Bowl Grades: How Every Team Performed
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A third national championship by a third different team in three years, wins over the SEC, dramatic finishes, and lots and lots of wins – the Big Ten did okay for itself this bowl and College Football Playoff season.
Here are our bowl grades for every Big Ten team.
Grading Every Big Ten Team’s Bowl Game Performance
Indiana Bowl Grade
It’s Indiana, and it won the national title – if it was okay to do an A++++++, we would. That, along with a total destruction of Alabama and Oregon on the way to Miami, proved that the team was up to every moment.
College Football Playoff National Championship
Indiana vs Miami
Final Score: Indiana 27, Miami 21
Line: Indiana -8.5, o/u: 45.5
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (CFP Semifinal)
Oregon vs Indiana
Final Score: Indiana 55, Oregon 22
Line: Indiana -3, o/u: 49.5
Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential
Alabama vs Indiana
Final Score: Indiana 34, Alabama 3
Line: Indiana -7.5, o/u: 46.5
Grade: A+
Penn State Bowl Grade
Undermanned with a lame duck head coach, Penn State stood up and locked down Clemson in a 12-point win.
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Clemson vs Penn State
Final Score: Penn State 22, Clemson 10
Line: Clemson -2.5, o/u: 47.5
Grade: A
Washington Bowl Grade
The Huskies were the far better team than Boise State, and they never let anyone think otherwise.
Bucked Up LA Bowl
Boise State vs Washington
Final Score: Washington 38, Boise State 10
Line: Washington -9.5, o/u: 52.5
Grade: A
Northwestern Bowl Grade
This was exactly what a Big Ten team was supposed to do to a MAC program in a no-drama Bowl W.
GameAbove Sports Bowl
Northwestern vs Central Michigan
Final Score: Northwestern 34, Central Michigan 7
Line: Northwestern -12.5, o/u: 43.5
Grade: A
Iowa Bowl Grade
Iowa showed up, held up against Mr Pavia, and left with a bowl win over an SEC team. It all worked.
ReliaQuest Bowl
Iowa vs Vanderbilt
Final Score: Iowa 34, Vanderbilt 27
Line: Vanderbilt -5.5, o/u: 46.5
Grade: A
Illinois Bowl Grade
For the second straight season, Illinois came up with a good bowl win, making an SEC program question its life choices.
Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl
Illinois vs Tennessee
Final Score: Illinois 30, Tennessee 28
Line: Tennessee -2.5, o/u: 61.5
Grade: A
Oregon Bowl Grade
Strange against James Madison, wonderful against Texas Tech, and non-existent against Indiana, the Duck CFP run was a successful disappointment. The team finished in the top four. That’s not bad, no matter what.
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (CFP Semifinal)
Oregon vs Indiana
Final Score: Indiana 55, Oregon 22
Line: Indiana -3, o/u: 49.5
Capital One Orange Bowl (CFP Quarterfinal)
Oregon vs Texas Tech
Final Score: Oregon 23, Texas Tech 0
Line: Oregon -2.5, o/u: Oregon 50.5
CFP First Round
Oregon vs James Madison
Final Score: Oregon 51, James Madison 34
Line: Oregon -21, o/u: 50.5
Grade: B+
Minnesota Bowl Grade
New Mexico was a tougher team than anyone, but the oddsmakers gave it credit for. It took overtime to beat the Group of Five program, but it was ANOTHER bowl win for PJ Fleck.
Rate Bowl
Minnesota vs New Mexico
Final Score: Minnesota 20, New Mexico 17 OT
Line: Minnesota -1.5, o/u: 44.5
Grade: B+
Michigan Bowl Grade
Despite the drama and massive personnel losses, it was a good fight against a gutted Texas team. It was a better performance than the final score.
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
Michigan vs Texas
Final Score: Texas 41, Michigan 27
Line: Texas -4.5, o/u: 50.5
Grade: B
Ohio State Bowl Grade
Considering the talent and expectations, and the mistakes made in the Big Ten Championship by being WAY too conservative, to be so lackluster in the first 30 minutes was inexcusable. It needed one stop late, and couldn’t get it.
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
Miami vs Ohio State
Final Score: Miami 24, Ohio State 14
Line: Ohio State -9.5, o/u: 42.5
Grade: C
Nebraska Bowl Grade
Nebraska did exactly what it was supposed to do – lose badly after trying hard early.
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Nebraska vs Utah
Final Score: Utah 44, Nebraska 22
Line: Utah -13.5, o/u: 51.5
Grade: C
USC Bowl Grade
USC was missing a ton of parts, but it was still the far better team. The OT gag to a team without its starting quarterback was unacceptable.
Valero Alamo Bowl
TCU vs USC
Final Score: TCU 30, USC 27 OT
Line: USC -4.5, o/u: 56
Grade: C
Related: ACC Bowl Grades: How Every Team Performed
This story was originally published by College Football News on Jan 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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