Big Ten bowl season is finally here! While a number of postseason games have already been played, the B1G’s bowl season officially gets rolling Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Overall, 8 teams will be in action, not counting Michigan’s trip to the College Football Playoff and a Rose Bowl matchup against Alabama. That game will be the major postseason storyline for the conference, but the rest of the bowl slate is not short on intrigue.

As we get set for Saturday’s kickoff and the B1G action, here is a look at how the bowl picture shapes up:

8. Quick Lane Bowl (Tuesday, Dec. 26)

  • Bowling Green (7-5) vs. Minnesota (5-7)

There’s a lot to not like about this year’s Quick Lane Bowl. Playing a game the day after Christmas — in Detroit — is always dicey, and this year’s matchup is even worse.

Sure, faithful fans of the Golden Gophers at least get a game within the region. But, the intrigue just isn’t there after PJ Fleck’s worst season with the program since his debut season. Starting QB Athan Kaliakmanis looking to leave the program doesn’t help things either.

The best thing going for this game is the fact that it’s (technically) a revenge game for Minnesota. Fans will unfortunately remember the Gophers losing to Bowling Green in disastrous fashion during the 2021 season.

7. SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl (Saturday, Dec. 23)

  • Utah (8-4)  vs. Northwestern (7-5)

David Braun has done a fantastic job with the Wildcats this season. However, a pre-Christmas bowl game in the southwest just doesn’t carry much weight in Bowl Season.

Utah is an interesting opponent, but this era of roster turnover and NFL Draft decisions during bowl prep has depleted some of the in-game matchups for this one. A win for Northwestern would give the Wildcats their first season with 8+ wins and a bowl victory in a non-COVID season since 2018, and that’s the intriguing angle here.

6. TransPerfect Music City Bowl (Saturday, Dec. 30)

  • Auburn (6-6) vs. Maryland (7-5)

This game would have shaped up much better if Taulia Tagovailoa was playing. With the star QB in action, it would have been interesting to see how Maryland shapes up against an SEC program.

Without Tagovailoa, the game could still be interesting, but the pre-game buildup is a bit lacking. We’ll see if Billy Edwards Jr. and Cam Edge can ball out. But, that’s a big question mark heading into the game.

5. Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl (Thursday, Dec. 28)

  • Rutgers (6-6) vs. Miami (7-5)

For the postseason, Greg Schiano and Rutgers get a former Big East foe with Miami in New York. The two sides have faced each other 11 times in program history between 1993-2003. The Hurricanes have won every game, including 3 of those games coached by Schiano.

Now, the Scarlet Knights have a chance to reset that series. Schiano also maintains a 5-2 bowl record at Rutgers heading into the game and had won 5 straight postseason games before losing the Gator Bowl after the 2021 season.

4. ReliaQuest Bowl (Monday, Jan. 1, 2024)

  • Wisconsin (7-5) vs. No. 13 LSU (9-3)

Wisconsin’s draw of LSU in the postseason set up a showdown against Heisman winner Jayden Daniels. The Badgers will not see Daniels in action with the QB opting out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft, but the task is still high.

LSU boasts a talent-rich offense with a number of NFL-caliber players, including game-changers on the outside at receiver. A number of that group are expected to be in action, setting the table for Luke Fickell’s squad to face a tall task.

Though the stakes are not particularly high, a ranked win over an SEC opponent would be a nice feather in Fickell’s cap heading into 2024.

3. Cheez-It Citrus Bowl (Monday, Jan. 1)

  • No. 17 Iowa (10-3) vs. No. 21 Tennessee (8-4)

Iowa enters its bowl game as the nation’s most unlikely 10-win team of the season. On the other side, the Hawkeyes will face a Tennessee team that fell flat in every major game it played this season.

Combined, these two teams should be intriguing to watch. They also pit contrasting styles in action.

In the Vols’ 8 wins, the team hit 30+ points 7 times and hit 40+ 5 times. That’s certainly not how Iowa gets down offensively, and it sets the table for a huge offense vs. defense struggle and a chance for the Hawkeyes to shine.

2. Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (Saturday, Dec. 30)

  • No. 11 Ole Miss (10-2) vs. No. 10 Penn State (10-2)

Lane Kiffin and James Franklin have their programs in a similar position this season. Both Ole Miss and Penn State are 10-win teams, but both teams were not competitive enough when it comes to the elite teams in their respective conferences.

This game also shapes up as one between teams looking to ascend in 2024. A number of key players from both the Nittany Lions and Rebels will be back next season, meaning the number of key opt-outs is low.

For Franklin, he also needs to show he can still compete with top-tier programs in and outside of the B1G. With the conference expanding and the Playoff moving to 12 teams next season, these are the kinds of games that will be key to finding a way to win.

1. Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (Friday, Dec. 29)

  • No. 9 Mizzou (10-2) vs. No. 7 Ohio State (11-1)

Looking for intrigue in the postseason? For the B1G, that resides with Ohio State’s trip to the Cotton Bowl with a number of storylines in play.

On the opposite side of the ball, the Buckeyes will get an SEC opponent in Mizzou coming off a top-10 season. This is also the biggest bowl game for the Tigers since the Cotton Bowl following the 2013 season.

Staying within the Ohio State program, this game is undoubtedly a big one for Ryan Day. A number of key players are sticking with the team through the bowl game (Marvin Harrison Jr.’s decision still pending), and there should be plenty of firepower for the Buckeyes to compete for a win.

Also, the biggest storyline for this game with or without Harrison will be Ohio State’s QB situation. Kyle McCord opted to transfer to Syracuse after going 11-1 as the starter, and Devin Brown assumes the starting role for the game.

If Brown balls out, it will be a big boost for the team heading toward the 2024 season. If he doesn’t, questions surrounding Day’s offense and lack of a proven starter will be a big part of the offseason.