[NU Sports] NYT Column on Penn State

[Mike Nolan]

> In the Big Ten teleconference, Tom Bradley just said PSU will accept a bowl
> invite and there will be a 2012 season.

The former may have been a trial balloon.  
 
> As others have mentioned, though, I'm not sure about the desirability of
> PSU for a bowl game following this season.  They may very well shift down
> the Big Ten bowl ladder if they don't win out and make it to Pasadena
> (which is unlikely), but not sure how far (since the lower tier bowls want
> people in the seats, and PSU will likely provide that to some degree even
> with what has happened).

Aren't there limits in Big Ten rules as to when a bowl can pick a team 
further down in the standings?

And if I was the other team, I might not be happy getting Penn State
if I was expecting to get a school with a lesser record, like Illinois.

Some Big Ten schools might not be entirely thrilled moving UP the stack,
either.  I want to see Northwestern in a bowl game, no, make that
a WINNABLE bowl game, so I don't know that I'd be excited if they got 
paired up against an 8-4 or 9-3 school.
--
Mike Nolan