Purdue plays at Indiana on Saturday in a game that means little outside the Hoosier state except for this: the Boilermakers would become bowl eligible if they defeat IU.
That would make 10 of the 12 Big Ten teams eligible to be invited to bowl games.
Michigan State, which plays either Penn State or Wisconsin in the inaugural Big Ten championship game on Dec. 3, is 9-2 and could earn a trip to the Rose Bowl if it wins the conference title.
Other Big Ten teams will be headed for less attractive destinations, if they go anywhere at all during bowl season.
Illinois, Ohio State and Northwestern have the bowl-eligible minimum of six victories so far. The best Purdue can do is win six games.
One of the Big Ten's also-rans might be in line for a berth in the Motor City Bowl at Ford Field.
Mark Schlabach of ESPN predicted Ohio State will face off against Ohio U. of the Mid-American Conference in the MCB.
The Big Ten's final weekend of the regular season finds Ohio State at Michigan; Iowa at Nebraska; MSU at Northwestern; Illinois at Minnesota and Penn State at Wisconsin.