The Big Ten image took a hit the last few months including the conference’s 3-5 bowl season record.  Not only did the league have a losing record during bowl season for the third time in the last four years, but the New Year’s Day scoreboard was embarrassing when conference teams went 0-5 and were outscored by 105 points.

Iowa, Illinois and Ohio State won their bowl games.  The Hawkeyes and Illini pulled off upsets to help the cause and the favored Buckeyes hung on in the closing minutes of an entertaining Sugar Bowl to defeat Arkansas, 31-26.  That win ended a Buckeyes 0-9 bowl losing streak against SEC teams.

On New Year’s Day Alabama defeated Michigan State 49-7 and Michigan was also embarrassed losing 52-14 to Mississippi State, historically a runt of a program.  Texas Tech beat Northwestern 41-31, Wisconsin lost to TCU 21-19 and Florida defeated Penn State 37-24.

The bowl results were another reminder that the conference, despite its tradition and mighty branding including with the Big Ten Network, is inferior to the SEC, college football’s king.  The Big Ten was 1-3 during bowl season against the SEC, a league with better athletes and coaches.

Before bowl season the Big Ten announced that with the addition of 12^th member Nebraska later this year the league will have two six team divisions in football named the Legends and Leaders.  The league brain trust over-thought this exercise in naming the divisions.

The Legends and Leaders tags were received by Big Ten fans and media about as well as the New Year’s Day scores.  In a December 13 article on the Chicago Tribune website Teddy Greenstein wrote: “According to an unscientific poll on ChicagoTribune.com, 6 percent believe Legends and Leaders ‘represent what the Big Ten is all about,’ and 94 percent say, ‘You have to be kidding … is this the best they can do?’ Similarly, 93 percent of those responding to a midwestsportsfans.com poll voted for either ‘terrible’ or ‘it makes me want to gouge my eyes out with a spoon.’  Others opted for ‘awesome’ (2 percent) or ‘indifferent’ (5 percent).”

The Legends Division includes Nebraska, prompting critics to wonder how the newcomer Cornhuskers could deserve Big Ten legendary status.  The Leaders Division includes Ohio State and Michigan, leaving observers to wonder how such powerhouses don’t deserve a legends label.

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Gophers football historians have been pondering the Big Ten Network’s omission of Paul Giel from the list of the top 50 icons in conference history.  This is an amazing error considering Giel’s credentials.

Giel was a two-time All-American running back for the Gophers in 1952 and 1953.  He was also the first ever two-time Big Ten Most Valuable Player.  In 1953 he was UPI’s College Player of the Year and AP’s back of the year.  He was also runner-up to Johnny Lattner of Notre Dame in the 1953 Heisman Trophy balloting.  Famed sportswriter Grantland Rice named Giel to his first team all-time college team, according to Gophers sports authority Dave Mona.

But the Giel legend doesn’t stop there.  He was an All-American pitcher for the Gophers and signed a large bonus contract with baseball’s New York Giants after leaving Minnesota.  In 1971 he returned to his alma mater as athletic director.

Do those 50 Big Ten icons that the Big Ten Network has been devoting 30 minute specials to all have better resumes than Giel?  Are you serious?

And here’s one more item about the Big Ten: the Gophers annual conference basketball schedule.  Every season starting with 2007-08 the Gophers have played Michigan State, the league’s premier program, during the first five games. Twice the Gophers have opened the conference schedule against the Spartans and this season played Michigan State in the second game.  Three of the last four years the first game between the two programs was in East Lansing.

This season the Gophers are playing arguably the Big Ten’s most difficult early season schedule.  In the first five games Minnesota plays four nationally ranked teams, travelling to Wisconsin, Michigan State and Ohio State, with a home game against Purdue.

Last year the Gophers were scheduled against Purdue, Ohio State and Michigan State in their first five games, the three best teams in the league.  Of course, two of the three were on the road.

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Tubby Smith’s Gophers, 1-2 in the Big Ten and 11-3 overall, have played teams with national reputations and defeated North Carolina and West Virginia, but lost to Virginia, Wisconsin and Michigan State.  Sunday in Columbus Minnesota probably faces its biggest “load” so far against No. 2 ranked Ohio State.

The Buckeyes are 15-0 and off to their best start in 20 years.  A group of veterans, plus sensational freshman center-forward Jared Sullinger, have Ohio State close to a No.1 national ranking.  Sullinger has already been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week seven times.

The Gophers are ranked No. 21 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll but haven’t impressed since winning the Puerto Rico Tip-Off in November with victories over Western Kentucky, North Carolina and West Virginia.  The Gophers rallied in the second half to defeat Indiana at home on Tuesday night, winning 67-63.  Minnesota entered that game winning by an average of 6.4 points per game, second smallest margin in the conference.

Gophers senior point guard Al Nolen said the team’s win over Indiana will help against Ohio State.  “I think getting a win like this after coming off two tough road  losses to two good teams (will) really help our confidence,” he said.  “And I think going in there as an underdog will really help us out.  Kinda take a little bit of pressure off from us and be able to go out there and try to upset them.  I am just ready to go and play a good Ohio State team.”

The Gophers haven’t sold out a game yet this season including Tuesday night’s Big Ten home opener when announced attendance was 12,727.  Minnesota is averaging 12,011 in 14,625 seat Williams Arena.  More surprising is that despite their success, the Buckeyes have no sellouts, either, and are averaging 12,827.

Encouraging reminder about the youthful 9-27 Timberwolves: starting forwards Michael Beasley and Kevin Love, and starting guard Wes Johnson would all be college seniors if they had decided not to leave their schools early for the NBA.  Reserve point guard Jonny Flynn could be a senior at Syracuse.

The Wolves could claim progress next week if they beat the Spurs, the team with the best record in the NBA at 29-6.  The two teams play Sunday night in San Antonio and Tuesday evening at Target Center.

At the request of Sports Headliners, Mr. Basketball chair Ken Lien provided his early season rankings of the best prep boys teams in 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A.  His top five in big school 4A are Hopkins, Osseo, Lakeville South, Eastview and Eden Prairie.  St. Paul Johnson is No. 1 in 3A followed by DeLaSalle, Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Columbia Heights and Minneapolis Washburn.

The top five in 2A are Plainview-Elgin-Millville, Caledonia, Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, Perham and Montevideo.  Minnesota Transitions is No. 1 in 1A followed by Sebeka, MACCRAY, Maranatha Christian and Ellsworth.

Local basketball fan John Bell Wilson reports that over 400 youth players participated in a Timberwolves-Lynx holiday clinic last week at Target Center that included instructors Jonny Flynn, Wes Johnson, Lindsay Whalen and Jim Petersen.

Twins hall of famers Rod Carew and Harmon Killebrew congratulated Bert Blyleven on his long awaited election to the Hall of Fame.  News of the election came Wednesday.

“This is a great day for baseball in general and Twins fans in particular,” Carew said. “Bert’s election to the Hall of Fame is well deserved and long overdue.  Bert was as fierce a competitor as I ever faced on the mound.  I look forward to being in Cooperstown in July and welcoming Bert Blyleven to the most exclusive club in the world.”

“I am thrilled that Bert will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame,” Killebrew said.  “I could not be happier if it was my own son. I played in the first game Bert pitched for the Minnesota Twins in 1970.  He’s been a credit to the Twins organization and all of baseball. I wish it wouldn’t have taken so long but now that he is in, it’s wonderful.”

The Hockey News dated January 17, 2011 ranks Wild owner Craig Leipold No. 42 in its listing of “100 People of Power & Influence.”  The article said Leipold has “the ear” of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and will play a “key role” in collective bargaining agreement talks.

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