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2012 Big Ten Football Standings: Wisconsin shocks Nebraska to take conference title

Wisconsin was only a game above .500 in conference play, but lucked into the Big Ten Championship game and took full advantage, blowing out Nebraska 70-31.

Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

Wisconsin might have lost five games in 2012, but they'll be representing the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl after a dominating 70-31 win over Nebraska in the Big Ten Championship Game Saturday.

The Badgers shouldn't have even been in the championship game as the third best team in their division, with Ohio State having gone undefeated and Penn State going 8-4 while Wisconsin was just .500 in Big Ten play. But with those squads ineligible to play in a bowl game this year, Wisconsin stepped up and represented the Leaders Division in Indianapolis, and they came out with a vengeance to stomp the Cornhuskers. Some of their blowout was due to trick plays, but most of it was due to a superior performance on both sides of the ball.

The Big Ten didn't put two teams into the BCS for the first time in seven years, meaning Nebraska will go to the Capital One Bowl as the Big Ten's No. 2 team. All in all, seven Big Ten teams will go bowling. Here's a look at the conference's full standings at the end of the year:


Big 10 Conference Standings

(updated 11.24.2012 at 1:42 AM CST)

Leaders Division Conf Overall
W L W L
Ohio St. Buckeyes 7 0 11 0
Penn St. Nittany Lions 5 2 7 4
Wisconsin Badgers 4 3 7 4
Purdue Boilermakers 2 5 5 6
Indiana Hoosiers 2 5 4 7
Illinois Fighting Illini 0 7 2 9
Legends Division Conf Overall
W L W L
Nebraska Cornhuskers 7 1 10 2
Michigan Wolverines 6 1 8 3
Northwestern Wildcats 4 3 8 3
Minnesota Golden Gophers 2 5 6 5
Michigan St. Spartans 2 5 5 6
Iowa Hawkeyes 2 6 4 8


Photographs by dizfunk used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.