Wisconsin quarterback Joel Stave looks to pass against Illinois during the second half of Wisconsin's 31-14 win in an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

ESPN’s Rece Davis almost weekly refers to the ACC football race as the “Wheel of Destiny” because it’s so unpredictable. The moniker could befit the Big Ten this year.

There are eight teams that could land in the Rose Bowl or fall completely out of the bowl picture. Ohio State and Penn State are ineligible for the postseason. Illinois and Indiana will really need to turn around their seasons to make a bowl game. As for the rest, anything is possible.

With 61 days left until the league’s championship game in Indianapolis, there’s one educated guess we can make for the end of this season. The winner of Saturday’s Wisconsin-Purdue clash in West Lafayette likely will gain the Leaders Division spot in the Big Ten title game. Notice the word “earn” doesn’t appear in the above sentence. Unless either team beats Ohio State or Penn State this year, the word “earn” should not appear to describe either team’s title-game access.

As for the Legends Division, everybody has flaws but every team (well, maybe not Minnesota) is capable of beating any of the others. That makes filling out the bowl lineup interesting and in flux. That holds true in early October and probably throughout the season.

BCS BOWLS

• BCS — Alabama vs. Oregon
• ROSE — Michigan vs. USC
• ORANGE — Florida State vs. Louisville
• SUGAR — South Carolina vs. West Virginia
• FIESTA — Kansas State vs. Notre Dame

BIG TEN

• CAPITAL ONE — Michigan State vs. Florida
• OUTBACK — Wisconsin vs. LSU
• GATOR — Nebraska vs. Georgia
• BUFFALO WILD WINGS — Northwestern vs. Texas Tech
• MEINEKE — Iowa vs. Baylor
• HEART OF DALLAS — Purdue vs. TCU
• LITTLE CAESAR’S — Minnesota vs. Northern Illinois

BIG 12

• COTTON — Texas vs. Texas A&M
• ALAMO — Oklahoma vs. Oregon State
• BUFFALO WILD WINGS — Northwestern vs. Texas Tech
• HOLIDAY — Iowa State vs. Stanford
• MEINEKE — Iowa vs. Baylor
• HEART OF DALLAS — Purdue vs. TCU
• PINSTRIPE — Oklahoma State vs. Connecticut

SECOND-TIER

• PEACH — Mississippi State vs. Clemson
• MUSIC CITY — Missouri vs. North Carolina State
• LIBERTY — Tennessee vs. Tulsa
• COMPASS — Vanderbilt vs. Syracuse
• INDEPENDENCE — Georgia Tech vs. Louisiana Tech*
• SUN — Virginia Tech vs. Arizona State
• LAS VEGAS — Boise State vs. UCLA
• KRAFT — Washington vs. San Jose State*
• NEW MEXICO — Arizona vs. San Diego State
• RUSSELL — Miami vs. Rutgers
• BELK — Duke vs. Cincinnati

OTHERS

• MILITARY — Marshall* vs. Temple*
• HAWAII — Central Florida vs. Fresno State
• ARMED FORCES — Air Force vs. SMU
• BEEF O’BRADY’S — East Carolina vs. Lousiana-Lafayette*
• NEW ORLEANS — Houston vs. Louisiana-Monroe
• GODADDY — Ohio vs. Western Kentucky
• POTATO — Kent State vs. Utah State
• POINSETTIA — BYU vs. Nevada

* Denotes replacement for conference not filling all bowl slots