With the 2012 bowl season in the books, let’s take a look back at the best of the postseason for the Big Ten. The bowls didn’t go like the conference and the members had hoped, as the Big Ten posted a 2-5 mark with a 1-4 record on New Year’s Day. From the best game to the best defensive stop, here’s a look at my Big Ten Bowl Honor Roll.

While a 2-5 clip wasn’t the result the Big Ten was shooting for this bowl season, the conference put together its share of impressive plays. Watch our top 10 plays from the Big Ten bowls, including a pair of highlights from Northwestern’s first bowl victory since 1949.

When it comes to motivation, few push buttons better than Barry Alvarez. Heading into the Rose Bowl vs. Stanford, Alvarez had bracelets made for players that read “I’m In” and “I’m On.” But the players had to earn the rubber jewelry through their position coach.

Every week this season, Tom Dienhart (@BTNTomDienhart) and myself (@BTNBrentYarina) offered our predictions for each Big Ten football game and provided polls for fans to pick their winners. We continued it this bowl season, and BTN.com fans and Dienhart each went 7-0, meaning the former claims the 2012 crown.

Stepfan Taylor rushed for 89 yards and an early touchdown, Kevin Hogan passed for 123 yards, and No. 8 Stanford’s dominant defense shut out Wisconsin in the second half of a 20-14 victory in the 99th Rose Bowl on Tuesday night.

The Rose Bowl is one of sports most picturesque settings, what with the perfect Pasadena weather and the San Gabriel mountains as a backdrop. Every year, we here at BTN.com love seeing pictures from the Rose Bowl, and that’s why we’re compiling a photo gallery from Tuesday’s Wisconsin-Stanford game. See the gallery in this post.

There were four other Big Ten bowl games leading up to Tuesday night’s 99th Rose Bowl between Wisconsin and Stanford. Northwestern was the lone victor, taking down Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl, while Michigan (Outback), Nebraska (Capital One) and Purdue (Heart of Dallas) all lost. Check out our photo gallery from the four early games in this post.

Prior to Tuesday afternoon’s Gator Bowl win over Mississippi State, Northwestern hadn’t won a bowl game since beating Cal in the 1949 Rose Bowl. Sixty-four years and nine bowl defeats later, the run of futility is no more. Jump inside for a look at what was going on in the world in 1949, the last time Northwestern had won a bowl game.

Dylan Thompson came off the bench to throw a 32-yard touchdown pass with 11 seconds remaining Tuesday, giving No. 11 South Carolina a 33-28 victory over No. 19 Michigan in the Outback Bowl. Thompson replaced Connor Shaw during the winning drive, covering the final 43 yards after the Gamecocks’ starter began the march from his own 30. Devin Gardner’s third TD pass of the game had given Michigan a 28-27 lead.

Aaron Murray threw five touchdown passes to set a Georgia bowl record, including two in the fourth quarter, as the sixth-ranked Bulldogs beat No. 23 Nebraska 45-31 in the Capital One Bowl on Tuesday. Murray shook off a pair of first-half interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, and passed for 427 yards – also a Bulldogs’ bowl record – against the nation’s top-ranked passing defense. Get the AP recap, video and Tom Dienhart’s Snap Reactions in this post.

Behind huge interceptions early and late, No. 21 Northwestern beat Mississippi State 34-20 in the Gator Bowl on Tuesday and snapped the game’s longest postseason losing streak. The Wildcats (10-3) won their first bowl game since 1949, snapping a nine-game funk that was tied for the longest in NCAA history. They also celebrated double-digit victories for the first time since the 1995 Rose Bowl season. Get the AP recap, video and Tom Dienhart’s Snap Reactions in this post.

Clint Chelf threw three of Oklahoma State’s five touchdown passes and the Cowboys shook off a disappointing Big 12 finish by dominating Purdue 58-14 in the Heart of Dallas Bowl on Tuesday. The Cowboys, a year removed from a Fiesta Bowl win that capped the best season in school history, forced five turnovers and had another short touchdown drive after a 64-yard punt return from Josh Stewart. Get the AP recap, video and Tom Dienhart’s Snap Reactions in this post.

We updated this through the early four games and now turn our attention to the Rose Bowl.

Michigan won’t be the only Big Ten team wearing an alternate matte helmet for its New Year’s Day bowl. Northwestern, which debuted a matte black helmet earlier this season, will rock another matte look in Tuesday’s Gator Bowl.

Dan Conroy kicked a 47-yard field goal with 1:01 left, Le’Veon Bell ran for 145 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown, and Michigan State rallied to beat Texas Christian 17-16 in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl on Saturday night. BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart gives you his three impressions from this game.