#5 Ohio State came into the Rose Bowl intending to prove that they aren't the same team as they were in the past 2 years, when they made it to the National Championship game, only to get completely outclassed by an SEC team. This year, OSU was supposed to prove that they could beat their big non-conference opponent, and show the world what the Big 10 was made of.

Unfortunately, that non-conference opponent was the #1 USC Trojans, who had no intentions of letting the Buckeyes come into their house and prove ANY point.

The game was a route from the beginning, as the Trojans were up 21-3 at halftime, and scored 14 more in the 3rd quarter. USC QB Mark Sanchez threw for 4 TD's, 2 of them to Damian Williams. USC's other TD came on defense, when senior LB Rey Maualuga intercepted Todd Boeckman's pass 48 yards for a TD.

Ohio State was dominated in all facets of the game. Their offense was pathetic, no matter who was at QB. Freshman Terrelle Pryor and Boeckman combined for only 136 yards passing, 0 TD, and Boeckman had 2 INT's.

Ohio State's troubles bring up a whole different issue. Just how bad is the Big 10? Perennial powerhouse Michigan is awful this year, already racking up losses to Utah and an awful Notre Dame team. Minnesota, Iowa and Indiana are all "perfect" so far this year, but none of them have played a tough opponent yet, and they aren't exactly known for their football programs. Michigan State, Purdue and Illinois have each played one non-conference opponent from a BCS conference so far, and they all lost.

Wisconsin is playing (and beating) BCS cinderella hopeful Fresno State right now, and they are one of the few Big 10 teams who look like they might be able to stay in the top 10 for a while. Penn State has destroyed Oregon State (Pac-10) and Syracuse (Big East), and looks like they might also be a legit team this year.

After OSU's huge loss to USC, it's clear that the Big 10 is a step behind conferences like the Big 12 and the SEC, as well as USC, if not the Pac-10. The Trojans didn't just beat the Buckeyes, they absolutely demolished them. They dominated all aspects of the game, holding OSU to no TD's, and only 2.1 yards per carry, while rushing for 164 yards (5.1 yards per carry) on OSU's highly touted defense.

It's not just OSU, it's the entire conference. Wisconsin looks strong, but the Badgers' strength of schedule isn't exactly stellar. Their toughest games are within the conference, and the same applies to Penn State.

Maybe the Big Ten will be able to prove me wrong when the bowl games roll around, but if the last few years are any indication, it's not likely. Can this conference regain its glory again? We'll see. But it looks like this year isn't going to be the one.