Does the Big Ten prefer Iowa or Penn State for second BCS bid?

Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta said Big Ten Conference officials want either Iowa or Penn State to qualify for the Bowl Championship Series but league officials won't tip their hand if they have a favorite.

"The conference has absolutely tried to stay neutral," Barta said Thursday. "Tim (Curley, Penn State's athletics director) is a friend of mine at Penn State. He and I have talked, and we both understand that we want to be in."

Both Iowa and Penn State are 10-2 and are among 16 schools considered for the five-bowl BCS. League champion Ohio State already has qualified for a BCS bowl, and only two schools from a conference can compete in a BCS bowl. Iowa and Penn State have engaged in a friendly, but vocal, public-relations tussle over which school should compete in the BCS. Iowa beat Penn State 21-10 on the road this year, and both schools bring legions of fans to games. Penn State commands a larger national profile because of its iconic coach, Joe Paterno, and larger population base in Pennsylvania.

"The Big Ten wants to make sure that one of us gets in and (Curley) wants Penn State, and I want Iowa. We're both obviously clear on that. But we're also wanting to make sure for the good of the conference that one of us gets in.

"It's not a bidding war within our conference because we share all of our revenue. He's selling what's great about Penn State. I'm selling what's great about Iowa. At some point, neither one of us get to make the decision, so that makes it a little bit easier."