In Week B1G Power Rankings

JonDMiller

JonDMiller

Publisher/Founder
One of the reasons college hoops is great is the conference season. The out of conference season is 'OK' and battles football for the attention. But once Big Ten play starts, especially last year and this year with the league so strong (and Iowa having a pulse), the weeknight stuff is great.

Here is some midweek reshuffling of my Power Ranking thoughts:

1. Michigan: I am feeling like a 5th grader...breaking up with someone on Sunday, going with someone else Wednesday and then going back to the original on Thursday. Indiana's home loss combined with how good Michigan looked at Minnesota puts the Wolverines back on top. First Michigan road win over a Top 10 team since 1996.

2. Indiana: Very surprised at how Indiana lost to Wisconsin...pretty much start to finish, Wisconsin dictated the action.

3. Minnesota: Looked better losing at Indiana than they did at home against Michigan on Thursday night.

4. Wisconsin: Yeah, perhaps an over reaction, but they won on the home floor of a possible #1 seed in the tournament.

5. Michigan State: Looking forward to the Spartans getting a test. They are 4-1 with their wins coming against Iowa, Purdue, Nebraska and Penn State with their lone loss at Minnesota by double-digits. Did I say test? Their next five opponents are Ohio State, @Wisconsin, @Indiana, Illinois and Minnesota.

6. Ohio State: Still not sold on them as an elite team, but their win at home against Michigan looks more impressive in light of what the Wolverines did to Minnesota.

I think tams four through six are real close right now.
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7. Iowa: Hawks move up due to Illinois losing at home to the team Iowa beat by 20 points in Evanston..and the Cats are the 2nd worst team in the league. Illinois has now lost three in a row. Shades of last year? If Iowa wins Saturday, they hold this position solidly...at least for a week.

8. Purdue: They beat Illinois head to head so far

9. Illinois: 9th in the league and still ranked...well, at least for a few more days. They had better watch out at Nebraska next week.

10. Nebraska

11. Northwestern: It's all about the three for them (and Illinois)

12. Penn State: With Tim Frazier, they would have pestered people.

What say you?
 


If the Hawks somehow, someway could beat the Badgers, it could be HUGE.

Even if we lose to Wisconsin, there are a bunch of winnable games down the road:

2 games against the Lions
2 games against the Bugeaters
2 games against the Boilers
Home game against the Gophers (not an invincible team)
Home game against the Wildcats
Home game against the Illini

It is going to be a fascinating Big Ten season. What a conference!!!
 


Swap MSU and OSU, else agree.
Michigan is the one team that is basically unbeatable if they play their game well. Everyone else in the conference has vulnerabilities.
I'd take Iowa in each of its last seven home games (individually) and there are three very winnable road contests.
What difference a few years make. Basketball is fun again...
 


The way nebraska has played lately scares me that they will win at home. They are dictating the game against good teams with better players than iowa. If they do that to us and marble or someone doesn't just take over it could be a tough win. I don't think they can win in cha but at nebby will be tough and that could sink our tourney hopes.
 


I cannot figure NW out. Lose to Iowa by 20 @ home, beat Illinois by 14 on the road????
Maybe it's Illinois I can't figure out.
I'm so confoosed.
 


1hawkeye1 said:
I cannot figure NW out. Lose to Iowa by 20 @ home, beat Illinois by 14 on the road????
Maybe it's Illinois I can't figure out.
I'm so confoosed.
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Little bit of both, Northwestern got off to a hot start and was hitting their 3 pointers. Illinois went 3 out of 20 from outside the arc.
 


Iowa at seven is fine. Lee Barfneckt of the Omaha World Herald has Iowa at 8, and Nebraska at 7. Don't get it.
 




Right now you can pull team names out of a hat to rank 4-6 and justify Wisconsin, MSU, or Ohio State ranked 4th. With Ohio State playing at MSU on Saturday and Wisconsin at Iowa we might have a more clearer picture.
 


You have Purdue too low IMO. Great young talent and Painter has them starting to play better defense. Painter is a good coach and has proven as much in the BIG for several years. They will be even better at the end of the year than they are now.
 








activebadger said:
If that's truly the case then there is no justification for Iowa being ahead of Purdue. Purdue has a better record in the BIG and owns better wins in the conference.
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I disagree, beating Northwestern on the road is better than beating Illinois at home. This is a power ranking, we can look at the conference standings to see the W/L rank.
 




ssckelley said:
I disagree, beating Northwestern on the road is better than beating Illinois at home. This is a power ranking, we can look at the conference standings to see the W/L rank.
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Purdue also beat Nebraska at Nebraska. Nebraska is a better win than NW IMO AND it's 1 more total win. I think Painter has earned the benefit of the doubt that he can get his teams to contend.
 


activebadger said:
Purdue also beat Nebraska at Nebraska. Nebraska is a better win than NW IMO AND it's 1 more total win. I think Painter has earned the benefit of the doubt that he can get his teams to contend.
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Nebraska who has 0 wins is a better win than a win over 2 win NW? Are things ok at home AB?
 






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