JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
At first glance on Sunday morning, the Big Ten basketball schedule didn't seem all that interesting.
Wisconsin was at Michigan and Nebraska was at Michigan State.
While I expected the Wisconsin-Michigan game to be somewhat competitive, I figured Michigan would win at home and move to 11-2 in Big Ten play, keeping the Hawkeyes two and a half games back. I expected Michigan State to mop up Nebraska at the Breslin Center and really never gave it another thought.
A funny thing happened on the way to those two teams being 11-2; they both lost.
Michigan is showing several cracks and perhaps reverting to the mean just a bit, while Michigan State's loss to the Cornhuskers is inexplicable, even without Keith Appling and Branden Dawson.
Once Iowa lost to Ohio State at home two weeks ago, I felt as though their regular season title hopes were dashed...and for the most part, that was the most likely reality. But Michigan State has lost two games since then; once to Wisconsin and now to Nebraska. Michigan has lost a few contests, too; an 18 point beat down in Iowa City and Sunday's loss at home to Wisconsin.
Now, here is what the Big Ten standings look like at the top:
10-3 Michigan
10-3 Michigan State
8-4 Iowa
8-5 Wisconsin
7-6 Ohio State
Each of those teams has played 13 games except for Iowa. If Iowa can beat Indiana on Tuesday night and move to 9-4 they most certainly have a shot at the title. Here is what each team's remaining slate looks like with home games in CAPS:
MICHIGAN: MICHIGAN STATE, at Purdue, MINNESOTA, at Illinois and INDIANA
MICHIGAN STATE: at Purdue, at Michigan, ILLINOIS, IOWA, at Ohio State
IOWA: at Indiana, WISCONSIN, at Minnesota, PURDUE, at Michigan State, ILLINOIS
WISCONSIN: at Iowa, INDIANA, at Penn State, PURDUE, at Nebraska
Here is how I'd rate remaining schedules from most challenging to least challenging:
1. Michigan State
2. Iowa
3. Michigan
4. Wisconsin
For Iowa to get a piece of its first regular season crown since the 1970's, it will probably have to run the table. Still, I think there's a better chance of that yielding a share of the title that a few weeks back...but that will also include Iowa having to win at Michigan State, a place it hasn't won since 1993.
Wisconsin was at Michigan and Nebraska was at Michigan State.
While I expected the Wisconsin-Michigan game to be somewhat competitive, I figured Michigan would win at home and move to 11-2 in Big Ten play, keeping the Hawkeyes two and a half games back. I expected Michigan State to mop up Nebraska at the Breslin Center and really never gave it another thought.
A funny thing happened on the way to those two teams being 11-2; they both lost.
Michigan is showing several cracks and perhaps reverting to the mean just a bit, while Michigan State's loss to the Cornhuskers is inexplicable, even without Keith Appling and Branden Dawson.
Once Iowa lost to Ohio State at home two weeks ago, I felt as though their regular season title hopes were dashed...and for the most part, that was the most likely reality. But Michigan State has lost two games since then; once to Wisconsin and now to Nebraska. Michigan has lost a few contests, too; an 18 point beat down in Iowa City and Sunday's loss at home to Wisconsin.
Now, here is what the Big Ten standings look like at the top:
10-3 Michigan
10-3 Michigan State
8-4 Iowa
8-5 Wisconsin
7-6 Ohio State
Each of those teams has played 13 games except for Iowa. If Iowa can beat Indiana on Tuesday night and move to 9-4 they most certainly have a shot at the title. Here is what each team's remaining slate looks like with home games in CAPS:
MICHIGAN: MICHIGAN STATE, at Purdue, MINNESOTA, at Illinois and INDIANA
MICHIGAN STATE: at Purdue, at Michigan, ILLINOIS, IOWA, at Ohio State
IOWA: at Indiana, WISCONSIN, at Minnesota, PURDUE, at Michigan State, ILLINOIS
WISCONSIN: at Iowa, INDIANA, at Penn State, PURDUE, at Nebraska
Here is how I'd rate remaining schedules from most challenging to least challenging:
1. Michigan State
2. Iowa
3. Michigan
4. Wisconsin
For Iowa to get a piece of its first regular season crown since the 1970's, it will probably have to run the table. Still, I think there's a better chance of that yielding a share of the title that a few weeks back...but that will also include Iowa having to win at Michigan State, a place it hasn't won since 1993.
