Power Rankings...Tiers...Whatever...

W

WindsorHawk

Well-Known Member
This season mystifies me more by the day. Below is how I would break out the tiers in the Big 10 right now. I have ranked the teams within each tier. I can probably delete this post on Monday because everything will just go haywire again this weekend. I anticipate lots of varying opinions on this. This Big 10 season just makes me shake my head.

Michigan State
Michigan
Iowa

Minnesota
Northwestern
Wisconsin
Indiana

Purdue
Nebraska
Ohio State
Penn State

Illinois
 
MSU
Mich

Iowa
Wisc

OSU
Minny

Everyone else in a big pile of demonic wing phasers speaking fallacies with the breath of the ancient light shards of the incomprable.
 
I hate to say it but until Iowa proves they belongs in the top tier I cannot put them in it.

Top:
Michigan
MSU

The rest

Hopefully Iowa can break away from the pack starting on Saturday at Illinois.
 
ssckelley said:
I hate to say it but until Iowa proves they belongs in the top tier I cannot put them in it.

Top:
Michigan
MSU

The rest

Hopefully Iowa can break away from the pack starting on Saturday at Illinois.
Click to expand...

I know you like valid points. I think you will appreciate this and maybe reconsider.

Most are going with Michigan, Michigan State and Iowa as the top group. Iowa is 0-2 against the other 2 teams in the top tier. We are 5-1 against the 9 teams in the other tier...3-0 at home and 2-1 on the road. I haven't analyzed each team's schedule but I suspect that's the best record in the conference when eliminating the Michigan and Michigan State games from everyone's record.

We may not be in the top tier. But if that's the case then I have omitted a tier between Michigan and Minnesota. We sit alone in that tier.

I'll take it a step further. If Michigan and Michigan State were not in our conference would you pick the Hawks to win the conference right now? I would with a confidence level of 9 on a scale of 1 to 10.
 
WindsorHawk said:
This season mystifies me more by the day. Below is how I would break out the tiers in the Big 10 right now. I have ranked the teams within each tier. I can probably delete this post on Monday because everything will just go haywire again this weekend. I anticipate lots of varying opinions on this. This Big 10 season just makes me shake my head.

Michigan State
Michigan
Iowa

Minnesota
Northwestern
Wisconsin
Indiana

Purdue
Nebraska
Ohio State
Penn State

Illinois
Click to expand...

It's almost like you're asking for trouble putting Illinois in a tier by themselves.
 
PCHawk said:
It's almost like you're asking for trouble putting Illinois in a tier by themselves.
Click to expand...

If we lose we lose but they're horrible...undisciplined, no heart, etc. I'm expecting a game like Minnesota. We run up and down the court and they might even lead in the 1st half. We take control in the 2nd half. Expect some Iowa dunks in this one.
 
Eliminate Michigan and Michigan State from each team's record and these are the standings.

Iowa 5-1
Minnesota 4-2
Indiana 3-2
Wisconsin 4-3
Northwestern 4-3
Ohio State 3-4
Purdue 3-4
Penn State 2-4
Nebraska 2-4
Illinois 2-5
 
WindsorHawk said:
I know you like valid points. I think you will appreciate this and maybe reconsider.

Most are going with Michigan, Michigan State and Iowa as the top group. Iowa is 0-2 against the other 2 teams in the top tier. We are 5-1 against the 9 teams in the other tier...3-0 at home and 2-1 on the road. I haven't analyzed each team's schedule but I suspect that's the best record in the conference when eliminating the Michigan and Michigan State games from everyone's record.

We may not be in the top tier. But if that's the case then I have omitted a tier between Michigan and Minnesota. We sit alone in that tier.

I'll take it a step further. If Michigan and Michigan State were not in our conference would you pick the Hawks to win the conference right now? I would with a confidence level of 9 on a scale of 1 to 10.
Click to expand...

Perhaps Iowa is in that 2nd tier all by themselves then. The rest of the conference is confusing.
 
Updated to reflect Nebraska's win over Indiana tonight.

Iowa 5-1
Minnesota 4-2
Wisconsin 4-3
Northwestern 4-3
Indiana 3-3
Ohio State 3-4
Purdue 3-4
Nebraska 3-4
Penn State 2-4
Illinois 2-5
 
Iowa has a home heavy schedule including one against Michigan. Better yet we get a shot at Michigan State after that. Those two teams have done absolutely N-A-D-A convincing to prove superiority over us. They're barely ahead of Iowa's 8th place in the Sag, barely behind Iowa's 5 in KP. Seriously, did anybody analyze this out loud besides the first guy?

Try Michigan; what on this planet is it that suggests they aren't just hot? Even if they really are as good as this simple scorching streak suggests, you could EASILY pick out four losses on their remaining schedule, all of which come on the road. Obviously this requires Michigan to simply be hot the past 10 days. Go on, use some logic. Does it support those stating UM supremacy? Yes, it does. After all they started out of the gates strong, lost a lottery NBA pick, beat the other 3 best B1G teams without him, and an easy stretch run will be easier when their star NBA shoe-in returns! Just kidding, they played like junk for almost two months, lost McGary, had a torrid streak against struggling teams and they face a very tough remainder with a squeezed lineup.

Michigan State? Now THIS is dominance. They're a machine playing dominant ball against teams Iowa played. And by that I mean a rusty broken down machine needing OT against OSU, Minnesota and Iowa. At times those 3 teams were nursing their worst stretches. Still play UM, Iowa, OSU and WIS. And again, I can't state how sluggish they look.

Iowa is playing at their low point at a time we expected a sputter, if any. We're home heavy with only two games that appear in the least intimidating against Michigan and MSU. WIS, OSU, @MIN and @PUR the next toughest. 7-2 or 8-1. We're only dropping two of those, ladies and gentlemen. We've suffered heartbreak, not performance break. The most overmatched we've been was 4 when UM started shooting FTs. The best we've been is 26 twice, 21 and 10 twice. 3 very hard home games and 1 comparable roadie. 7-2 is written all over that, fellas.

The top tier being properly analyzed, make it:

MSU-UM-IOWA
Minny-WIS-NW-IU-OSU
PUR-ILL
NEB-PSU
 
It is amazing how outlooks can change in only a couple of days after the MSU loss. Iowa has to take it one game at a time now and everything will work itself out. They will get what they deserve from their cumulative record (nonwithstanding more poor officiating along the way).

The most important thing is really making sure we make the NCAAs....which we realistically can compared to winning the regular season title (and maybe Big Ten Tourney title although the odds will likely be better there as well).
 
ssckelley said:
Perhaps Iowa is in that 2nd tier all by themselves then. The rest of the conference is confusing.
Click to expand...

Confusing is an understatement. It's gotten to the point where, if we can beat Illinois on the road, and hold home serve coming up, we will have virtually clinched (already) the #3 seed in March's B1G tournament.

Too early to talk about that too much, but #3 would mean a Thursday bye (FINALLY!!!), a Friday game against an annoyance (Minnesota?), and then, barring an upset, both Michigan and Michigan State for the 3rd time if we want to win the championship.

My point is that we still have PLENTY of opportunity to play ourselves back into the top tier. But even if we don't, the "confusion" of the rest of the league means we probably won't finish lower than third.
 
GVGiant44 said:
Confusing is an understatement. It's gotten to the point where, if we can beat Illinois on the road, and hold home serve coming up, we will have virtually clinched (already) the #3 seed in March's B1G tournament.

Too early to talk about that too much, but #3 would mean a Thursday bye (FINALLY!!!), a Friday game against an annoyance (Minnesota?), and then, barring an upset, both Michigan and Michigan State for the 3rd time if we want to win the championship.

My point is that we still have PLENTY of opportunity to play ourselves back into the top tier. But even if we don't, the "confusion" of the rest of the league means we probably won't finish lower than third.
Click to expand...

I was looking at the standings this morning. Without checking tie breakers, if the BTT started today I think Iowa would play the winner of Northwestern vs Illinois.

Big Ten Standings
TEAM CONF OVERALL
Michigan 8-0 16-4
Michigan State 8-1 19-2
Iowa 5-3 16-5
Wisconsin 4-4 17-4
Minnesota 4-4 15-6
Northwestern 4-5 11-11
Ohio State 3-5 16-5
Purdue 3-5 13-8
Indiana 3-5 13-8
Nebraska 3-5 11-9
Illinois 2-6 13-8
Penn State 2-6 11-10
 
^^^^^^^^^^^

That would be correct. Then a rematch with MSU in 2/3 game on Saturday if both advance. Obviously alot can and probably will change before then.

I just want Iowa to play in the Friday night session again.
 
So wait, in the "new" Big Ten that doesn't include Michigan and Michigan State, Northwestern is one of the better teams?

Yeah, that sounds accurate.
 
HawkIPA said:
^^^^^^^^^^^

That would be correct. Then a rematch with MSU in 2/3 game on Saturday if both advance. Obviously alot can and probably will change before then.

I just want Iowa to play in the Friday night session again.
Click to expand...

I think MSU gets the winner of Ohio State and Nebraska. Ohio State would be a tough 2nd round matchup for MSU since they like to play that hack/physical game as well.
 
ssckelley said:
I was looking at the standings this morning. Without checking tie breakers, if the BTT started today I think Iowa would play the winner of Northwestern vs Illinois.

Big Ten Standings
TEAM CONF OVERALL
Michigan 8-0 16-4
Michigan State 8-1 19-2
Iowa 5-3 16-5
Wisconsin 4-4 17-4
Minnesota 4-4 15-6
Northwestern 4-5 11-11
Ohio State 3-5 16-5
Purdue 3-5 13-8
Indiana 3-5 13-8
Nebraska 3-5 11-9
Illinois 2-6 13-8
Penn State 2-6 11-10
Click to expand...

I can't help but think about Leaders and Legends when I look at this. If basketball had those divisions Iowa would be third in its division and Ohio State would be second in its division. But I know that doesn't mean anything.
 
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