Projecting the Big Ten

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SelectionSunday

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We'll revisit this pre-New Year's Eve, but if I had to project the final Big 10 standings at this point, I'd have it like this:

1. Purdue (NCAA)
2. Wisconsin (NCAA)
3. Ohio State (NCAA)
4. Michigan State (NCAA)
5. GOPHERS (bubble)
6. Michigan (NCAA)
7. Illinois (bubble)
8. Penn State
9. Northwestern
10. Iowa
11. Indiana

There's no North Carolina or Connecticut in this bunch, but so far it seems the Big 10 is clearly better from top to bottom than it has been in a few years. The conference has performed well in the nonconference and is sitting great SOS wise, so my lean right now is the Big 10's likely to get 5-6 bids, instead of the 4-5 I was thinking prior to the season.

Objective #1 for the Gophers is to be seeded in the top 5, meaning no game on Thursday at the Big Ten Tournament. The Gophers have managed that only once (2004-05) in the 11-year history of the BTT. That stat more than anything tells how moribound our program has been.
 

IMO...

1. Purdue
2. MSU
3. Ohio St
4. GOPHERS
5. Michigan
6. Wisconsin
7. Penn St
8. Illinois
9. Iowa
10. Northwestern
11. Indiana

Wisconsin is not good, but they will jank out enough wins to get it. I think Penn St will be tougher than thought. The Gophers will take advantage of teams 5 - 11 in the conference and qualify as a 7 seed.

Obviously just a guess, not based on much.
 

I tend to dis-agree with both of you... Neither Wisky or MSU has shown to be too great in the pre-season and I believe the Bucks will finish second.
1. Purdue (NCAA)
2. Ohio St. (close second to PU, NCAA)
3. Gophers (NCAA)
4. MSU (NCAA)
5. Michigan (NCAA)
6. Wisky (NIT)
7. Illinois (NIT)
8. Penn St. (NIT)
9. Northwestern (NIT)
10. Iowa
11. Indiana (distant last place)
 

Purdue, OSU and Minn will tie for first!
 

If Wisconsin finishes 6th or lower. ...

or fails to make the NCAA, I'll buy both of you a sandwich/beverage of your choice at the Big Ten sometime after the season. Just can't see the Badgers finishing that low. We'd all love to see the Badgers get served a piece of humble pie, but I just can't envision it.

Despite last night's squeaker over Idaho State, still think this has a chance to be one of Bo's best teams. Won't be winning 30+ like the last 2 seasons (the Big 10's better in the middle and at the bottom), nevertheless they'll still be a handful & perhaps better built for March.

I really don't think Butch & Stimesma (sp?) are that significant of losses. Leuer can do a lot of what Butch did, and do it better. Now if Texas goes & wipes out Bucky at the Kohl Center, then maybe I'll have to rethink this. But until then, I've seen the Badgers too many times to consider them anything but a Big 10 title contender under Bo Ryan.
 




Hughes is the one player they have that I really like. I think they keep too many games too close and this group wont be able to close out quality opponents like last year's team and Tucker's teams.

I think MSU rebounds and does very well in the B10. I really hate Ohio St (not their chances, rather the school itself). OSU barely qualifies as a school.
 

Keep in mind that one of the major reasons MSU is not doing so hot is because of the loss of Suton. When he comes back, the Spartans will be humming. Let's just hope that he comes back AFTER our upcoming matchup.
 



1. Ohio State (NCAA)
2. Purdue (NCAA)
3. Michigan State (NCAA)
4. GOPHERS (NCAA)
5. Wisconsin (NCAA)
6. Michigan (NCAA)
7. Illinois
8. Penn State
9. Northwestern
10. Iowa
11. Indiana
 

As MinnMarchDTF said, Sparty will be a different team with Suton back. It all depends on when.
Notice my homer pick of Iowa 8th - sadly that is the best I can do, and even that is a stretch.
I think you Minnesota fans will look back at one or two B10 games and say "shoulda, woulda, coulda" and "if only" this or that and your Gopher squad would be in or tied for first.

1. Purdue (NCAA)
2. Wisconsin (NCAA)
3. Minnesota (NCAA)
4. Michigan State (NCAA)
5. Michigan (NCAA)
6. Ohio State (Bubble)
7. Illinois
8. Iowa
9. Penn St.
10. Northwestern
11. Indiana
 

1 - Ohio State (14-4)
2 - Purdue (13-5)
3 - Michigan State (12-6)
4 - Illinois (11-7)
t5 - Michigan/Minnesota (10-8)
t7 - Wisconsin/Penn State (9-9)
t9 - Northwestern/Iowa (4-14)
11 - Indiana (3-15)
 

Before the season I thought the top two spots would be locked in with Purdue and Michigan State, but now I feel that 1-7 is going to be a crapshoot with several of them lying firmly on the tourney bubble.

1-Ohio State (NCAA)
2-Purdue (NCAA)
3-Michigan State (NCAA)
4-Wisconsin (NCAA)
5-Minnesota (Bubble)
6-Illinois (Bubble)
7-Michigan (Bubble)
8-Penn State
9-Iowa
10-Northwestern
11-Indiana
 



Selection, I was just telling Buck the other night that I thought this year would be an odd one for the Selection Committee with the B10....I think Michigan will leapfrog over one team (or two if those teams are tied for 5th) and get in the tourney w/ a worse conf record (prob us, lol). I think their 2 recent wins solidified an NCAA berth provided they have a decent showing in the B10 and beat at least a couple of the teams at the top of the conference. and I agree w/ your teams too, I think we get 5 teams in (Mich being one of them) w/ us and the Illini on the bubble but just off come Sunday.
 

Michigan

Michigan has put itself in a position where 9-9 in the Big Ten likely will be enough to get them in. The Gophers' nonconference schedule, unless they beat Louisville, won't allow them that same luxury. You make a great point. Certainly with Michigan's wins over UCLA & Duke, they've given themselves a chance to leapfrog a team(s) that finishes higher in the Big 10 standings. And rightly so, so long as the Wolverines don't bomb in Big 10 play.
 

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