This league is nuts

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The wheels have been falling off the Ohio St. bus ever since we backhanded them at the barn. Would be nice to see them remain a quad 1 win but it's looking more and more likely that OSU will implode.
 

2 more home wins today. Can the Gophs break the trend tomorrow?
 

Face The Facts said:
It's the oddest I've ever seen the Big Ten standings. Still early, but a good number of teams with rankings near the bottom. Odd to see.

Looks like if you get 8-9 wins in Big Ten you might make the NCAA's this year.
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9 wins made it last year, a 8 and 12 record will not get in.
 




Perhaps this will better explain the oddity of this season...

Minnesota (and most league teams) will face 9 road games more difficult than any of Duke's road tests this year. The highest rated team they play on the road in the ACC is either Virginia or NCSt at about #44 (depends on which rating system you look at).

So the Blue Devils will coast along racking up wins and might get a #1 seed without getting a single road win as good as winning at Rutgers tomorrow or simply winning in Bloomington.
 


As a example, last year there were 5 teams that were true powerhouse teams that were clear of the field. This year not so much. Check out KENPOM. The ACC has a severe talent drop for one year. They lost 14 of 15 all ACC players to the NBA. They are loaded for next year. This year there is a very narrow margin between team 5 and 50.
 

Michigan is a good example of this league. They were good in early NC play, beating Gonzaga, Creighton, UNC and dropping a game to Oregon by 1. They have been ranked for several weeks, but they lost 2 road games this week. They will drop out of the polls.

The truth is that they are currently at 0. They haven't lost at home nor won on the road in league play. Take a look at their next 8 games:

1-22 H 30 • Penn St. -5.7, 76-71 71%
1-25 H 31 • Illinois -5.4, 71-66 71%
1-28 A 130 • Nebraska -7.7, 79-71 76%
2-01 N 15 • Rutgers +0.8, 66-65 46%
2-04 H 10 • Ohio St. -0.9, 69-68 54%
2-08 H 9 • Michigan St. +0.1, 75-74 50%
2-12 A 96 • Northwestern -4.5, 71-67 68%
2-16 H 44 • Indiana -6.6, 74-67 75%

It is not out of the question that they could win all 8 of those. Suddenly they would be 10-4 in the league and the pundits would be lauding them as a dark horse contender.

That would be incorrect as well. They would be +2. Good, but nothing special until they continue to win in the final 6.
 





Rutgers is now ranked, first time since the 70s. Have to think Pikiell is B10 Coach of the Year award if they finish anywhere in the top half, no offense to Brad Underwood.
 

Can't help but wonder how a team like Gonzaga would do in the Big 10. My prediction is their W-L record would not be what it is today.
 




jblass said:
Can't help but wonder how a team like Gonzaga would do in the Big 10. My prediction is their W-L record would not be what it is today.
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Of course not. The Big Ten & WCC are light years apart in terms of talent & depth.

But the Zags would compete just fine in the Big Ten.
 

SelectionSunday said:
Of course not. The Big Ten & WCC are light years apart in terms of talent & depth.

But the Zags would compete just fine in the Big Ten.
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Agreed, they are 5-1 against Power 5 teams (though their 1 loss was to a Big 10 team).

If they were in the Pac12, I would think they would dominate that league as their 3-0 record this year would indicate.
 

2 more road wins tonight

MD at NW. Cats lost a 14 point lead at half

IL at Purdue.... IL is the real deal
 

Interesting +/- standings:

Illinois +2
MSU +1
Maryland +1
Rutgers +1
Wisconsin +1
Iowa +1
Indiana +1
Minnesota 0
PennSt 0
Purdue -1
Michigan -1
OhioSt -1
Nebraska -2
Northwestern -3

Current projection has a 4 way tie for 2nd at 12-8, 2 teams at 11-9, 2 at 10-10, and 3 at 9-11. The 8th and 9th teams play each other in first game for each in the league tourney. Loser finishes under .500 in league games, will they get in?
 
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Indiana blowing out Michigan State early. I don't want to play an angry Sparty on Sunday.
 


obobo55 said:
Interesting +/- standings:

Illinois +2
MSU +1
Maryland +1
Rutgers +1
Wisconsin +1
Iowa +1
Indiana +1
Minnesota 0
PennSt 0
Purdue -1
Michigan -1
OhioSt -1
Nebraska -2
Northwestern -3

Current projection has a 4 way tie for 2nd at 12-8, 2 teams at 11-9, 2 at 10-10, and 3 at 9-11. The 8th and 9th teams play each other in first game for each in the league tourney. Loser finishes under .500 in league games, will they get in?
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Anywhere where I can see standings like this updated? (Or anyone that is keeping track on here?)
 

Hasn't changed too much.

Illinois +3
Michigan State +2
Maryland +2
Wisconsin +1
Rutgers +1
Iowa +1
PennSt +1
--------------------
Indiana 0
Minnesota 0
Purdue 0
--------------------
Michigan -1
Ohio State -1
Nebraska -4
Northwestern -5
 

Illinois +3
Maryland +2
PSU +2
MSU +1
Wisconsin +1
Rutgers +1
Iowa +1
Minnesota 0
Purdue 0
OhioSt 0
Indiana 0
Michigan -2
Nebraska -4
Northwestern -5

If we assume the home teams win every game the rest of the way and the top 12 win at Neb/NW, here would be the final standings:

Illinois 14-6
PSU 13-7
Maryland 12-8
MSU 12-8
Wisconsin 12-8
Iowa 11-9
Rutgers 11-9
Minnesota 11-9
OSU 11-9
Purdue 10-10
Indiana 10-10
Michigan 9-11
Nebraska 3-17
Northwestern 1-19
 
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My big goals for Gopher football and basketball seasons (especially basketball since I don't really follow it) are beat uw and finish above uw in the standings... For both teams it's been years and years since they've done both in a given season.

So how about the Gophers take both from the badgers and find a way to finish above them.
 

OK, here we sit with just 7-8 games left. MD is 9-3. PSU & ILL are 8-4 and 3 others are at 8-5.

I have posted that Minnesota should finish 5-2 or 6-1 to get to 11-7 or 12-8. I think my Badgers could also finish 12-8. Looking at the closing stretch for each of the leaders, I'm not certain any team gets to 14. There could literally be 10 or 11 teams within 2 games of 1st place at the end.

Nuts I tell ya, NUTS!!!
 

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