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Big Ten title: Who ya got?

By Alex | February 28, 2008

madbo.jpgIt’s crunch time in the race for the Big Ten regular season title and three teams have separated themselves from the pack. Based on difficulty of schedule, Bo Ryan and Wisconsin appear to be the favorite. Purdue has a road game at Ohio State, who is hungry for a marquee win to boost their NCAA resume and Indiana plays at Michigan State.

Here’s a list of the remaining games for each of the three contenders:

– Wisconsin: Michigan State (home), Penn State (home), Northwestern (away)
– Indiana: Michigan State (away), Minnesota (home), Penn State (away)
– Purdue: Northwestern (home), Ohio State (away), Michigan (away)

We’ll know a lot more about where the race is heading tonight when Michigan State plays at the Kohl Center. If the Badgers win, they’re almost a sure bet to finish 16-2. However, if Purdue wins out, they would also be 16-2 and would own a tiebreaker (for Big Ten Tournament seeding purposes) over Wisconsin because the Boilermakers beat them twice. Don’t count the Hoosiers out just yet, but given their success (or lack thereof) at the Breslin Center, they seem to be the least likely of the three teams to win the league.

So given the remaining schedules, who is your pick to win the Big Ten regular season title?

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Viewing 47 Comments

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    As much as it pains me to say this, just based on the schedule, it has to be Purdue. I don't see IU going into Breslin this weekend and getting a win. Michigan State is a very different time on that floor than the team IU beat up on two weeks ago.

    patrickdonohue.freedomblogging.com
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    I think each team will lose a game, so we all share the title, which would leave us with a 3 seed in the tourney. I think we may have some trouble on the road at MSU, I think UW is going to lose tonight, and I'm hoping PU stumbles in one of their games (most likely OSU). I'm just happy that the Hoosiers are in the discussion this year. I love this team.
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    So what are the possible scenarios? If IU & PU tie, IU wins? If PU and WISC tie, PU wins. If IU and WISC tie, co-champions? If all three tie, who wins?
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    If by wins, you mean gets the #1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, then if IU and PU tie, IU is #1; if PU and Wisc tie, PU is #1; if IU and Wisc tie, Wisc is #1; and if all three tie PU is #1, Wisc is #2, and IU is #3. Tie breakers are based on head to head if 2 teams tie, or overall record against the other 2 teams if all 3 tie (PU would be 2-1, Wisc 2-2, and IU 1-2 in that case).

    Teams that tie in overall record share the Big Ten title, so the tie breakers are only important for the Big Ten Tournament.
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    Not true, last night during the Purdue game they they showed what the seeding would look like if we all tie, Wisky was #1, we were the deuce and PU was the 3
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    You are correct sir.
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    Not sure what they showed during the Purdue game last night, but if it was what you said, they are wrong.

    Here is the relevant part of the tie breaker procedure from the Big Ten website:

    MULTIPLE-TEAM TIE

    1. Results of head-to-head competition during the regular season.

    A. When comparing records against a single team or a group of teams, the higher winning percentage shall prevail, even if the number of games played against the team or group are unequal (i.e., 2-0 is better than 3-1); in the case of tied percentages vs. the team or group of 1.000 or .000 the following shall apply: 2-0 is better than 1-0; 0-1 is better than 0-2.
    B. After the top team among the tied teams is determined, the second team is ranked by its record among the original tied teams, not the head-to-head record vs. the remaining team(s).


    And here's Terry Hutchins' discussion from his blog a week ago:

    "And a three-way tie at either 16-2 or 15-3, wouldn't be pleasant for IU either. If that happened, how would the seeds be determined? In a three-way tie, IU would have a 1-2 record against the other two teams, Wisconsin would have a 2-2 record, and Purdue would have a 2-1 record. So if it were a three-way tie, Purdue would get the No. 1 seed, Wisconsin the No. 2 and IU the No. 3. So that's pretty much the way it would all play out."
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    I believe it all comes down to tonight for IU. If UW wins we will finish no better than a two way tie for 2nd with purdue. I think IU loses to MSU sunday and PU loses Tuesday at OSU but MSU has to beat UW at UW tonight for us to get a share of the big ten title.
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    Sadly, I think Purdue and Wisconsin are both going to win out, while the Hoosiers will fall at Michigan St. If I remember correctly, the last time IU won at MSU Eric Anderson and Cal Cheaney still played for the Hoosiers.

    And as much as I would like OSU to take out the Boilers, I don't think OSU is that good. Purdue, to me, puts a consistent game out there - they won't take out a team that is better than them and playing well, but they won't lose to teams they shouldn't either.

    Hopefully, I'm just being the typical pessimistic Hoosier fan, though. I'll certainly be pulling hard to MSU to win tonight but exhaust themselves in the process. Maybe a double overtime thriller?
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    Okay, just to be contrary and show some confidence in our team, I am going to say that IU is going to beat MSU on the road and then it will all depend on what happens to the other two teams. It's not uncommon for a good team to let one go this time of year so I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that MSU beats WISC tonight and OSU beats Purdue on Tuesday and the Hoosiers win their first outright title since RMK was throwing chairs and assaulting Puerto Rican security guards (I just say that because I can't remember IU's last outright title and I didn't feel energetic enough to look it up)!!!
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    Best shot at the title has to be Wisconsin,then IU and then PU. Don't forget that MST and OSTU need wins. MST needs at least one victory over IU or Wisc. to help their NCAA seed.
    OSTU must beat PU at home to even get in the NIT and maybe if they do well in the big ten
    tourney they might get a NCAA bid. Their problem is no wins over any of the top 4 Big Ten
    teams. If IU wins at MST they will at least get a share of the title. Who knows maybe they all
    have 3 losses which was the thought of the BT coaches at the start of BT play.
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    Lets Go Spar-Tans *clap* CLAP *clap clap clap* Well, for at least one day! C'mon Hoosier Nation...HAVE SOME FREAKIN FAITH!!! This is the 7th post in this thread and I'm the first one who thinks we're going to head north and come home with a victory?!?! Please tell me you're just using reverse psychology!
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    i have a lot of faith as a hoosier fan that we can go up there and get a win. BUT we are not only going to MSU, we are going to MSU on their senior night if im not mistaken.....lets hope drew doesnt go off against us in his last game at home as a Spartan.
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    drew went off in assembly hall...and MSU still lost. Let Drew get his and keep everyone else in check...cuz when Neitzel's scoring, that means he isnt setting up his teammates to be successful....
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    Agreed...I thought we'd lose if Neitzel went nuts...but we still pulled out the W at Assembly Hall.

    We can't let him roam free, but no need to freak out if he plays well.
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    Let the good players get their points, but shut everyone else down. That's always my philosophy.
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    I said in a previous thread that IU is better than MSU, but the best team doesn't always win. I think the extra rest will help IU and lack of rest coming off a BIG game will hurt MSU. But it is still in their house and IU has some distractions. If IU wins, it would be the biggest victory of the season (until the Big 10 championship game, of course).
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    seeing how Michigan State has performed on the road this season, i'll give them about a 1 in 150 chance of winning at the Kohl Center tonight. in other words, Wisconsin is definitely winning out. as for Purdue, i doubt they lose in Columbus to Ohio State. the Buckeyes are far more likely to beat MSU for their marquee win instead. with the way Purdue defends, OSU will be lucky to crack 55 points.

    i know the Breslin Center has been a disaster-area for IU for many years now, but i think this game is a lot more winnable than it has been in past seasons. MSU is vastly overrated and even though they have wins over BYU and Texas in December, as well as over Purdue in the first week of the Big Ten season, they haven't beaten anybody in almost two months.

    id give IU a 40% chance of winning in Lansing (therefore winning out), Purdue a 75% chance of winning out and Wisconsin a 95% chance of winning out - translation: i see it like you guys. Wisconsin will win the Big Ten.
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    1. Wisconsin 16-2
    2. Indiana 15-3
    T. Purdue 15-3
    4. Michigan State 13-5 ?

    I see us getting the No. 2 seed. Both IU and Purdue will find a way to lose a game. I can't fathom finishing behind Purdue.
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    There is a huge difference between being realistic and negative thinking.

    Based on the schedules, Wisconsin should win out...Purdue SHOULD lose at Ohio State (OSU is a good team at home), and Indiana NEVER wins at the Breslin Center, so we should lose at MSU.

    I hate to "What if" the season...but Butch's freaking banked in 3 haunts us for years to come....Yes I know EJ got lucky with the 3 against Illinois, but Illinois isn't in the hunt for a title. I would rather give EJ's shot back and take Butch's away as well. We'd have the same record, but Wisconsin would have one more loss and we'd be in much better shape for a title.
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    Didn't "REALITY" tell us that there was NO WAY the Giants could be the Pats in the Super Bowl? Didn't "REALITY" tell us there is no way I-AA Appalachian St. beats #5 Michigan @ the Big House? Didn't "REALITY" tell us there's no way Pitt beats West Virginia to keep WVU out of the Nat'l Title game?
    I'm just saying that ANYTHING is possible and I thought I'd see alot more faith and support on this sight. I've got faith that Izzo will have the Sparties ready to rock at the Kohl Center tonight...I've got faith that Michigan...YES MICHIGAN...will play all out vs. Purdue while the PU freshmen will be getting tight thinking about the BIG 10 title instead of the game at hand...and I have faith that DD will have our Hoosiers ready to set wreck to the Breslin Center on Sunday. If not...oh well, we're still going to the big 10 tourney as a 3 seed at worst...and the NCAA's as a 4 seed at worst.
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    "I've got faith that Michigan...YES MICHIGAN...will play all out vs. Purdue while the PU freshmen will be getting tight thinking about the BIG 10 title instead of the game
    at hand"

    Tell me, is that the same Michigan team that gave Northwestern their lone Big Ten win at home? You're right that "ANYTHING" is possible, but I have a better chance of being the next guy to knock-up Jessica Alba than Michigan has of beating Purdue.
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