The Big Ten is a tough, tough league, from top to bottom, this year, even if no sure-fire dominant teams.
Look at last night, Wednesday 11/27:
The Big Ten was 5-2.
1) Maryland and Nebraska played at home in easy games, and each won easily.
2) The 2 losses included RU losing a very close game to #9 Alabama on a neutral court, and #14 Indiana got obliterated by a now 4-1 Louisville team ... these types of losses (by Indiana) do happen sometimes, though Louisville was the 1st decent team Indiana played this year.
3) The Big Ten had 3 really good wins: Oregon beat San Diego St (who had just easily beaten a then-ranked Creighton - who will no longer be ranked after losing 3 in a row); Michigan St beat (in a close game) a now 3-loss #12 UNC team - 3 losses to 3 very good teams, may not be ranked or will drop a a lot, in the next poll, but still ...; and Michigan beat a ranked Xavier team, who may fall out of the rankings.
A lot of Thanksgiving Day games for the Big Ten: Minny v undefeated Wichita St. (Minny just lost in OT - missed a decent 3-pointer at the OT buzzer to lose by 2), Purdue vs an undefeated NC State, Indiana v #3 Gonzaga, a 1-loss Illinois team v #19 Arkansas, Washington v Colorado St., 1-loss NW v 1-loss Butler, and a 1-loss USC v an undefeated St. Mary's.
FYI, the Big Ten currently has just 3 teams ranked in the polls (Purdue, Indiana and Wisconsin) - ranked in each of the AP and Coach's polls, despite having no team with worse than a 5-2 record (RU and now Minnesota) - and 16 of their 18 teams with 1 or fewer losses. There are 7 other teams getting other votes in the AP poll, and 9 (including RU) getting other votes in the Coach's poll.
And one other note ... is anyone crying over UConn losing 3 in a row, being 4-3 (though I think last year or the year before UConn lost like 5 of 6 or 5 of 7 in January, and still own the National Championship).
Look at last night, Wednesday 11/27:
The Big Ten was 5-2.
1) Maryland and Nebraska played at home in easy games, and each won easily.
2) The 2 losses included RU losing a very close game to #9 Alabama on a neutral court, and #14 Indiana got obliterated by a now 4-1 Louisville team ... these types of losses (by Indiana) do happen sometimes, though Louisville was the 1st decent team Indiana played this year.
3) The Big Ten had 3 really good wins: Oregon beat San Diego St (who had just easily beaten a then-ranked Creighton - who will no longer be ranked after losing 3 in a row); Michigan St beat (in a close game) a now 3-loss #12 UNC team - 3 losses to 3 very good teams, may not be ranked or will drop a a lot, in the next poll, but still ...; and Michigan beat a ranked Xavier team, who may fall out of the rankings.
A lot of Thanksgiving Day games for the Big Ten: Minny v undefeated Wichita St. (Minny just lost in OT - missed a decent 3-pointer at the OT buzzer to lose by 2), Purdue vs an undefeated NC State, Indiana v #3 Gonzaga, a 1-loss Illinois team v #19 Arkansas, Washington v Colorado St., 1-loss NW v 1-loss Butler, and a 1-loss USC v an undefeated St. Mary's.
FYI, the Big Ten currently has just 3 teams ranked in the polls (Purdue, Indiana and Wisconsin) - ranked in each of the AP and Coach's polls, despite having no team with worse than a 5-2 record (RU and now Minnesota) - and 16 of their 18 teams with 1 or fewer losses. There are 7 other teams getting other votes in the AP poll, and 9 (including RU) getting other votes in the Coach's poll.
And one other note ... is anyone crying over UConn losing 3 in a row, being 4-3 (though I think last year or the year before UConn lost like 5 of 6 or 5 of 7 in January, and still own the National Championship).
