So who are we rooting for, in general...

[Arizona Knight]

If you’re inclined to say we need to worry about ourselves then please skip the thread. Jerks.

So Illinois vs Michigan. Do we want Michigan to win so we can keep pace with Illinois at the top? Or do we want Michigan to lose so some teams near the bottom of the standings can start dropping off the NCAA radar?

Asking for a friend.

 

[RU516]

We’ve already lost to Illinois on the road which isnt going to be a bad loss no matter what happens. We still do have a chance to beat Michigan twice though so I lean towards rooting for michigan

 

[YoucancallmeRay]

Why the name calling? I don't respond to the content of posters who resort to that, so I'll pass.

 

[RUonBrain]

We need other teams to join Northwestern and Nebraska as locks to not make the NCAA’s.

Who are those teams?

Purdue?
OSU?
Michigan?

Still a little early to know for sure.


I think Illinois is going to make the tournament and I am not too worried about trying to pass them.

I think we can sweep Michigan and hopefully they don’t make the tournament.

 

[djrc89]

I usually trot for the home team to hold serve if they’re a middle of the pack team which most teams do and are

 

[Scarlet Shack]

Rooting for Rutgers to win the next three ...and then I’ll access where we are at and who to root for when we are 8-3/17-5 and number 20

 

[RURM85]

1 week away from the Michigan game. I'd like to see them remain cold, hopefully continue to lose confidence by losing at home for a second straight game. Also not concerned about passing Illinois in the standings.

 

[BillyC80]

I’ll be rooting for Michigan to win since they’re at home (I wouldn’t want them to beat IL on the road since we couldn’t get that done), and since we play MI twice we want any wins we have against them to count as much as possible in the NET (a win against a ranked IL will help their NET position).

Lastly it could be helpful to our B1G tourney seeding to have IL lose today.

 

[ScarletDave]

Want less teams a game behind us so let Illinois have this one. A win vs them at home late can prop us above them in the standings later

 

[Arizona Knight]

1 week away from the Michigan game. I'd like to see them remain cold, hopefully continue to lose confidence by losing at home for a second straight game. Also not concerned about passing Illinois in the standings.

This is how I’m leaning. Michigan probably had Final Four aspirations in November so this has to be a psychological beating to be on the outside looking in at the Dance. Would like to see them deflated in NYC.

 

[angmo]

It's raining out where I am.

 

[Scarlet Blind]

We play both Illinois and Michigan twice so no real advantage of who wins, maybe Illinois Road/H as opposed to Michigan Neutral/H.

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

For today only, my guess is we want Michigan to win because that neutral game needs to count as much as possible.

If RU wins the next 2, my guess is a Michigan win today and then a game at Nebraska will have them on a 2 game winning streak.

Michigan is also looking to split the season series with Illinois, so I would be shocked if Michigan lost again today.

 

[Degaz-RU]

I can’t decide.

On the one hand, we should root for the teams around us to lose (Illinois, Maryland, Iowa, Wisky) because we want to finish in the top 4 to get the double bye in the B1G tournament.

On the other hand, we want the teams that already beat us (MSU, Illinois, Iowa) to do well, because it helps us in the NET rankings.

On the other, other hand, we want teams in the middle (PSU, Purdue, Michigan, Indiana, OSU, Minny) to lose, because we want to finish in the top 8 and at least get a single bye in the B1G tournament.

Yeah, I think I agree with Shack that it’s just too early to decide who to root for. Too many different considerations and permutations (and greetings and salutations LOL).

 

[RUonBrain]

We play both Illinois and Michigan twice so no real advantage of who wins, maybe Illinois Road/H as opposed to Michigan Neutral/H.

If Michigan is going to be a bubble team, I think we want them to lose as many games as possible to ensure we finish ahead of them in at large bid projections.

Unless you are 100% sure RU is in the field, then you might look for scenarios that give us the highest seed possible.

At this point, I want to ensure we just MAKE the tournament.
Later on I’ll worry about our seed.

 

[bac2therac]

At this point it might be a little too early to figure it out

 

[ScarletDave]

Go Illini because:
1) we don’t need them to lose just yet they are only 1 game up on us there’s plenty of time for them to lose other games
2) Want Michigan to stay down and deflated for MSG (also I’ll be more concerned about that game if UM is coming off a 2-game win streak and just beat the #1 team in the conf standings)
3) Want Michigan to stay far behind us in the standings - a loss today for UM and they would have to beat us twice AND have us lose and extra game than them to pass us
4) Want Michigan to miss the NCAAs, once less bubble team with a big “football” name that will get chosen over us by the committee

 

[Classof93CS]

Michigan is getting Livers back today - they will be a better team going forward if everyone stays healthy.

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

Michigan is getting Livers back today - they will be a better team going forward if everyone stays healthy.

This is ultimately the last potential excuse or reason to explain Michigan's slump, so it enhances both of the Michigan games, with Livers back in the lineup.

 

[AshCatchEm]

Why the name calling? I don't respond to the content of posters who resort to that, so I'll pass.

Oh God he said jerk! Someone grab this man a tissue

 

[Crazed_RU]

We’ve already lost to Illinois on the road which isnt going to be a bad loss no matter what happens. We still do have a chance to beat Michigan twice though so I lean towards rooting for michigan

Man - just the thought of being in a position to beat Michigan even once, let alone twice, is just an amazing feeling. Let’s do it.

 

[BillyC80]

IL up 34-30 at the half.

 

[Mr_Twister]

Has twice-whistled Jacob Young petitioned the league asking why Xavier Simpson gets a free pass from the officials for carrying the ball?

 

[Arizona Knight]

Michigan zero assists in the first half? Is that possible?

 

[Arizona Knight]

Livers May have aggravated that groin injury.

 

[BillyC80]

Great game. IL up 52-47 under 12 min to go.

 

[BillyC80]

MI up 55-54 with 6:35 to go.

 

[BillyC80]

62-60 Mich with 1:37 left, IL with the ball.

 

[Scarlet Blind]

Our game zero fouls on Cockburn and Georgi, but Michigan Kofi fouls out.

 

[BillyC80]

IL wins, 64-62.

 

[RUtrumpet92]

Illinois won. Dosunmu with a jumper from the FT line to break the tie with 0.5 seconds to go. Big game for Michigan at Nebraska next week.

 

[RU848789]

Why the name calling? I don't respond to the content of posters who resort to that, so I'll pass.

You do know you just responded to the namecaller, don't you? Unless that was very subtle sarcasm...

 

[RU848789]

Amazing that IL is 7-2 and we could be 6-3 if we win and OSU/UM are both 2-6. Who predicted that?