It was a big week of big matchups for the Big Ten. So let’s see what we learned about the conference this week including a discussion of the Wisconsin Badgers as this week’s spotlight team. I’ll hit on schedule imbalances in the conference, a look at the SEC, nobody talk about the Hawkeyes, and No Explanation Power Rankings. Finally, I’ll end with a look ahead to next week.
Week 10 Spotlight Team: Wisconsin Badgers
** I was a little busy with work and travel this week so here are my raw notes for the Wisconsin Spotlight week. Enjoy a behind the scenes look. Definitely not too lazy to turn these into paragraphs!**
Michigan State vs Wisconsin
- No wahl
- Down year for the Big Ten if two of the best teams are trading post ups for Steven Crowl and Hauser
- Essegian stepping up
- List of freshman guards who will be the most annoying for opposing fans over the next 4 years
- Braden Smith
- Connor Essegian
- Dug McDaniel
- Bruce Thornton
- Derek Simpson
- There’s a reason these teams play slow
- Jordan Davis getting minutes because…?
- Neath? Kamari McGee?
- Malik Hall taking advantage of no Wahl
- I guess Crowl is okay
- Hauser three! Big Time!
- Sissoko getting to that left shoulder but the hook still falls for Crowl
- I think I trust msu’s players at the end of the game? But I also don’t at all? When it goes in I do. When they miss, I never believed in them.
- Hepburn misses his garbage late game step back. He is going to hit this shot against Purdue.
- Over after the missed shot as Sparty makes their FT
Wisconsin vs. Indiana
- TJD!
- That’s the Trayce IU needs. Spinning and winning, passing out of doubles a factor defensively. Did it all with X and Race out
- Dominant over Crowl
- Crowl is okay but gets exposed against real big men
- Wisco doesn’t have enough without Wahl
- Better hope he gets healthy soon
- Essegian is probably the best shooter in the big ten
- Every other player besides Wahl only can score in bursts. Pretty inconsistent scoring vs Wahl is the go to guy
Overall, it’s hard to judge Wisconsin after this week. One critical injury and the badgers go from first to a 4-way tie for sixth place. The badgers are carefully constructed and barely scrape out wins with their full team. Without it, Wisconsin doesn’t stand much of a chance.
Schedule Inequities
The Big Ten schedule is not created equal. Beyond just frequency of games in a 10 day stretch or how many road games in a row your favorite team might have, the balance of the opponents isn’t even.
Every team plays 7 opponents home and away and plays 3 home and 3 away games against the remaining 6 Big Ten teams. There are several ways that your favorite team can be screwed by their schedule imbalance.
Your favorite team can get screwed by having to play all the best teams twice and only get to play bad teams once. Your favorite team can get screwed by only hosting Minnesota and now you have to play 10 true road games instead of getting easier road wins. Your favorite team can get screwed by only playing the best teams on the road, so they don’t have an opportunity to beat Wisconsin in their home arena to lower the Badgers in the standings.
It is important to remember that no matter what your favorite team is getting screwed and the team you hate always has it easier. Don’t think about how scheduling is cyclical and theoretically evens out over time. Focus on the fact that the Schedule makers knew how the standings would shake out before the season and decided to give your favorite team the shaft.
Here are examples of how a couple teams are getting screwed or have it easy by their schedule:
Purdue
- Home: Rutgers, Iowa, Illinois
- Away: Wisconsin, Michigan, Northwestern
- Purdue is getting screwed because as maybe the best team in the conference they need more games to beat Wisconsin, Rutgers, Michigan, Northwestern, etc. to build their lead in conference standings
- Instead Wisconsin could win one game at home and have a tiebreaker for the Big Ten Title
Wisconsin
- Home: Purdue, Rutgers, Michigan State
- Away: Indiana, Northwestern, Ohio State
- Wisconsin has it easy as maybe the other 6 best teams in conference they only play once
- Only having to play Purdue, Rutgers, and Michigan State in the Kohl Center.. talk about a cakewalk schedule! Don’t be surprised if they sneak another Big Ten Title because the Big Ten Schedule makers are UW alumni
Michigan State
- Home: Northwestern, Maryland, Minnesota
- Away: Wisconsin, Penn State, Illinois
- Michigan State is getting screwed because they only get the lower tier teams as their home games
- Meanwhile the Spartans have to visit tough road environments Illinois and Wisconsin in their away only opponents
FS1 All Access and the Tumbling Buckeyes
If you haven’t seen it yet this season FS1 does all-access games where the fan gets to hear everything both coaches say. It really is quite cool as there are almost no commercials as you see the timeouts and even halftime speeches. At times it gets boring during the gameplay as the announcer hardly talks. Other times it is fascinating to be apart of the team and hear what the Coach is saying.
Ohio State vs. Minnesota this past week was an all access game. It is easy to see why players like their coaches. It shows you a lot about each coach. Chris Holtmann is a numbers guy instead of saying opposing players’ names. Even with a last place coach like Ben Johnson you get to see him draw up plays and see the compassion he has for his players as he repeatedly asks if they’re healthy enough to go.
Ohio State lost a close one to Minnesota at home (Holtmann was quick to take the mic off after the buzzer). The Buckeyes followed that up with an overtime loss to Rutgers. Combined with the losses to Purdue and Maryland, Ohio State has lost four straight and have fallen to the bottom of the conference. Coach Holtmann needs to figure things out quickly or else the Buckeyes might miss March Madness.
Please, Nobody talk about Iowa!
Iowa has bounced back with 4 straight wins after starting 0-3 in big ten play. Doing it with wins over IU, Rutgers, Michigan and Maryland so not easy opponents. One key difference is Payton Sandfort has finally shown up for the Hawkeyes. Still waiting on Patrick McCaffery to come back too. Iowa fans are saying nothing to see here. Please don’t bring attention to us.
Beyond the Arc: SEC Status Report
- Two horse race: Bama and Tennessee
- Kentucky fans are in misery. The Cats are embarrassed by Alabama and lose at home to lowly South Carolina.. but then somehow win in Knoxville against Tennessee?
- Bama at Arkansas
- Alabama is a wagon!
- Arkansas still has the potential
- Missouri, Texas A&M, Auburn are okay teams. Not super impressed with any of them.
No Explanation Power Rankings
So Northwestern beats IU in Assembly Hall, and IU blows out Wisconsin, and Michigan beats Northwestern, and Michigan State beats Wisconsin in Madison, and Illinois beats Michigan State! Very confusing results to sort thru if you’re the committee. Too bad they don’t explain anything to help us understand why, who is ranked where. The only guaranteed thing is most of the fans will be upset that their team isn’t higher.
- Purdue
- Rutgers
- Michigan State
- Michigan
- Northwestern
- Indiana
- Wisconsin
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Penn State
- Maryland
- Ohio State
- Nebraska
- Minnesota
Overtime: quick MSU Purdue thoughts
- Purdue at MSU. If MSU wins 3-way tie atop the standings between those two and Rutgers. If Purdue wins they build their lead in the standings
- Game turns into Tyson Walker vs Zach Edey
- If you’re going to beat Purdue the formula is to double Edey and force Morton to score (0-7 tonight). On the other side you need to drag Edey to the perimeter and force him to guard in space on the pick and roll
- Walker was on fire and was hitting every floater, mid-range or step back.
- Purdue is betting on you shooting worse on those than Edey does in the post.
- In the end Purdue’s math worked just enough.
- Loyer clutch again btw. Sensing a pattern with this.
- Once upon a time the miles bridges buzzer beater in east lansing cost Purdue a big ten title.
- Last year it was two heartbreakers to Wisconsin, the phinisee three for IU, the Rutgers half courter, and Walker clutch shot that cost Purdue a big ten title.
- You can’t lose to Rutgers and MSU at the buzzer. Loyer and Edey found a way.
- Winning on the road in East Lansing is how Purdue can win the Big Ten title
- Don’t worry about tiebreakers or other teams results. Just win your close games. Easier said than done. Purdue sweats out another close one
Next Week’s Big Games
- Purdue vs MSU
- Northwestern vs Iowa
- Rutgers vs MSU
- Indiana vs Illinois
- Can Ohio State get right with games against Nebraska and Iowa