Big Ten Finish
Summary: I believe we should be hoping for a 7th place finish in the BIG. As we watch other BIG games the rest of the way, we need to root for the top six (currently Top 25 ranked) teams to win, and root hard for OSU and Minn to lose. We need the beloved to win out at home (Rutgers, PSU, NW, Indiana) and win at PSU.
Detail: I was trying to figure out our best case finish, and who to root for on the scoreboard the rest of the way.
Our finish: Win the five very winnable games listed above to finish 9-11. Add @OSU and we could get to a 10-10 finish, but for the sake of this argument, I’m looking at a 9-11 finish, and what our competition’s path to 12 losses in conference looks like.
Top six: Mich, MSU, Wisconsin, PU, Maryland, and Iowa don’t have realistic paths to 12 losses. I say root for them to win against everyone else, stay ranked, and keep the BIG looking strong at the top.
Bottom 4: RU, NW, Neb, PSU. Assuming we do our part listed above, and the Top Six above do theirs, these four teams all easily get to 12 or more losses and finish below us.
IU: This one is tricky. Four games left against the Top Six, but three of those are at home. If IU were to lose at least three of those four, plus losing to us at SFC, that gets them to 12 losses. That path allows us to benefit if IU wins at MN or home vs OSU. I’ll never really root FOR Indiana, but our best case scenario is probably laid out here where they beat MN and OSU.
OSU: Three games @TopSix teams (losses). Home against Wisconsin. Home against us. @Indiana. @NW. Need them to lose six of these seven. (Assumes they beat NW at home).
MN: Four TopSix games (2 home/2 road). @Neb, @RU, @NW. and home vs. Indiana. Probably need them to lose all four against TopSix plus 2 of the 3 road games.
So there you have it. Root for MN and OSU to lose whenever possible. Root for IU to lose all other games (non-MN/OSU). Root for the current Top Six to win against all non-TopSix (except us of course).
If all that happens, we end up 7th in the BIG, behind six solidly Top 25 teams. Not suggesting that sniffs the bubble, but it sure as heck commands respect.
ILL!
Summary: I believe we should be hoping for a 7th place finish in the BIG. As we watch other BIG games the rest of the way, we need to root for the top six (currently Top 25 ranked) teams to win, and root hard for OSU and Minn to lose. We need the beloved to win out at home (Rutgers, PSU, NW, Indiana) and win at PSU.
Detail: I was trying to figure out our best case finish, and who to root for on the scoreboard the rest of the way.
Our finish: Win the five very winnable games listed above to finish 9-11. Add @OSU and we could get to a 10-10 finish, but for the sake of this argument, I’m looking at a 9-11 finish, and what our competition’s path to 12 losses in conference looks like.
Top six: Mich, MSU, Wisconsin, PU, Maryland, and Iowa don’t have realistic paths to 12 losses. I say root for them to win against everyone else, stay ranked, and keep the BIG looking strong at the top.
Bottom 4: RU, NW, Neb, PSU. Assuming we do our part listed above, and the Top Six above do theirs, these four teams all easily get to 12 or more losses and finish below us.
IU: This one is tricky. Four games left against the Top Six, but three of those are at home. If IU were to lose at least three of those four, plus losing to us at SFC, that gets them to 12 losses. That path allows us to benefit if IU wins at MN or home vs OSU. I’ll never really root FOR Indiana, but our best case scenario is probably laid out here where they beat MN and OSU.
OSU: Three games @TopSix teams (losses). Home against Wisconsin. Home against us. @Indiana. @NW. Need them to lose six of these seven. (Assumes they beat NW at home).
MN: Four TopSix games (2 home/2 road). @Neb, @RU, @NW. and home vs. Indiana. Probably need them to lose all four against TopSix plus 2 of the 3 road games.
So there you have it. Root for MN and OSU to lose whenever possible. Root for IU to lose all other games (non-MN/OSU). Root for the current Top Six to win against all non-TopSix (except us of course).
If all that happens, we end up 7th in the BIG, behind six solidly Top 25 teams. Not suggesting that sniffs the bubble, but it sure as heck commands respect.
ILL!