Pregame: Illinois vs Michigan, Friday, January 14th, 8:00pm CT, FS1

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#101      
RockfordIllini
jrichisamazing said:
Can't remember if this stat has a name, but here are the +/- standings of the B1G contenders (+1 for road win, -1 for home loss). Contenders is kind of a stretch, because IMO only Mich St, Purdue, and Illinois really have a chance but you never know with covid and everything.

Illinois: +3 (5 games)
Wisconsin: +2 (5 games)
Michigan St: +2 (5 games)
Ohio St: +2 (5 games)
Michigan: 0 (3 games)
Purdue: 0 (4 games)

We are sitting in really good shape, but we have played a relatively weak schedule up to this point. But honestly, nobody on the contender list has gone through the gauntlet yet. If I'm not mistaken, there has only been one game between contending teams....Wisconsin winning at Purdue.

Winning these next 2 games would really force the media to call us the conference favorites.
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Wisconsin played at Ohio State and lost handily. And those same two teams play again tonight. But other than that, correct the contenders haven’t really played each other yet.
 
#102      
skyIdub
Calvin said:
Of course, everything with Kofi is huge :p
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#103      
Lincster27
trtl said:
According to The Detroit News, “the Michigan athletic department was concerned about the [short-handed] hockey team playing back-to-back nights.” Man they grow ‘em soft in Michigan.
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That makes me wonder how much say the coach had in that decision. I've spent time around several college hockey programs, and I can't imagine coaches or players not wanting to play good competition. It depends on just how shorthanded they were, I suppose, but every team plays a Friday-Saturday duo during the season. In some conference playoff setups, they can even play three nights in a row. It sounds like the athletic department has embraced ducking as a departmental policy.

Edit: Upon further review, the decision was made by the athletic department and medical staff. The coach wasn't involved at all. They had five players away playing in the World Juniors, some injured, and some sick. They probably were pretty short, but agreeing to play the #18 team (Michigan Tech), and bowing out of playing the #4 team (Western Michigan) does smell a little like a duck.
 
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#104      
Noblesville Illini
Lincster27 said:
That makes me wonder how much say the coach had in that decision. I've spent time around several college hockey programs, and I can't imagine coaches or players not wanting to play good competition. It depends on just how shorthanded they were, I suppose, but every team plays a Friday-Saturday duo during the season. In some conference playoff setups, they can even play three nights in a row. It sounds like the athletic department has embraced ducking as a departmental policy.

Edit: Upon further review, the decision was made by the athletic department and medical staff. The coach wasn't involved at all. They had five players away playing in the World Juniors, some injured, and some sick. They probably were pretty short, but agreeing to play the #18 team (Michigan Tech), and bowing out of playing the #4 team (Western Michigan) does smell a little like a duck.
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If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck.......................... :)
 
#114      
Emerson Bigguns
jrichisamazing said:
Can't remember if this stat has a name, but here are the +/- standings of the B1G contenders (+1 for road win, -1 for home loss). Contenders is kind of a stretch, because IMO only Mich St, Purdue, and Illinois really have a chance but you never know with covid and everything.

Illinois: +3 (5 games)
Wisconsin: +2 (5 games)
Michigan St: +2 (5 games)
Ohio St: +2 (5 games)
Michigan: 0 (3 games)
Purdue: 0 (4 games)

We are sitting in really good shape, but we have played a relatively weak schedule up to this point. But honestly, nobody on the contender list has gone through the gauntlet yet. If I'm not mistaken, there has only been one game between contending teams....Wisconsin winning at Purdue.

Winning these next 2 games would really force the media to call us the conference favorites.
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Playing the Illini is a significant part of "the gauntlet". Can't wait to see how it goes.
 
#118      
ptgrd23
I don't think Payne is strong enough to handle Dickinson but he could get more great blocks on others driving the lane.
 
#119      
sacraig
ptgrd23 said:
I don't think Payne is strong enough to handle Dickinson but he could get more great blocks on others driving the lane.
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I must be the only person who just isn't all that impressed by Dickinson. He's good, sure. But I think it's laughable he was flirting with the draft. But a bunch of people who know more about basketball than me seemed to think it was reasonable, so who knows.
 
#122      
lexwaldez
Brosky said:
Getting a bit ahead of myself, but I expect us to beat Michigan. If so, will that Monday noon game against Purdue be factored into the AP rankings, or will it be too late to be considered?
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If the AP doesn't watch it, does it even matter? This crap is all made up anyway. I don't get excited until mid Feb.
 
#123      
Fighter of the Nightman
A look at the top of the Big Ten standings as we head into Thursday and Friday's games:

1. #10 Michigan State: 5-0
1. #25 Illinois: 5-0
2. #13 Wisconsin: 4-1
2. #16 Ohio State: 4-1
3. Indiana: 3-2
3. Rutgers: 3-2
4. Purdue: 2-2

Huge game tonight with OSU at Wisconsin, as the winner will keep pace with MSU and Illinois, while the loser could theoretically be tied with Indiana. On another tangent, though, Iowa could knock Indiana back down into the pack by beating them tonight in Iowa City. MSU hosts Northwestern on Saturday, so we REALLY need to beat Michigan to keep up with them. If we could beat a talented-if-underachieving Michigan team while MSU is beating yet another bottom four team at home, we'd continue to put ourselves in great shape.

If every team that is favored wins their games the rest of the week (OSU/UW is really the only matchup with two teams near the top), the standings will look like this when #7 Purdue comes to town to face a soldout State Farm Center:

1. #10 Michigan State: 6-0
1. #25 Illinois: 6-0
2. #13 Wisconsin: 5-1
3. #16 Ohio State: 5-2
4. Purdue: 3-2
5. Indiana: 3-3
5. Rutgers: 3-3

In other words, if we can take care of Michigan and hold down homecourt vs. Purdue to beat them ... we can be looking at 7-0 as MSU faces its next two games at Wisconsin and at Illinois. Beating Michigan leaves us with win-win, HUGE opportunities coming up at home!

EDIT: I guess we play at Maryland next Friday?? Haha, my bad.
 
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#125      
Calillini
sacraig said:
We all know that if Curbelo gets called for a T, there is a subset of this board that will rejoice and say it shows how engaged he still is with this team.
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And the problem with that is……?
 
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