Right when it seemed as though the Big Ten would be settled and the then-No. 5 Michigan State Spartans would clinch the top seed in the conference and finish in the top-five in the national rankings by beating the Ohio State Buckeyes in the final game of the regular season, Jared Sullinger and company went off and William Buford delivered a the winning jumper in the dying seconds of a comeback road win to earn a share of the Big Ten title. The Spartans dropped to No. 8 in the national rankings, Ohio State climbed to No. 7, and right with them both after a key road win over the Penn State Nittany Lions suddenly the No. 13 Michigan Wolverines were part of the three-way tie at the top of the table at 13-5. The Buckeyes, Spartans, Wolverines, and No. 12 Wisconsin Badgers secured the top-four spots for the Big Ten title tournament this week at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, and while a certain future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback has been stealing the majority of the headlines there, the per head anticipation is also beginning to build for how the Big Ten tournament will play out as the countdown to the March Madness betting begins.
The top-four seeds in the conference watched on Wednesday as the lower eight seeds battled for a chance to play one of them in the quarterfinal round, but things won’t really heat up until the semi-finals. It would take a significant upset for Ohio State or Michigan State not to reach the final-four of the conference bracket, and if all goes according to plan those teams would only meet if they reach the Big Ten tournament finals. The Buckeyes may have proved they are the most talented team overall with their road win over the Spartans in that final game, but they definitely have the toughest road with the winner of Purdue-Nebraska in the quarterfinals, before very likely having to play the other top-two seeds in back-to-back games with Michigan in the semi finals and Michigan State in the finals. If there is one team that can handle that load in the Big Ten it would have to be the pay per head bookie favorite Buckeyes, but then again anything could happen.
The Spartans actually may have benefited from losing that final contest and avoiding their in-state rivals, which they split games with this Big Ten season. Michigan State did lose to Illinois earlier in the year and there is a possibility that they will meet again, but even so the Spartans have to be happy about a potential semi final date against a Wisconsin team that they swept. The Wolverines will have their hands full just to get to the semi finals with a potential date against Northwestern looming, given that they needed overtime in both of their wins against the Wildcats this season. Northwestern is hungry to earn its first appearance in the NCAA title tournament and will need at least a win over Michigan to get there, so they will throw everything that they have at the Wolverines in what could be the most exciting game of the tournament with exception of a possible pay head final between Ohio State and Michigan State.
The top-four seeds in the conference watched on Wednesday as the lower eight seeds battled for a chance to play one of them in the quarterfinal round, but things won’t really heat up until the semi-finals. It would take a significant upset for Ohio State or Michigan State not to reach the final-four of the conference bracket, and if all goes according to plan those teams would only meet if they reach the Big Ten tournament finals. The Buckeyes may have proved they are the most talented team overall with their road win over the Spartans in that final game, but they definitely have the toughest road with the winner of Purdue-Nebraska in the quarterfinals, before very likely having to play the other top-two seeds in back-to-back games with Michigan in the semi finals and Michigan State in the finals. If there is one team that can handle that load in the Big Ten it would have to be the pay per head bookie favorite Buckeyes, but then again anything could happen.
The Spartans actually may have benefited from losing that final contest and avoiding their in-state rivals, which they split games with this Big Ten season. Michigan State did lose to Illinois earlier in the year and there is a possibility that they will meet again, but even so the Spartans have to be happy about a potential semi final date against a Wisconsin team that they swept. The Wolverines will have their hands full just to get to the semi finals with a potential date against Northwestern looming, given that they needed overtime in both of their wins against the Wildcats this season. Northwestern is hungry to earn its first appearance in the NCAA title tournament and will need at least a win over Michigan to get there, so they will throw everything that they have at the Wolverines in what could be the most exciting game of the tournament with exception of a possible pay head final between Ohio State and Michigan State.
