Question About B1G Division Tiebreakers
This is what Wikipedia has listed as Divisional Tiebreakers...
"Division standings are based on each team's overall conference record. Teams that are ineligible to play in a postseason bowl game will not be allowed to participate in the Big Ten Football Championship Game. In the event that two teams are tied, the head-to-head results between those two teams determines the tiebreaker."
This led me to wonder why we are currently in first place ahead of Michigan State. We now "control our own destiny" according to everything I've read, but if the above is true wouldn't Michigan State win the tiebreak over us. I was hoping to find Overall Record to be the tiebreak when two teams have the same conference record, but according to Wiki it isn't. Can anyone confirm or explain what happens if Michigan State and Michigan both win out?
October 31st, 2011 at 11:24 AM ^
Michigan does not control its own destiny. If both teams win out, Michigan is practically a lock for a BCS at-large bid, because the loser of the B1G title game will sustain another loss.
October 31st, 2011 at 11:30 AM ^
The potential to play Alabama in a bowl game followed by the opener next year makes me sad. I really don't think the Big 10 should play them out of conference until they stop oversigning.
October 31st, 2011 at 11:33 AM ^
Why do two wins make you sad?
October 31st, 2011 at 11:41 AM ^
I would add: also until they stop committing blatant recruiting violations. Every recruit knows that SEC schools play the game dirty. While this sounds like unverified veracity, it is briefly documented inside Bacon's book.
Ideally, games would be played on a level playing field. Anything else is unfair to the players.
October 31st, 2011 at 11:47 AM ^
Sounds like someone has been drinking the Brian kool-aid. Don't worry, I have a couple cups a day, too.
October 31st, 2011 at 11:26 AM ^
According to ESPN
1.Conference Record
2.Head to Head
3. Divisional Record
4.BCS Ranking
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/23622/the-basic-big-ten-divisi…
October 31st, 2011 at 11:27 AM ^
We're tied based on record. When organizing standings, Michigan comes before Michigan State alphabetically. Don't read anything into it.
October 31st, 2011 at 11:34 AM ^
On ESPN, they organize by conference record, overall record, then alphabetically. MSU has 1 more loss in the overall record.
October 31st, 2011 at 11:28 AM ^
We're in first now because we win the 3-way tiebreaker w MSU and Nebraska. If we win out, we'll have beaten Nebraska and knocked them out, and thus would lose the head-to-head tiebreaker w MSU, unless they also lose another game.
October 31st, 2011 at 11:29 AM ^
What zone left said, actually.
October 31st, 2011 at 11:30 AM ^
When I first saw this thread...I thought it was a joke. Why did I think it was a joke? Because this same question and same topic has been discussed in at least 3 DIFFERENT threads since we beat Purdue. I couldn't fathom that someone would bring it up again and actually be serious...
...I was wrong.
October 31st, 2011 at 11:31 AM ^
not everyone reads every thread on the entire website. if you found it redundant you didn't need to click on it.
October 31st, 2011 at 11:37 AM ^
October 31st, 2011 at 11:38 AM ^
But, you could have gone back to one of those other threads to find your answer. You might as well have put SIAP in your title.
October 31st, 2011 at 11:38 AM ^
The point is that we want to keep the board from getting cluttered with useless/redundant information and basically turining into MLive. When you have a question, is it that hard to check through the last few pages of board posts to see if it has already been discussed?
October 31st, 2011 at 11:30 AM ^
I was hoping for someone to say Overall record came into play. MSU has such a cupcake schedule the rest of the way.
October 31st, 2011 at 11:41 AM ^
It's actually spelled "Dammit"
October 31st, 2011 at 11:56 AM ^
Or how about "Damn it"?
October 31st, 2011 at 11:30 AM ^
Michigan is currently in a 3 way tie (MSU an Neb). By winning out, M will remove Neb from the tie, and thus lose in a tiebreaker with State. However, Nebraska would currently be in lead as their division record and BCS standing is higher.
October 31st, 2011 at 11:34 AM ^
I'm really not too worried about what's going on around us. I just want Mich to go out and win their games. If we win out there is a good chance we go to the BTCG and even if we don't that pretty much guarantees us an at-large invite for a BCS game. Pretty good situation to be in with a first year coach, especially when you look at our last three years.
October 31st, 2011 at 11:37 AM ^
Meant to be a reply above.
October 31st, 2011 at 11:40 AM ^
What happens if us, MSU, and Nebraska end the season in a 3-way tie though, and we beat Nebraska? For instance, if:
- Michigan goes 3-1 the rest of the way, and their loss comes to either Illinois or OSU.
- Nebraska goes 3-1 the rest of the way, with their 1 loss coming against us.
- MSU goes 3-1 the rest of the way, with their 1 loss coming against Indiana (as improbable as that may be).
Then all three teams would be 6-2 in conference, with no clear-cut winner based on head to head (we lost to MSU, MSU lost to Nebraska, Nebraska would have lost to us), and all three teams would have identical division records. Would it come down to BCS rankings at that point?
October 31st, 2011 at 11:50 AM ^
Though much more likely MSU's loss would come at Iowa, thus eliminating them from the 3-way due to being 3-2 in division (UM and NU 4-1) then giving UM the nod due to the head-to-head win. This could actually mean UM could have the division wrapped up before the Ohio game, and a loss to Ohio could lead to a rematch in the B1G title game!
October 31st, 2011 at 12:23 PM ^
Other than us not beating ohio!
October 31st, 2011 at 11:52 AM ^
I think it then goes to overall record before bcs standings.
October 31st, 2011 at 11:55 AM ^
No, that comes after BCS if no one is in the BCS poll.
http://www.bigten.org/sports/m-footbl/archive/081011aaa.html
October 31st, 2011 at 11:53 AM ^
In your specific scenario, if we lose to Illinois then it's BCS. If we lose to OSU then it's Nebraska. If MSU loses to anyone other than Indiana, then it's us.
October 31st, 2011 at 12:01 PM ^
Or put the Big 10 tiebreaker rules in the banner or something?
October 31st, 2011 at 12:20 PM ^
MVictors just posted about this very topic:
October 31st, 2011 at 12:52 PM ^
I have only one thought on the B1G tiebreaker system. "Frog: meet blender."
October 31st, 2011 at 1:19 PM ^
"nevermind"
October 31st, 2011 at 5:57 PM ^
Let's hope MSU lose to Minn this week