February 18th, 2018 at 6:42 PM ^
A season. Times like this is really can come back and haunt you. Almost like playing a second round bye. Not whole lot of difference in two or three games imo.
February 18th, 2018 at 6:42 PM ^
I said this is another thread, but it's pretty weird that the #5 team in the conference started the day solidly in the field and the #4 team was out of the tourney and would need to make a little run in the BTT to even get in.
Also, losing to Illinois now basically submarines the Cornhuskers unless they go deep in the conference tourney. Like, they would probably need to get to the title game to feel reasonably confident they are in.
February 18th, 2018 at 6:45 PM ^
Give it up to completely unbalanced scheduled. Nebraska got to play the top three teams in conference only once each, all losses. Nobody's impressed you beat Rutgers and Minnesota twice
February 18th, 2018 at 6:54 PM ^
Nothing is more ridiculous than the schedule of the likely champion (MSU). They played:
-Michigan once - at home.
-Purdue once - at home.
-OSU once - on the road (woo!)
-Nebraska once - at home
-PSU once - at home
What an absolute joke.
February 18th, 2018 at 7:27 PM ^
Big ten top four against itself:
1. Molestation State: 1-2, last second home win against Purdue, blowout road loss to osu, home loss to Michigan
2. OSU: 3-1, blowout win at home against MSU, home win against Michigan, road win at Purdue, road loss at Michigan
3. Purdue: 2-2, two single digit wins against Michigan, road loss to sparty, home loss to osu
4. Michigan: 2-3, road win at MSU, home win against osu, two close losses to Purdue, loss at OSU
Summary: sparty had the easiest path and still might fuck it up. Props to osu for playing a real schedule and actually winning some games. Purdue chokes; what else is new? Michigan got screwed again in the scheduling: played road games against top three teams and played two top three teams twice.
February 18th, 2018 at 8:25 PM ^
He said Molestation State
February 18th, 2018 at 9:15 PM ^
Verily I witnessed that Mr. Angell!
February 18th, 2018 at 8:25 PM ^
He said Molestation State
February 18th, 2018 at 10:44 PM ^
You can say that again
February 18th, 2018 at 7:34 PM ^
Meanwhile, Michigan had to travel to every one of the top teams (MSU, PU, OSU, PSU, Nebraska), while not getting home games against MSU, PSU or Nebraska.
February 18th, 2018 at 8:16 PM ^
And they got killed by two of them
February 18th, 2018 at 9:54 PM ^
For them for this reason. They are highly beatable ... not only by us.
February 18th, 2018 at 6:58 PM ^
Yeah. Though I guess they benefit from that 20-point win over Michigan even more now. And it sort of sucks for them, as they played OSU, MSU, and Purdue on all the road.
February 18th, 2018 at 7:01 PM ^
after what, four games in ten days or something like that?
February 18th, 2018 at 11:55 PM ^
Tuesday at home against Purdue, three days off, then to EL on a Saturday.
That game started our tough stretch, because after that Saturday, we played Maryland Monday and then traveled to Lincoln to play Nebraska on a Thursday.
February 19th, 2018 at 9:32 AM ^
It was the third of a four-game stretch in nine days, after the emotional MSU win and the Maryland comeback after the flattest first half of the season (to that point). In hindsight we really should've seen a letdown coming in Lincoln. Oh well.
February 18th, 2018 at 6:46 PM ^
I don’t think it’s that weird. How does Nebraska’s non-conference record compare to ours?
Who did they play?
How does their conference schedule compare to ours?
What are their big wins?
Just because they have a better (and now identical) conference record, doesn’t mean we’re equal in terms of tournament resume.
February 18th, 2018 at 6:56 PM ^
No, but usually you'd figure the #4 team in a major conference wouldn't be so far behind the team sitting below them in the same conference.
And their OOC wasn't demonstrably different than Michigan's except Michigan has those two wins against UCLA and Texas that are just decent enough and their worst loss (UCF) isn't as bad as Michigan's (LSU). But apparently UCF lost a bunch of guys to injuries this year, and Nebraska did put up a fight against Kansas and Creighton.
It's not that I don't understand why the two teams have different tourney outlooks, but it's a little unqiue to see the team with the same conference record and a 20-point win over Michigan be decidedly out of the tourney while Michigan is fighting for a top-6 seed.
February 18th, 2018 at 7:09 PM ^
Which is why the league is going to a 20-game schedule next year. I don't know why it took them four years to figure out that playing 13 opponents just 18 times would cause problems...
February 18th, 2018 at 8:34 PM ^
I'm surprised it only took 4 years. I'd have given them credit if they had moved to 20 games by 2025.
February 18th, 2018 at 7:24 PM ^
It's really not that uncommon across leagues. Maybe not quite as dramatic but it's common for national rankings to not match conference standings.
February 19th, 2018 at 12:10 AM ^
they were that far behind us before today. They were widely regarded as one of the first four teams out.
We're on the 8/9 line but possibly the 10 or 11 line depending on how much the committee cares about RPI and record against Q1 and Q2.
So there's only 10-15 teams between us on the S-curve and it's bunched pretty tightly in that area. Not that crazy considering our far more difficult conf-schedule and their poor/unlucky non-conf.
February 18th, 2018 at 7:16 PM ^
Comparable to Wisconsin trying to make the playoff in football
February 18th, 2018 at 6:45 PM ^
Would it benefit us to get an extra win as opposed to the double-bye, or does a neutral court win against a bad team do nothing for your resume? (Obviously winning it all would help the most, and the double-bye would help the odds of that happening)
February 18th, 2018 at 6:52 PM ^
I guess we'd have to see where it shakes out, but if we do become a double-bye team, then everyone non-double bye are likely NOT touney teams, so they wouldn't qualify as those coveted tier-1 wins.
I's say, take the rest (i.e. double-bye).
February 18th, 2018 at 7:02 PM ^
I doubt a neutral court game against Iowa/Rutgers/Illinois would add much. It is a chance for a blemish should we blow it.
February 18th, 2018 at 7:04 PM ^
There isn't much benefit to playing a bad team in the BTT. A win does little but a loss can hurt. Even with a win, you're now going into the Nebraska game on short rest. The only possible benefit is that you get used to playing in the arena, for whatever that's worth.
February 18th, 2018 at 7:42 PM ^
The 5 seed plays the winner of the 12/13 game. It might help the RPI... maybe... but there’s really little upside. It’s far better to get an extra day of rest and avoid the chance of a résumé-killing upset.
February 19th, 2018 at 9:11 AM ^
that won't heal itself by the time the real tournament starts.
February 19th, 2018 at 12:56 AM ^
is the potential of them dropping out of the top 75. That's something we don't want because the game against them would go to Q2.
I don't think we're winning twice this week, so today's loss for Nebraska probably did nothing but move them closer to being out of the top 75. They almost certainly won't lose two home games this week.
Worst case scenerio (and the most likely) now is that both teams go 1-1 and M still gets the 5 seed but Nebraska risks dropping out of the top 75.
And Illinois still has almost no chance of getting into the top 160 to make our home win over them a Q3 game.
Btw, the low key worst outcome of the weekend for M was Iowa losing at home to IU. Had Iowa just held serve, they'd be in the top 135 and our road win over them would be a Q2 game. As it is, they dropped to 157th and that game is solidly a Q3 game and the home win over them is in danger of becoming a Q4 game (160+ home games are Q4). Ugh.
February 19th, 2018 at 9:30 AM ^
Nebraska is currently 60 so they'd probably have to lose both their remaining regular season games to fall below 75, which is highly unlikely considering they're both at home. A bigger threat to drop, IMO, is Maryland, currently 67th. Their remaining schedule is difficult: @ NW and home vs. Michigan. A decent chance they go 1-1 (that's what KP predicts) and it's not crazy to see them losing both games (although McIntosh may still be out for NW).
Your point about Iowa is valid and a real bummer. IU is locked into Q3 for Michigan since it was at home so they could've dropped 40+ spots and still been in the same quadrant. Iowa at home is on the cusp of being Michigan's 10th Q4 victory, i.e. basically useless.
Another team that I had hopes for that hasn't come through for Michigan is VCU. They've been mostly a dumpster fire since Maui, bottoming out in both RPI (136) and KP (158(!) after a 24-points loss to 11-15 GWU). Was hopeful they could have a decent year and find themselves in the top-100 to give Michigan a Q2 win.
Lastly, Wisconsin is currently 134 (Q2 road cutoff is 135), so...I know we like to hate the Badgers' awful style of play and former coach, but we really want them to win out. If they could steal a Senior Day victory over MSU, that would be tremendous.
February 18th, 2018 at 6:48 PM ^
Nebraska finishes at home with games against Indiana and PSU while Michigan plays at PSU and Maryland. We definitely have the tougher challenge.
February 18th, 2018 at 11:44 PM ^
The better team. 4 or 5, we will be a tough out.
GO BLUE!!
February 18th, 2018 at 6:52 PM ^
as long as we dont get injuries, the extra game doesn't bother me, especially with an extra week off before tournament
February 18th, 2018 at 6:58 PM ^
Considering how Delany messed up the schedule, I'd prefer the extra game to keep sharp, but I don't think it matters. Watch all the Big 10 teams playing from behind in the Tournament as they shake the rust off.
February 19th, 2018 at 12:38 AM ^
between the BTT and NCAA's it would help, but coming the Thursday before the BTT doesn't do anything the change the fact that we'll have two weeks off before the NCAA's.
Anyone know if we scheduled the limit of games allowed this season? I would love to schedule a home game that weekend against a winner of a low-major conference if we can. Would benefit both teams to stay sharp. Could even help our RPI if it's a team with a good record.
Would be a good chance for Warde to actually do something other than this:
February 18th, 2018 at 6:56 PM ^
with 2 wins,if I'm mot mistaken.Getting a double bye is important imo because Mich avoids playing the more rested team after 1st game.Potential Semi game with MSU on Saturday,prefer that being our 2nd game rather than 3rd in 3 days while MSU playing only 2nd game.Yes I know I''m getting way ahead of myself but fuck msu ,I want them to not have the extra days rest.
Edit: PSU has 3 games left,play @Purdue tonight
February 18th, 2018 at 6:59 PM ^
Captain!!
February 18th, 2018 at 6:59 PM ^
Thread.
February 19th, 2018 at 2:03 AM ^
Moose?
February 18th, 2018 at 7:09 PM ^
Unlike years past, we don't need an extra win against Minnesota, Illinois, Rutgers, or Iowa this year. Take the rest and go after Nebraska either way in round 2. After that is the winner of 1 vs. 8/9. Right now: MSU or Maryland/NW. Big ten isnt even close to deep enough for it to be to our advantage to play anyone below Penn State/Maryland level as far as NCAA seeding goes. In our position, the potential loss to a bad team would hurt WAY more, IMO, while having no benefit.
February 18th, 2018 at 7:09 PM ^
Not to thread jack, but what should the caption be for this picture?
February 18th, 2018 at 7:24 PM ^
Smell DAT ass Gene Steratore?
February 18th, 2018 at 7:12 PM ^
I don’t think a loss to Rutgers could even knock Michigan out of the tourney.
February 18th, 2018 at 7:19 PM ^
It's not about making the tournament anymore. We want as high a seed as possible.
February 18th, 2018 at 8:12 PM ^
I know.. We were probably locked up for the tourny even before the OSU game. If anything the win moves us from the 7/6 to the 6/5 if we win out and have a good showing in the BTT we might be talking about a 4 seed. NEED to finish strong, @Penn State & @Maryland are no gimmes.
February 18th, 2018 at 8:22 PM ^
Most likely we split the last 2 games and this thread is irrelevant (assuming Neb doesn't lose out).
February 18th, 2018 at 8:29 PM ^
If we play the way we are capable of playing, we should win these last two. Winning a pair of road games to finish off the season would be a great boost heading into the BTT and March Madness!