How wild is this year’s B1G race? Five teams have a chance to win or share the conference title with five days to go. Indiana blew their first chance to win it outright with a nine point loss to Ohio State.
Here are the scenarios:
For Michigan State to win the title…
Beat Wisconsin and Northwestern at home, hope for an Indiana loss to Michigan.
For Ohio State to win the title…
Beat Illinois at home, hope for an Indiana loss to Michigan.
For Michigan to win the title…
Beat Purdue on the road and Indiana at home.
For Wisconsin to win the title…
Beat Michigan State and Penn State on the road, hope for an Indiana loss to Michigan.
For Indiana to win the title outright…
Beat Michigan on the road.
Seems simple enough for Indiana right? But if you’ve watched B1G basketball this year, nothing’s been simple. Michigan inexplicably gave Penn State their lone B1G win of the year last week. Ohio State got blown out at Illinois in January. Purdue shocked Wisconsin at the Kohl Center. Indiana lost on a wild buzzer beater to Illinois. The list goes on and on.
The only B1G contender that hasn’t lost to a sub-500 conference foe? Michigan State.
In a somewhat strange twist, both the Spartans and Buckeyes will find themselves rooting for their bitter rival on Sunday. That’s gonna be awkward. As awkward as Michigan’s continued reference to Ohio State as Ohio despite, you know, losing to the real Ohio in last year’s tournament…but I digress.
Go Blue!