There are several games in the Big Ten this week with implications for our Boilers. Below are my thoughts on that which will most greatly benefit Purdue:
Tuesday:
MSU at Michigan - Michigan. MSU is on the bubble and it would give us separation in the loss column. Both are single play opponents so there is no SOS impact either way.
Wednesday:
Northwestern at Minnesota - Minnesota. I think they are well outside of bubble territory right now and their schedule is too tough to overcome it. We don't want Minnesota to fall too far as they are a "good win" and not a "bad loss". Also, since we played Minnesota twice and NW once, there is an SOS bump to the Gophers winning.
Wisconsin at Penn State - Wisconsin. This game isn't a big deal either way. Both teams are single plays so no SOS impact. I just prefer Wisky to get a 1 seed as it elevates the entire conference and we aren't catching them.
Thursday:
Purdue at Indiana - Duh!
Nebraska at Maryland - Nebraska. Two more single plays so no SOS impact. The benefit is giving us separation from Maryland in the B1G standings and maybe moving Nebraska toward a "good win" as their current RPI is 111.
Rutgers at Iowa - Rutgers - Both double plays so no SOS impact. As much as it would benefit to have Iowa in the RPI top 50, I'd rather push them toward the wrong side of the bubble.
Saturday:
Minnesota at Wisconsin - Wisconsin. This is a SOS hit, but we can't have Minnesota creeping onto the bubble by getting a huge road win.
Penn State at Northwestern - Penn State. Both single plays so no SOS impact, but PSU is currently at 91 in the RPI and have an outside chance of remaining a "good win".
Sunday:
Indiana at Rutgers - Rutgers. No SOS impact and 2 losses by IU would likely push them behind us in the NCAA pecking order.
Iowa at Nebraska - Nebraska. No SOS impact. This one is a tossup but it Iowa loses to Rutgers as hoped, they are unlikely to be RPI top 50 so we might as well push them completely off the bubble.
Ohio State at Michigan - Ohio State. While it would be nice to gain separation on OSU, we also need someone to join Wisconsin as high RPI teams from the conference. Better OSU than IU. This would also be an SOS benefit and since we get OSU their next game, it's better not to have them come in angry after losing to their rivals.
Michigan State at Illinois - I'm torn on this one (can they both lose?) but I'll go with Illinois for the SOS bump and to further illuminate how paper thin MSU's resume is.
If all that occurred (yeah, I know it won't), the Sunday night B1G standings would be:
Wisconsin.......13-1 and 25-2
Purdue............10-4 and 18-9
Maryland.........9-5 and 21-6
Ohio State.......9-5 and 20-7
Michigan State 8-6 and 17-10
Illinois.............8-6 and 18-9
Indiana...........8-7 and 18-10
Michigan........7-8 and 14-13
Nebraska.......7-8 and 14-13
Iowa..............6-8 and 15-12
Minnesota......6-9 and 17-11
Penn State.....4-11 and 16-12
Rutgers..........4-11 and 12-16
Northwestern..2-12 and 11-16
Tuesday:
MSU at Michigan - Michigan. MSU is on the bubble and it would give us separation in the loss column. Both are single play opponents so there is no SOS impact either way.
Wednesday:
Northwestern at Minnesota - Minnesota. I think they are well outside of bubble territory right now and their schedule is too tough to overcome it. We don't want Minnesota to fall too far as they are a "good win" and not a "bad loss". Also, since we played Minnesota twice and NW once, there is an SOS bump to the Gophers winning.
Wisconsin at Penn State - Wisconsin. This game isn't a big deal either way. Both teams are single plays so no SOS impact. I just prefer Wisky to get a 1 seed as it elevates the entire conference and we aren't catching them.
Thursday:
Purdue at Indiana - Duh!
Nebraska at Maryland - Nebraska. Two more single plays so no SOS impact. The benefit is giving us separation from Maryland in the B1G standings and maybe moving Nebraska toward a "good win" as their current RPI is 111.
Rutgers at Iowa - Rutgers - Both double plays so no SOS impact. As much as it would benefit to have Iowa in the RPI top 50, I'd rather push them toward the wrong side of the bubble.
Saturday:
Minnesota at Wisconsin - Wisconsin. This is a SOS hit, but we can't have Minnesota creeping onto the bubble by getting a huge road win.
Penn State at Northwestern - Penn State. Both single plays so no SOS impact, but PSU is currently at 91 in the RPI and have an outside chance of remaining a "good win".
Sunday:
Indiana at Rutgers - Rutgers. No SOS impact and 2 losses by IU would likely push them behind us in the NCAA pecking order.
Iowa at Nebraska - Nebraska. No SOS impact. This one is a tossup but it Iowa loses to Rutgers as hoped, they are unlikely to be RPI top 50 so we might as well push them completely off the bubble.
Ohio State at Michigan - Ohio State. While it would be nice to gain separation on OSU, we also need someone to join Wisconsin as high RPI teams from the conference. Better OSU than IU. This would also be an SOS benefit and since we get OSU their next game, it's better not to have them come in angry after losing to their rivals.
Michigan State at Illinois - I'm torn on this one (can they both lose?) but I'll go with Illinois for the SOS bump and to further illuminate how paper thin MSU's resume is.
If all that occurred (yeah, I know it won't), the Sunday night B1G standings would be:
Wisconsin.......13-1 and 25-2
Purdue............10-4 and 18-9
Maryland.........9-5 and 21-6
Ohio State.......9-5 and 20-7
Michigan State 8-6 and 17-10
Illinois.............8-6 and 18-9
Indiana...........8-7 and 18-10
Michigan........7-8 and 14-13
Nebraska.......7-8 and 14-13
Iowa..............6-8 and 15-12
Minnesota......6-9 and 17-11
Penn State.....4-11 and 16-12
Rutgers..........4-11 and 12-16
Northwestern..2-12 and 11-16
