Tonight's games vis-a-vis B1G regular season, BTT seeding, and Tournament hopes:
Wisconsin at Michigan, 7pm on ESPN2: I have Wisconsin and Michigan both REALLY close to being locks already. The winner of this game probably locks up an NCAA bid. For the Badgers a win would get them 11 B1G wins and that is probably enough. For the Wolverines a win would get them 10 B1G wins and coupled with their OOC wins that is probably enough.
We project Wisconsin to lose and finish tied for 4th/5th/6th with Iowa and MSU at 12-8 in the league. If they win this, that improves to 13-7 and a three-way tie for 2nd/3rd/4th with IL and PSU.
We project Michigan to win and finish tied for 7th/8th with tOSU at 11-9 in the league. If they lose this, that drops to 10-10 and tied with IU for 8th/9th (the tiebreaker is basically irrelevant because #8 and #9 play each other on Thursday in Indy).
Indiana at Purdue, 7pm on FS1: This is probably a must-win for Purdue as discussed by
@bwarbiany above. For Indiana it is almost as important because after this they travel to Illinois.
We project Purdue to win and finish tied for 10th/11th with RU at 9-11. If they lose this, that drops to 8-12 and tied with MN for 11th/12th.
We project IU to lose and finish alone in 9th place at 10-10 in the league. If they win this, that improves to 11-9 and tied with tOSU and M for 8th/9th/10th.
Illinois at Northwestern, 8pm on BTN: I have Illinois as a near-lock so a win here probably locks up a bid for them. Northwestern long ago reached the point where they need to win the BTT to get in and they can't make the NIT either so this game is basically irrelevant for them.
We project Illinois to win and finish tied for 2nd/3rd with PSU at 13-7. If they lose this, that drops to 12-8 and tied with MSU, IA, and UW for 3rd/4th/5th/6th.
We project Northwestern to lose and finish alone in last place at 1-19 in the league. If they win this, that improves to 2-18 but still dead last.
Ohio State at Nebraska, 9pm on ESPN2: I think that Ohio State like UW, M, and IL can pretty much lock up a bid with a win tonight. Nebraska long ago reached the point where they need to win the BTT to get in and they can't make the NIT either so this game is basically irrelevant for them.
We project Ohio State to win and finish tied for 7th/8th with M at 11-9 in the league. If they lose that drops to 10-10 and tied with IU for 8th/9th (the tiebreaker is basically irrelevant because #8 and #9 play each other on Thursday in Indy).
We project Nebraska to lose and finish alone in 13th place at 3-17 in the league. If they win this that improves to 4-16 but still 13th place.
Schedule note:
After tonight every team in the B1G except PU and RU will have played exactly 17 league games. Rutgers has already played 18 and Purdue will play their 18th tonight.
This weekend all B1G teams except PU and RU are playing. Thus, after Sunday's games each B1G team will have played exactly 18 league games with just two to go.
Despite
@mcwterps1 's conspiracy theories the 13-4 Maryland Terrapins need just one win to clinch a share of their first B1G regular season title and just two wins to clinch their first outright B1G regular season title. They could also clinch a share by PSU, MSU, IL, and UW each losing a game or an outright title by those four each losing twice.