This weekend:
Tonight:
The Chris Holtmann Farewell Tour heads to Iowa City. Interestingly, when the Buckeyes lost 14 out of 15 last year the lone exception was a win over . . . Iowa. So maybe? Doubtful, that game was in Columbus. The Buckeyes lost 92-75 in Carver-Hawkeye last season. The projected tOSU loss will make seven in eight games for the reeling Buckeyes.
Saturday:
Penn State at Indiana, noon on FS1:
Penn State just won in Piscataway but winning in Bloomington is a whole other matter. I don't see it happening but . . .
Northwestern at Minnesota, 2pm on BTN:
Can Northwestern rebound after getting their hearts ripped out in West Lafayette?
Rutgers at Michigan 4pm on BTN:
Rutgers projects clearly on the wrong side of the bubble so they need multiple unexpected wins to even get into the discussion. This and their game in Columbus at the end of the season are probably their best two chances so this could be critical for the Scarlett Knights.
Maryland at Michigan State 5:30 on FOX:
Maryland appears to have righted the ship after a disaster of an OOC but that rough OOC is still problematic from an NCAA/Bubble perspective. We project them to finish 9-11/17-14 which probably isn't enough so they need to steal a few games between now and Selection Sunday. This one would be a huge one but doesn't seem terribly likely.
Sunday:
Purdue at Wisconsin, 1pm on CBS:
Based on the projections, this is literally the game of the year in the B1G. The Boilermakers and Badgers do play twice with the other one being the last day of the season in Mackey but Wisconsin is projected to finish one game ahead of Purdue (17-3 for UW, 16-4 for PU). Purdue is already expected to win the later game in Mackey but if they don't win this one in the Kohl Center it may not matter. Thus,
GAME OF THE YEAR.
Nebraska at Illinois, 630 on BTN:
The Cornhuskers haven't won a road game since before Christmas and they haven't lost a home game since just after Thanksgiving. That isn't all that surprising but what is a bit unusual is that they haven't just won at home and lost on the road, they've looked like a very high seed at home and just dreadful on the road. Since their road win over KSU on December 17 they are 0-4 on the road with:
- 16 point blowout loss in Madison
- 18 point blowout loss in Iowa City
- OT loss to lowly Rutgers in Piscataway
- 22 point blowout loss in College Park
That isn't just losing on the road, that is REALLY bad. That doesn't even look like a bubble team let alone a high seed.
Since their home loss to Creighton on December 3 they are 8-0 at home:
- beat Michigan State
- beat North Dakota
- beat SCST
- 16 point blowout of Indiana
- 16 point blowout of #1 Purdue
- beat Northwestern
- 14 point blowout of Ohio State
- beat #6 Wisconsin
That isn't just winning at home, that is REALLY good.
