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There were some great games last week in Big Ten play and almost none of the big ones failed to live up to the billing. MSU and Iowa battled it out on Tuesday, OSU and Wisconsin battled on Saturday, and Indiana pulled off perhaps their most impressive win of the season by beating Michigan at home. What is even more significant is that following the results of last week's games, the conference race is once again tied up with some big games on the line this week:
Game Of The Week:
Michigan at Iowa: The game of the week will take place on Saturday between two of the top teams in the Big Ten. The Wolverines are currently tied with MSU at the top of the conference standings and Iowa has a stranglehold on the 3rd spot. The Hawkeyes went down to Michigan just a few weeks ago in Ann Arbor, but the game was very competitive throughout and the tables could easily turn with Iowa on their home floor. For Michigan, they absolutely have to hold serve with MSU and keep winning games. With a pretty tough schedule ahead, Michigan could really use a win in this one. For Iowa, this could be one of their last chances to really make a run at the Big Ten title. A loss to Michigan would pretty much guarantee that Iowa will not win the Big Ten. Both teams should be ranked and the excitement will be at a fever pitch. This is the second week in a row Iowa will be featured in the Game of the Week.
Honorable Mention:
Ohio State at Iowa: The Hawkeyes are well represented this week and for good reason. OSU finally got a big win on the road against Wisconsin last weekend and will be looking to build on that with a win over Iowa. For Iowa, they absolutely need to win this game if they hope to stay in the Big Ten title hunt. For OSU, a win would be massive not only for the direction of their year, but also for seeding, where OSU does not have as many great wins as some fans may have hoped earlier this year.
Michigan State at Wisconsin: Many anticipated this game to have major Big Ten implications. The game does have implications, but only for MSU. The Spartans need to stay with Michigan so coming out with a win is almost essential. The race will not be over regardless of the weekend's results, but winning would be huge for MSU. For Wisconsin, they have been on a terrible run. They need a big win to turn things around.