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The Big Ten title race is now well underway and teams are beginning to not only take their places in the conference standings, but starting to see whether they have a real shot at this year's NCAA Tournament. With both conference and postseason implications on the line, the conference is setting up to have some solid games this week. Though it might be a stretch to say any of the major Big Ten title contenders face off this week in a major matchup, there are some interesting games between the "bubble" teams and some good teams on upset alert. With that, let's take a look at the games that made the cut this week.
Game Of The Week:
Maryland at Iowa: For the third week in a row, the Hawkeyes make the cut for Big Ten Game of the Week. Though they fell short against Wisconsin at home last weekend, they should still present a major challenge to the Terps, who have lost 2 of their last 3 games as of Tuesday. Maryland does face Penn State before traveling to Iowa City, but this is a game that will mean a ton to both teams. The Terps really need a win to prove that they're a real contender for the Big Ten title this year and Iowa needs a big win to "right their ship" as they are on a 3 game losing streak themselves. There will be a lot on the line on Sunday when these two face off and perhaps it will be the win for one of these teams to get back on track. The frontcourt matchup in this one will be particularly interesting as Jake Layman has played very well for Maryland and Iowa's arsenal of Gabriel Olaseni, Aaron White, and Adam Woodbury should be in action and will present a major challenge for Layman.
Honorable Mention:
Iowa at Michigan: The Hawkeyes get their second appearance on the list this week with their trip to Ann Arbor to face the Wolverines. Iowa will enter amid a 3 game losing streak and will look to right the ship against a short handed Michigan team without star players Caris LeVert and Derrick Walton, Jr. Still, despite Michigan losing some key contributors, they have been playing very well lately and nearly took down a solid Michigan State team on the road last week and took Wisconsin to overtime the week prior. If Michigan can keep up the way they have been playing, this could be a game where they can pull out a solid resume win. For Iowa, they need a win here to get back on track.
Ohio State at Purdue: For many, this game will not look that intriguing, but the makings for a great matchup with upset potential are there. The Buckeyes have been playing very well lately and D'Angelo Russell looks like he could be turning a corner, but they will have to go on the road to face a solid Purdue team. Coming into the game, OSU's best road win very well could be an overtime win over Minnesota. In short, they still have to prove they can beat solid teams on the road this year. On the other side, Purdue might not have as much talent as Ohio State's roster, but their only home loss in conference play was to a good Maryland team and they have already recorded home wins over Indiana, Iowa, and Michigan. In short, keep an eye out for an upset in this one.
Season Stats
Game of the Week Appearances By Team:
- Iowa - 4
- Michigan State - 4
- Wisconsin - 4
- Maryland - 3
- Illinois - 1
- Indiana - 1
- Minnesota - 1
- Ohio State - 1
Game of the Week Honorable Mention Appearances By Team:
- Ohio State - 10
- Indiana - 6
- Iowa - 5
- Maryland - 5
- Michigan - 3
- Purdue - 3
- Illinois - 1
- Michigan State - 1
- Minnesota - 1
- Nebraska - 1
- Rutgers - 1
- Wisconsin - 1
Total Appearances By Team:
- Ohio State - 11
- Iowa - 9
- Maryland - 8
- Indiana - 7
- Michigan State - 5
- Wisconsin - 5
- Illinois - 2
- Michigan - 3
- Minnesota - 2
- Purdue - 3
- Nebraska - 1
- Rutgers - 1