As crazy as it sounds, we still have a chance to win the conference. Absolutely incredible to even remotely contemplate just a week ago. And before anyone tells me I'm stupid and let's worry about Purdue before anything else, we are fans on a message board so we're allowed to talk about this stuff!
Here's what is would take:
Here's what is would take:
- First off we probably need to win out so we finish at 15-5. With remaining games against Purdue and Wisconsin, they both would then have a minimum of 5 losses and we have both tiebreakers so they are out.
- Michigan State already has 5 losses so even if they win out we already beat them too.
- That leaves Illinois and Ohio State both with 4 losses today. They still have to play each other so that gives at least one of them 5 losses. If it's Ohio State, we win that tie breaker. So that leaves just Illinois.
- I don't know the B1G tie-breaker rules. Illinois would have to lose 1 more to get to 5 losses and we are 1-1 against them. So would we be co-champs?? or is there another tie breaker?
- Illinois' remaining games (other than Ohio State) are Michigan St, Michigan, Penn State, and Iowa. Assuming they had beat Ohio State, we need them to lose 1 more to get to 5, with Michigan State being the most likely loss (but losing to any one of those is certainly possible).
- If Ohio State beats Illinois, we would need Ohio State to get their 5th loss against any of Iowa, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Michigan State, Michigan. Again, Michigan State is the most likely but several of those teams could beat the Buckeyes.