Michigan took a major hit to its Big Ten title hopes with a heartbreaking overtime loss at Wisconsin on Saturday. With a 8-3 conference record and seven games remaining, do the Wolverines still have a chance to win at least a share of the title for the second straight season? The short answer is yes. But let’s examine the remaining schedule of each of the contenders.

Remaining Schedule
Nebraska	Michigan	Northwestern	@ Minnesota	@ Michigan State
Purdue	@ Nebraska	@ Wisconsin	Ohio State	Penn State
@ Michigan State	Indiana	Minnesota	@ Northwestern	Illinois
@ Minnesota	@ Ohio State	Michigan State	Nebraska	@ Penn State
Iowa	@ Michigan	@ Northwestern	Purdue	Michigan State
Ohio State	Wisconsin	@ Indiana	@ Michigan State	@ Purdue
@ Michigan	Northwestern	Illinois	@ Penn State	Indiana

Indiana (9-2) is widely considered the main challenger and pulled off a big road win in Columbus on Sunday afternoon. The Hoosiers still have trips to Michigan State, Minnesota and Michigan remaining, with home tilts with Nebraska, Purdue, Iowa, and Ohio State. It’s probably a safe bet to assume IU will lose at least one of those games leading into the final game of the season in Ann Arbor.

Michigan State (9-2) has perhaps the toughest remaining schedule of the top contenders, beginning with tomorrow’s matchup with Michigan. The Spartans get a breather with Nebraska before hosting Indiana, traveling to Ohio State and Michigan, then hosting Wisconsin before finishing with Northwestern.

Ohio State (7-4) has the most ground to make up following its loss to Indiana. After failing to hold court at home, the Buckeyes will probably need to win out to secure at least a share of the title. But it’s not an easy road. Trips to Wisconsin, Northwestern and Indiana loom and home bouts with Northwestern, Minnesota, Michigan State and Illinois won’t be easy.

Michigan needs to steal a win in the Breslin Center

The surprise team of the conference has been Wisconsin (8-3), the team that beat Michigan on Saturday and also has a road win over Indiana. The Badgers have perhaps the easiest road of all of Michigan’s challengers the rest of the way as long as they can get through the next two games, a road trip to Minnesota on Thursday and a home battle with Ohio State. From there, they visit Northwestern, Michigan State and Penn State, and host Nebraska and Purdue.

Michigan (8-3) still has to survive a home and home with Michigan State and the season ender against Indiana, but the Wolverines also still get two games against Penn State, a home game against Illinois and a trip to Purdue.

If both Michigan and Indiana both win their next six games, it will all come down to the March 10 showdown in Ann Arbor with Michigan needing to win to share the title and Indiana needing to win to take the title outright. Winning seven straight would be a tall task for the Wolverines, but if they can come out of East Lansing with a win tomorrow night, the chances will improve drastically.

A loss on Tuesday would mean Michigan has to rely on help. Both Michigan State and Indiana would need to lose twice. Michigan could help out with one of those for each team, but would then need each to lose again. That’s certainly not out of the question – remember last season when Michigan lost its last home game to Purdue, but ended up sharing the Big Ten title – but it’s a lot to ask for.

That being said, tomorrow’s battle in East Lansing is extremely important. It’s pretty safe to assume that Michigan will win its next three games after that one, so by that time, the Feb. 19 Indiana-Michigan State game will have either all but knocked the Spartans out of the race or dropped the Hoosiers into a tie with both MSU and Michigan with three games remaining.

Michigan has won three of the last four over the Spartans and would love to continue that trend. So far this season, Indiana (at Ohio State), Michigan State (at Wisconsin), and Wisconsin (at Indiana) each have road wins over title contenders. Michigan will need to follow suit and steal one on the road. Regardless, it’s safe to say the conference title race is going to come down to the very last weekend and will set up an epic Big Ten Tournament in Chicago.

Tim Hardaway Jr hit five threes in the second half to propel Michigan (Gregory Shamus, Getty Images)

Trailing by five midway through the second half of a must-win battle with Ohio State, Tim Hardaway Jr. decided it was time to take over the game. The enigmatic junior drained four straight three-pointers as Ohio State matched him with twos on the other end. The fourth gave Michigan a 55-54 lead – its first lead since just before the half after leading for most of the first half.

But a 6-0 Buckeye spurt again put Michigan down by five, prompting John Beilein to call a timeout. Mitch McGary converted a put-back and Hardaway followed it up with yet another three. But Michigan couldn’t stop the Buckeyes on the other end of the court, and it wasn’t until a Nik Stauskas three at the 3:27 mark that Michigan regained the lead once again.

Following an Amir Williams free throw that tied the game, a pair of strange plays kept the momentums wings going. Hardway drove the lane looking for a dunk, but the ball was swatted away right into the arms of Trey Burke who nailed a three. On the other end, Deshaun Thomas missed a three and Stauskas grabbed the rebound, but as he tried to get it to Burke, a Buckeye defender tipped it right back to Thomas who drilled a three to tie the game once again.

The teams traded baskets and Michigan got the ball back with 21 seconds remaining with a chance to win the game. But Burke’s step-back three over Thomas at the buzzer was no good and overtime ensued.

Burke started the scoring in the extra stanza with a three, but Michigan was held scoreless until Glenn Robinson III hit the front end of two free throws with seven seconds remaining. Fortunately, Michigan’s defense turned up the intensity and got the good fortune of Thomas not even taking a shot in overtime, as the Wolverines limited the Buckeyes to just two points in the period. Aaron Craft’s last-second drive to the basket was swatted away by Hardaway and Michigan came away victorious.

It was a heavyweight bout in front of an electrified Crisler Center, and most importantly, the win kept Michigan well within reach of the Big Ten title.

Hardaway led all scorers with 23 points on 7-of-14 shooting (6-of-9 from three). Burke scored 16 and dished out eight assists compared to just two turnovers against Ohio State’s pesky defender Craft. Mitch McGary played perhaps the best game of his young career, scoring 14 points and grabbing six rebounds, while Stauskas added 11 and Robinson chipped in 10.

Michigan held Thomas to 17 points – three below his season average – on 6-of-15 shooting, and although Ohio State outshot Michigan from the field (51.7 percent to 46.7 percent), Michigan made twice as many threes (14 to seven). Michigan also outrebounded the Buckeyes 32-30, including a 13-9 advantage on the offensive glass.

The Wolverines head back out on the road for a pair of games with Wisconsin and Michigan State before getting a relative breather. The Wisconsin game is Saturday at noon on ESPN.

#3 Michigan vs #10 Ohio State
Tuesday, Feb. 5 | 9pm ET | ESPN
20-2 (7-2)	Record	17-4 (7-2)
Slippery Rock 100-62 IUPUI 91-54 Cleveland State 77-47 Pittsburgh 67-62 Kansas State 71-57 NC State 79-72 Bradley 74-66 W. Michigan 73-41 Arkansas 80-67 Binghamton 67-39 West Virginia 81-66 E. Michigan 93-54 C. Michigan 88-73 Northwestern 94-66 Iowa 95-67 Nebraska 62-47 #9 Minnesota 83-75 Purdue 68-53 Illinois 74-60 Northwestern 68-46	Wins	Albany 82-60 Rhode Island 69-58 Washington 77-66 UMKC 91-45 N. Kentucky 70-43 Long Beach St. 89-55 Savannah State 85-45 UNC-Asheville 90-72 Winthrop 65-55 Chicago State 87-44 Nebraska 70-44 Purdue 74-64 #2 Michigan 56-53 Iowa 72-63 Penn State 65-51 Wisconsin 58-49 Nebraska 63-59
#15 Ohio State 56-53 #3 Indiana 73-81	Losses	#2 Duke 68-73 #9 Kansas 66-74 #11 Illinois 55-74 #18 Michigan State 56-59
77.8	Points Per Game	71.7
59.6	Scoring Defense	57.3
639-for-1,265 (50.5%)	Field Goal %	539-for-1,175 (45.9%)
499-for-1,225 (40.7%)	Def. Field Goal %	427-for-1,129 (37.8%)
179-for-445 (40.2%)	3-point %	138-for-369 (37.4%)
140-for-451 (31.0%)	Def. 3-point %	122-for-396 (30.8%)
254-for-359 (70.8%)	Free Throw %	290-for-417 (69.5%)
11.5	FT Made/Game	13.8
36.4	Rebounds Per Game	37.0
29.5	Opp. Reb. Per Game	32.2
15.4	Assists Per Game	14.0
9.4	Turnovers Per Game	11.2
5.5	Steals Per Game	6.6
2.9	Blocks Per Game	4.5
G – Trey Burke (18.2) G – Tim Hardaway Jr. (15.6)	Leading Scorer	F – Deshaun Thomas (20.0) G – Lenzelle Smith Jr. (10.5)
F – Mitch McGary (6.0) F – Glenn Robinson III (5.7)	Leading Rebounder	F – Deshaun Thomas (6.2) G – Lenzelle Smith Jr. (5.4)

A little more than three weeks ago, Ohio State quashed Michigan’s hopes of an unprecedented undefeated season on their home floor in Columbus. Tonight (9pm on ESPN), the Wolverines have their chance at revenge against their hated rivals. In the five games since these two teams battled in mid-January, both teams have dropped just one game – Ohio State on the road against Michigan State the game after beating Michigan and Michigan on the road against Indiana in its last game.

As the season goes on, each game seems to matter more and more for the conference crown, and tonight’s matchup will be no different. The sold-out Crisler Center should be rocking in Maize Out form to help cheer on the hometown Wolverines against the Buckeyes. Here are three keys for Michigan to even up the season series:

1. Help Trey Burke: Michigan has the offensive firepower to beat any team in the country on any floor. Yes, Indiana was able to out-gun the Wolverines in Bloomington on Saturday, but no one would deny the fact that the Maize and Blue had a realistic shot of taking the game, and if they had played to the level they are capable of, could have won it outright.

The problem for Beilein’s squad was a lack of production from two key cogs on offense – freshmen Nik Stauskas and Glenn Robinson III. Stauskas reached double digits against the Hoosiers but took 10 shots and three free throws to get there. He also struggled mightily in the loss to Ohio State, putting zero points on the board for still the only time in his career. Robinson III had been the steady yet quiet scorer for Michigan all season until he nearly went silent on Saturday, when he made just one of his six shots in 40 minutes.

Even if Burke is his usual self, he’s going to need some help on both sides of the ball to avenge the first loss of the season. Unfortunately for Michigan, the chances Burke is his usual self are probably slim. Aaron Craft, Ohio State’s premier lockdown defender, has been remarkable against Michigan’s All-American in their four head-to-head matchups over the past two seasons, holding Trey to 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and five turnovers per game while forcing him into 32.6 percent field goal shooting, including a 26.3 percent mark from downtown. Certainly by this time one might hope that Burke has figured out Craft’s defensive play to some extent, but Tim Hardaway, Jr., Stauskas, Robinson III, and company better be ready to play.

2. Stop Deshaun Thomas: Michigan could play Ohio State 30 times in one season and this would be a key every single time. Deshaun Thomas is without question the offensive leader for the Buckeyes, pouring in 20 points per game, nearly double that of Lenzelle Smith, Jr., Ohio State’s second leading scorer, and he leads the team in rebounding as well with 6.2 a night. Thomas has scored 15 or more points in all but two of Ohio State’s games so far, and in both of those, he still managed double digits. His lowest output of the year, an 11-point showing at Penn State, came against the lowliest team in the Big Ten, which was never going to provide a challenge.

Aaron Craft wasn't able to slow down Trey Burke in Ann Arbor last season

Perhaps the scariest part of his game, however, is his ability to score from anywhere on the court. The junior can step out and hit the three-ball (40%), he regularly takes advantage of mismatches and scores in the paint (50.7% from inside the arc), and loves the mid-range jumper. He also makes 81.6 percent of his free throw attempts. Despite all this information, many think that the way to beat Ohio State is to let Thomas score his points and make the rest of the Buckeyes win the game, pointing most notably to Ohio State’s two Big Ten losses so far in which Thomas has averaged 26 points (scoring nearly half the team’s points himself) while his teammates have struggled to get it done themselves.

If I were Beilein, though, I’d still make priorities one, two, and three on defense stopping the dynamic scorer. Force him to work hard for his shots and you have accomplished two things – making it hard on Thomas while at the same time forcing his teammates to beat you. If Michigan can limit Thomas to five fewer points than the previous time they played (when he scored 20), they should have a very good chance of getting it done.

Good news for Michigan: two of Thomas’s three worst shooting nights on the season have come in the past three games, when he has shot just 41.7 percent from the floor. He has also failed to make a three-pointer in Ohio State’s last two outings, only the second and third times he has done that this year.

3. Feed off the Crowd: Ohio State’s secret to beating Michigan at home was no secret at all. They simply rode the energy provided by the home crowd to a huge first half lead and were able to save up enough gas to stymie the Wolverines’ late comeback attempt. Tonight, the Maize and Blue would be wise to reverse the tables with the home crowd in their court. The Wolverines are wearing special maize jerseys along with maize shoes and socks to match the crowd’s Maize Out efforts. The advantage of playing at home simply cannot be over-stated, and in a rivalry game like this, Michigan needs the crowd to provide the extra boost it sometimes takes. A little noise can go a long way toward creating some turnovers, which will lead to Michigan’s hyper-efficient fast-break, while also influencing the refs’ calls when they could go either way.

Most of all, however, the Wolverines need to play their game and control the pace. If Beilein thinks turning up the pace would help, that’s exactly what the Wolverines need to do. When the break isn’t there, Burke needs to pull the ball back and let his teammates help out.

Prediction: If Trey Burke’s woes continue against Aaron Craft and company, Michigan could be in for a long, grueling battle, but if the team as a whole comes together and no one struggles mightily, the Maize and Blue should be able to even up the score in the season series against their archrivals. With the home court advantage and a brutal stretch ahead, I think Michigan will have the focus and energy needed to run out to a nice lead and hold on throughout. Burke shakes Craft a few times while Nik Stauskas has a huge night to propel Michigan to a 69-58 win.

On Sunday afternoon, something a little unfamiliar happened to the Michigan Wolverines and their fans. They lost. That’s right. After 16 straight wins to open the season, matching the best start in the history of the program, Michigan was tripped up on the home court of their arch rivals, the Ohio State Buckeyes. Perhaps worse yet, the 56-53 loss was ugly, it ended Michigan’s hopes of entering this week on top of the college basketball world after they had become the last undefeated team following Duke’s loss, and it exposed some potential flaws in John Beilein’s team. Truth be told, the final score could have been a blowout after Ohio State raced out to a 21-point lead just 13 minutes into the first half.

The spark Spike provided off the bench is reason for excitement (Jamie Sabau, Getty Images)

So what should the response be for Michigan fans? Some have taken to social media to voice their displeasure with the team, notably berating freshman Nik Stauskas, who finished the game scoreless on three shots, to the point that he tweeted, “Can’t even read my mentions because of all the negativity thrown at me.” They called him “horrible” and surmised that “there’s no way Nik Stauskas should be starting for Michigan.” Others have questioned if Michigan’s number two ranking entering the game was legitimate, saying that the non-conference season was an aberration caused by beating up on bad teams.

The fact is, however, that this was Michigan’s first loss since last March, the first time the Maize and Blue have fallen in seventeen games. Seventeen! Certainly there is some reason to be concerned after the poor first half and Michigan’s failure to finish off a comeback late in the second, but fans need to take a deep breath and think about expectations entering this season while also thinking about past seasons.

When John Beilein moved to Ann Arbor six years ago to take over the basketball program, fans would have rejoiced to know that Michigan would be a top-five team in the country in the 2012-13 season. In fact, I would wager that six years ago, most fans complaining about the loss yesterday didn’t consider themselves fans in the darker times and would have struggled to name more than one player on Beilein’s first team.

It’s a testament to how well Beilein has done in his short time here that people have a hard time accepting a loss like this. No one wants to lose any game, but that is simply unrealistic. Teams play bad games, even the best teams in the country. The last three National Champions, in fact, had already lost an average of two games before this Michigan team lost at all.

I am not trying to make excuses for Sunday’s loss by any means; there is just no reason to be extremely worried at this juncture. Michigan is still an incredibly young team that relies on four freshmen to play significant roles, and the fifth freshman, Spike Albrecht, was actually the only one that looked comfortable in the hostile environment, recording a career-high seven points in the first half alone. And with no disrespect to Bradley or a crippled Northwestern team, this road game was always going to be the first road game to really challenge the Wolverines this season; the crowd was loud and the Buckeye defense was worlds above what either of those two teams could provide.

There won't be many more games, if any, that Trey is shut down (Jamie Sabau, Getty Images)

Most left Michigan for dead before the halftime horn blew and already started preparing their ill-advised comments toward anyone and everyone associated with the program. In the second half, however, the Wolverines showed that the hate mail would have to be held onto, if for just 20 minutes longer, by staging a steady comeback, silencing the crowd minute by minute and eventually tying the game up with six minutes to go. And even though the attempt fell just short, the effort Michigan showed while chipping away at the lead proved to me that Michigan is not a team to be dismissed by any means. A number of teams in the same situation would have given up and mentally quit by halftime after trailing by such a large margin early, but Michigan closed out the first half on a nice run and came out in the second with renewed energy on both ends of the ball.

Throughout my four years in college, from 2008 to 2012, I spent my time attending basketball games with sometimes no more than 75 or 100 other students, most of them my good friends because everyone knew each other. Most nights I watched college basketball for those first three years and cheered against any potential end-of-year bubble team with a passion, because I knew Michigan was probably going to need a little bit of help when March rolled around just to squeeze into the tournament. That freshman year in 2009, the Wolverines went dancing by the thinnest of margins and beat Clemson in the first round. Two years later, and just two years ago now, the Wolverines again used some magic dust to fight into the field of 68 as an 8-seed, then proceeded to record the biggest blowout in any 8/9 game ever played in the Tournament.

With one loss for Michigan in mid-January this year, the worrying and over-reacting needs to stop. No Big Ten road game is going to be an easy win, especially when it comes on the home court of a huge rival that is itself a top-15 team. The Wolverines are going to be just fine and will learn from their mistakes in Sunday’s loss. It will be hard for any team on the schedule the rest of the way to limit this offensively-gifted squad to under 40 percent shooting from the field, and you will likely never see Michigan’s top four scorers combine to shoot just 30 percent themselves.

College basketball, and life in general, is a game of ups and downs. Sometimes the highs are very high and the lows are very low. This season’s roller coaster just took its first dip on the track all year and left a few riders behind. If Michigan ends up at ground level in a couple weeks, feel free to abandon ship. I, on the other hand, will continue to ride in the front cart as it undoubtedly climbs toward the clouds as the season rolls on.

A number one ranking for the first time in 20 years, the best start in program history, and the first victory in Columbus in nine years was all on the line when Michigan met 15th-ranked Ohio State on Sunday afternoon. But the moment was too big for the young Wolverines who rely on several true freshmen, and despite a furious comeback, Michigan fell for the first time this season, 56-53.

Trey Burke got the scoring started with an open three on Michigan’s first possession, but the high-pressure Buckeye defense and tense Michigan play caused things to quickly go south for the Wolverines. It was 9-3 Ohio State by the time of the first official TV timeout, and back-to-back Aaron Craft buckets prompted a Michigan timeout. After a Jordan Morgan turnover, Ohio State’s Deshaun Thomas hit a three to give the Buckeyes a 16-3 lead before Michigan finally got back on the board with a Glenn Robinson III triple. But Ohio State wasn’t finished with the onslaught. An 8-0 run pushed the lead to 24-6, drawing another Michigan timeout.

Nik Stauskas was held scoreless by OSU's stingy defense (Jamie Sabau, Getty Images)

It was 29-8 with six minutes remaining in the first half when Michigan got a lift from an unlikely source. Freshman backup point guard Spike Albrecht came in to give Burke a breather and drew a foul, hitting both free throws. It sparked a 13-5 Michigan run to close the half – a run that included two more free throws and a three-pointer by Albrecht. At the half, Michigan trailed 34-22.

Morgan scored the first points of the second half to bring Michigan within 10, but Ohio State answered right back with a three-point play by Amir Williams. Michigan cut the deficit to eight with 11:36 remaining, but Thomas responded with a three to put the Buckeyes back up by 11 heading into the under-12 timeout.

Over the next three minutes of play, Michigan went on a 7-2 run to pull within four, prompting a Buckeye timeout. When play resumed, Tim Hardaway Jr. hit a three to pull Michigan within one at 44-43. An Ohio State dunk followed, but Robinson hit a three to tie the game at 46 with 5:58 to play.

A 6-0 Ohio State run put the ‘Bucks back up by six heading into the final TV timeout, and after a four-minute scoring drought, Michigan finally got back on the board with a pair of free throws by Burke. Robinson then stole the ball near midcourt and flushed home a fastbreak dunk to pull Michigan within two with 1:16 to play. Thomas missed a jumper and Michigan got the ball back with a chance to tie or take the lead. After a timeout, the Wolverines opted to let Burke pop a three for the lead, but it went halfway down and rattled out and Ohio State grabbed the rebound with 13 seconds left. Lenzelle Smith Jr., a 56 percent free throw shooter, hit both of his free throws to seal the deal and hand Michigan its first loss of the season.

Michigan shot just 38.3 percent from the field, while Ohio State shot 44 percent, and the Wolverines made just 6-of-20 three-point attempts. Burke led the way for Michigan with 15 points, despite shooting just 4-of-13. Hardaway was the only other in double figures with 12, though he made just 1-of-6 three-point attempts. Robinson added eight points and Nik Stauskas was held scoreless, missing all three attempts from downtown. Thomas scored 20 for the Buckeyes.

The 22 points Michigan scored in the first half were a season low for a half, but they did respond by holding Ohio State to 22 in the second half, and outscored the Buckeyes 47-32 in the final 30 minutes. But the first 10 minutes were ultimately too much to overtime.

With the weight of being the nation’s only unbeaten team lifted, Michigan heads to Minneapolis on Thursday to face a Gopher team that will be just as tough as Ohio State. How the Wolverines respond will set the tone for the remainder of the Big Ten season.

The 2013 Big Ten season started just two weeks ago, but we have already learned so much about a number of teams in college basketball’s indisputable king of conferences. With as many as eight or nine teams looking to make a push for the Big Dance at the end of the year, it certainly has the makings of a special year. Here is a special Big Ten preview edition looking at the conference championship contenders. These power rankings will be occasionally updated throughout the remainder of the season.

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1. Michigan Wolverines: 16-0 (3-0)

Projected Record in Conference Play: 16-2
Best Win: vs. Pittsburgh
Worst Loss: None
Star: Trey Burke, 18.2 ppg, 7.3 apg, 53.3 FG%, 39.2 3p%
X-Factor: Nik Stauskas, 13.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 52.3 3p%

Ranking Reasoning: While I am writing this preview post with a Michigan basketball shirt on, it is simply impossible to rank any Big Ten team higher than Michigan so far, and I think they will continue to prove their superiority by taking home their second straight Big Ten title, this time individually. Trey Burke is indisputably the best point guard in the country right now, Mitch McGary and Jordan Morgan have been solid in the post and controlling on the glass, and the team shoots 41.1 percent from behind the arc, where five guys demand significant attention. In three Big Ten games so far (Iowa, Northwestern, Nebraska), Michigan has not been significantly challenged, winning by an average of almost 24 points per game. A huge week looms, however, as Michigan travels to Columbus on Sunday and Minneapolis on Thursday in two games that will say a lot about how the Big Ten will shake out.

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2. Indiana Hoosiers: 14-1 (2-0)

Projected Record in Conference Play: 14-4
Best Win: @ Iowa
Worst Loss: vs. Butler
Star: Cody Zeller, 16.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.3 bpg, 62.7 FG%
X-Factor: Will Sheehey, 12.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 39.4 3p%

Ranking Reasoning: Indiana came into the season ranked in just about everyone’s top two in the country, and they have hardly disappointed up until now. Yes, they lost to Butler in overtime, but the Bulldogs have a very solid squad that will win its fair share of games this year and probably earn a 4-seed or so in the NCAA Tournament. Like Michigan, Indiana is incredibly scary because of their dynamite offense that boasts five double digit scorers and a handful of secondary players that can step up on any given night as well. Zeller is still one of the best big men in the country, Victor Oladipo is using his athleticism to help him shoot 67.2 percent from the floor (including a ridiculous 47.8 percent from downtown), and Christian Watford is a matchup nightmare for opposing fours. Taking a quick glance at their stats is not advised for anyone who is not an Indiana fan, as the Hoosiers average the most points in the country (87), are the sixth best shooting team in the land (51.1 percent), and have four players that shoot better than 45 percent from three-point land on at least 20 attempts, including Jordan Hulls at 52 percent and Remy Abell at 60 percent. The only way to beat IU right now is to outscore them, and that is no easy task. The Hoosiers welcome a solid Minnesota team to Bloomington today in what will be a high-powered matchup.

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3. Minnesota Golden Gophers: 15-1 (3-0)

Projected Finish in Conference Play: 13-5
Best Win: @ #12 Illinois
Worst Loss: vs. #5 Duke
Star: Trevor Mbakwe, 9.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 58.6 FG%
X-Factor: Austin Hollins, 10.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.8 apg, 2.1 spg, 38 3p%, 81.1 FT%

Ranking Reasoning: Tubby Smith has disappointed a little bit in his tenure in Minneapolis, but after a solid run in the NIT last season he was given a questionable contract extension. This year’s edition of the Golden Gophers has made that move look brilliant so far. Trevor Mbakwe is a terror down low coming off a season-ending injury last season and slowly but surely working his way back into the 30 minutes per game range (he is averaging just over 20 right now). Mbakwe and senior 6’7″ forward Rodney Williams play as if they both have invisible springs attached to the soles of their shoes, and put that athleticism to good use in combining to average nearly 14 boards per game. The one area that holds Minnesota back slightly is their distance shooting – Andre Hollins is the only Gopher shooting better than 40 percent behind the arc and only two or three others are worth challenging from deep. Tubby’s inside play has been great thus far, though, and should keep them in the discussion for a Big Ten championship until the last couple games.

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4. Ohio State: 12-3 (2-1)

Projected Record in Conference Play: 12-6
Best Win: @ Purdue
Worst Loss: @ #11 Illinois
Star: Deshaun Thomas, 20.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 40.4 3p%
X-Factor: LaQuinton Ross, 8.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 77.1 FT%

Ranking Reasoning: The Buckeyes entered the season looking to win at least a share of a fourth straight Big Ten title, but their opening game against Marquette perhaps proved to be an omen so far after it was cancelled because of a wet court (I’ll never understand playing real games outside). Thad Matta’s team has largely beaten the teams they were supposed to beat and has lost to those they were supposed to lose to, but that is precisely the problem. If a team is to live up to lofty preseason billings, it must turn heads at some point. Losses to Duke, Illinois, and Kansas are explainable, but wins over the likes of Winthrop, Purdue, Washington, and a handful of no-names are not turning any heads. Thomas has been outstanding for the Scarlet and Gray, pouring in points from all over the floor, but he has yet to find a Robin to take some pressure off. Lenzelle Smith, Jr. is the only other Buckeye to average double digits in the scoring column (with only 10.7 per night), and his inconsistent shooting has plagued the team thus far, though his 43.5 percent mark from deep leads the team. Junior point guard and leader Aaron Craft continues to play lock-down D, but he has really struggled to put the ball in the hoop. Matta needs to find someone to provide a legitimate scoring threat if they are going to come close to keeping their streak alive.

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5. Michigan State: 13-3 (2-1)

Projected Record in Conference Play: 12-6
Best Win: vs. #7 Kansas
Worst Loss: vs. #23 Connecticut
Star: Keith Appling, 14.2 ppg, 4.4 apg, 3.4 rpg, 1.7 spg
X-Factor: Derrick Nix, 8.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 50.5 FG%

Ranking Reasoning: Tom Izzo’s squads are notoriously slow-starting, and this season has been no exception after an opening game loss to Connecticut followed by a loss at Miami in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge a few weeks later. The Spartans did manage to beat Kansas, who has really come on lately, in their second game and have shown some good signs since then. Turnovers and shooting have hampered Michigan State though, and they appear to be problems that Izzo is going to have a hard time solving. Appling, Branden Dawson, and freshman Denzel Valentine have all turned the ball over nearly two and a half times per game and five others cough it up at least once a night to combine for 15 per game. Sophomore Travis Trice has shot well from deep (44.7 percent), but freshman Gary Harris is the only other Spartan who makes more than 35 percent of his downtown looks. Depth has also been a bit of an issue thus far, and Brandan Kearney’s surprising departure has not helped in that department. Michigan State’s defense will keep them in a lot of games, but Izzo needs to find a way to cut down on the turnovers and squeeze out some points to make a run in March.

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6. Illinois: 14-3 (1-2)

Projected Record in Conference Play: 9-9
Best Win: @ #10 Gonzaga
Worst Loss: @ Purdue
Star: Brandon Paul, 18.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.4 spg, 36.5 3p%
X-Factor: Tyler Griffey, 8.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 40.0 3p%

Ranking Reasoning: Illinois was easily the biggest mystery to me entering the 2012-13 season, and the mystery has not died yet. John Groce left Ohio after leading his 2011-12 edition of the Bobcats to a first (or second depending on how you look at it) round upset of Michigan in the NCAA Tournament to replace Bruce Weber as head man in Champaign. The Fighting Illini have responded to Groce’s fiery leadership with some huge wins over Butler, Ohio State, and at Gonzaga but have also taken two big losses at Purdue and at home against Minnesota. Brandon Paul is still the high-volume shooter he has always been, but he’s making threes at a respectable 36.5 percent clip and is always the man to keep an eye on. Senior sidekick D.J. Richardson is another guard capable of putting the ball in the hoop, but he is really struggling this year, making just 30.9 percent of his threes and 34.3 percent of his total looks while averaging just over 10 points a game. Sophomore Tracy Abrams is coming into his own this year, scoring 12.2 points per game while dishing out 3.4 assists and grabbing 3.9 rebounds, but his 29.8 percent shooting from deep needs to improve if Illinois is to contend. Griffey has been up and down this year after developing a nice outside shot, but his inconsistency and Illinois’s overall lack of a strong post presence will keep them from cracking the upper echelon of the league. There are simply too many “buts” for Groce to win the Big Ten in his first season.

#2 Michigan at #15 Ohio State
Sunday, Jan. 13 | 1:30pm ET | CBS
16-0 (3-0)	Record	12-3 (2-1)
Slippery Rock 100-62 IUPUI 91-54 Cleveland State 77-47 Pittsburgh 67-62 Kansas State 71-57 NC State 79-72 Bradley 74-66 W. Michigan 73-41 Arkansas 80-67 Binghamton 67-39 West Virginia 81-66 E. Michigan 93-54 C. Michigan 88-73 Northwestern 94-66 Iowa 95-67 Nebraska 62-47	Wins	Albany 82-60 Rhode Island 69-58 Washington 77-66 UMKC 91-45 N. Kentucky 70-43 Long Beach St. 89-55 Savannah St. 85-45 UNCA 90-72 Winthrop 65-55 Chicago State 87-44 Nebraska 70-44 Purdue 74-64
	Losses	#2 Duke 68-73 #9 Kansas 66-74 #11 Illinois 55-74
80.8	Points Per Game	75.7
58.8	Scoring Defense	58.1
480-for-934 (51.4%)	Field Goal %	409-for-887 (46.1%)
363-for-906 (40.1%)	Def. Field Goal %	306-for-809 (37.8%)
138-for-336 (41.1%)	3-point %	108-for-293 (36.9%)
103-for-335 (30.7%)	Def. 3-point %	86-for-274 (31.4%)
194-for-271 (71.6%)	Free Throw %	210-for-314 (66.9%)
12.1	FT Made/Game	14.0
38.4	Rebounds Per Game	38.9
28.5	Opp. Reb. Per Game	32.2
16.3	Assists Per Game	15.2
9.3	Turnovers Per Game	10.9
5.1	Steals Per Game	7.2
2.6	Blocks Per Game	4.4
G – Trey Burke (18.2) G – Tim Hardaway Jr. (16.3)	Leading Scorer	F – Deshaun Thomas (20.3) G – Lenzelle Smith Jr. (10.7)
F – Glenn Robinson (6.1) F – Mitch McGary (6.1)	Leading Rebounder	F – Deshaun Thomas (6.8) G – Lenzelle Smith Jr. (5.5)

Sixteen games into the season, and heading into a Big Ten gauntlet that starts on Sunday, Michigan finds itself one of two remaining unbeaten teams in the entire country. The other is Duke who already passed the test that Michigan faces on Sunday afternoon. Michigan will be looking to achieve the best start to a season in program history, but the school’s biggest rival, the Ohio State Buckeyes, stand in the way as the toughest challenge the team has faced to date. It will be a game of great interest for the rest of college basketball as we will learn just how good this Wolverine team is.

Ohio State ranked as high as fourth early in the season until the Buckeyes fell 73-68 at then-No.2 Duke. In that game, Ohio State was within two with 28 seconds remaining, despite shooting just 34 percent from the field. The Buckeyes also out-rebounded the Blue Devils 40-37, and if not for the poor shooting night may have won.

A month later, Ohio State hosted No. 9 Kansas and again fell, this time 74-66. Once again, it was cold shooting that doomed the Bucks as they hit just 9-of-36 shots in the second half.

Last week. it was then-No. 11 Illinois that beat the Buckeyes, and this one wasn’t even close. The Illini led 37-25 at halftime and opened the second half on a 13-2 run to open up a 50-27 lead that Ohio State could never come back from. Once again, cold shooting was the culprit as Ohio State shot just 33 percent for the game.

In each of those three losses, aside from poor shooting, there was a common theme: the opposing teams each got big games from a guard and a big man. For Duke, it was Rasheed Sulaimon who scored 17 points, all in the second half, to go along with Mason Plumlee’s 21-point, 17-rebound performance. For Kansas, Ben McLemore went for 22 points and six rebounds, while big man Jeff Whitney recorded 14 and 10. For Illinois, Brandon Paul score 19 points and seven rebounds, and center Nnanna Egwu scored a career high 16 points. It seems that the recipe for beating the Buckeyes is an offense that gets big production from both inside and out.

But that’s easier said than done. Ohio State is a very talented team in and of itself and is led by junior forward Deshaun Thomas. He leads the team with 20.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He’s extremely long and athletic and is shooting 47.2 percent from the field and just over 40 percent from three-point range so far. He has a season high of 31 points against Washington and a low of 14 against Northern Kentucky. He scored 16 against both Duke and Kentucky, shooting a combined 10-of-25, though he did hit 6-of-13 three-point attempts. In Big Ten play, Thomas is averaging nearly 23 points per game so far.

Deshaun Thomas leads the Big Ten in scoring (Joe Robbins, Getty Images)

The only other Buckeye averaging double figures is junior guard Lenzelle Smith, Jr. at 10.7. He also ranks second on the team in rebounding with 5.5 per game. His season high is 18 points against Albany, but he has been held below ten six times, including a goose egg against Washington and two points against Purdue on Tuesday. He shoots 44.8 percent overall and 43.5 percent from three-point – the team’s best three-point shooter.

Point guard Aaron Craft ranks third on the team in scoring at 8.9 points per game and ranks third in the Big Ten with 4.7 assists per game. He’s not a great shooter, averaging 39.8 percent overall and 33.3 percent from downtown, but he does have the ability to hit shots when he’s on. Against Albany in the season opener, he hit 5-of-7 threes en route to a season high 20 points. In the three losses, he made just 4-of-13. He’s more of a set-up man that has the ability to finish around the rim, but he’s best known for his relentless defense. He tends to get away with a lot of hand checking, so the way the officials call the game could very well determine how Michigan’s day goes offensively. In last year’s three meetings, he largely held his own with Trey Burke, but Burke’s progression this season has made him nearly unstoppable. It will be a great matchup to watch.

Sophomore forward LaQuinton Ross averages 8.7 points off the bench, but most of his production has been against the weaker teams on the schedule. He scored nine against Duke, four against Kansas, and two against Illinois while averaging just under 12 minutes per game.

Sam Thompson averages 7.1 points per game, although in the last six games he’s averaging just five points. The 6’7″ sophomore from Chicago is a decent shooter (44.3 percent), but not a good three-point shooter, having hit just 6-of-25 attempts this season.

Senior forward Evan Ravenel has been the fifth starter most of the season and averages 6.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. He’s coming off his best performance of the season, a 6-of-8 shooting night against Purdue.

Amir Williams started the four games that Ravenel didn’t and has a season-high of eight points against Nebraska. Shannon Scott is the backup point guard who plays 21 minutes a game. He averages 6.1 points, 4.6 assists, and 2.1 steals per game and had his best game of the season against Kansas when he scored 15 points.

As a team, Ohio State ranks fifth in the Big Ten with a 46.1 shooting percentage and fourth with a 36.9 three-point percentage.

Michigan can – and should – beat the Buckeyes, but it will take a better shooting performance than the Wolverines displayed against Nebraska on Wednesday. I don’t see Michigan putting up two bad performances in a row, so the Wolverines should win a close one in Columbus.

Check back on Saturday afternoon for Sam’s quick thoughts to find out specifically what Michigan needs to do to win.

Now that Michigan’s season has drawn to a close, the second season has ramped up  to full steam. Recruiting is pretty much non-stop these days, but now that the coaching staff is able to devote the vast majority of its time to pulling in the best class possible, it’s a frantic race for the Feb. 6 finish line. That’s the day of National Signing Day, when all letters of intent have to be signed and submitted and become binding. But before we get there, several All-American games exist to showcase the top talent on the national stage. Some of the players are already committed, while some choose to make their announcements live on national television during the game. Still others opt to wait until National Signing Day to pledge their commitments. Here’s a look at the games and the current Michigan commitments that will be playing in them, as well as the targets that Brady Hoke’s staff hopes to lock in within the next month.

Friday, Jan. 4, 2013 | 5pm EST
Under Armour All-America Game | St. Petersburg, Fla. | ESPN

The Under Armour All-America Game is ESPN’s version and features the Black (Highlight) team and the White (Nitro) team. Team Highlight is coached by former NFL head coach Herm Edwards, while Team Nitro is coached by Steve Mariucci.

Current Michigan commits:

#9 – LB – Mike McCray II (White)
#12 – QB – Shane Morris (White)
#17 – DT – Henry Poggi (White)*
#55 – OG – David Dawson (White)*
#57 – OG – Patrick Kugler (White)*
#72 – OT – Logan Tulley-Tillman (White)

*denotes starters

Michigan targets:

#22 – S – Leon McQuay III (Black)
#1 – WR – Sebastian LaRue (White)
#4 – WR – Laquon Treadwell (White)
#78 – OT – Cameron Hunt (White)

Other notables:

#3 – WR – Alvin Bailey (Black) – Former Michigan target, committed to Florida
#32 – RB – Ty Isaac (White) – Former Michigan target, USC commit

Rivals:

#6 – CB – Cam Burrows (White) – Ohio State commit
#7 – ATH – Jalin Marshall (White) – Ohio State commit
#7 – CB – Gareon Conley (White) – Ohio State commit, former Michigan commit
#8 – TE – Marcus Baugh (White) – Ohio State commit
#97 – DT –  Joey Bosa (White) – Ohio State commit
#34 – LB – Alex Anzalone (Black) – Notre Dame commit, former Ohio State commit
#60 – OT – Colin McGovern (Black) – Notre Dame commit
#70 – OT – Hunter Bivin (Black) – Notre Dame commit
#32 – LB – Trey Johnson (White) – Announcing commitment to either Ohio State, Florida, or Tennessee

As you can see, Team Nitro (White) has the majority of the players relevant to Michigan, so that’s the team to pay the most attention to. Of the uncommitted targets, Michigan isn’t in great position for any of them. McQuay was at the Wolverines’ Outback Bowl practice, but had this to say about where Michigan stands. He will make his decision known during the game. LaRue is an interesting one since he was committed to USC, but just decommitted. He reportedly wants to hear more from Michigan and has formed a bond with current Michigan commit Mike McCray. Hunt, a Cal commit, recently announced that he’s re-opening his recruitment and was offered by Michigan, but that was before David Dawson re-committed to the Wolverines, so it’s unclear as to whether the staff would take another offensive lineman. Treadwell seems extremely unlikely at this point. He favors Ole Miss, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State, but with recruiting, you never know.

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Friday, Jan. 4, 2013 | 9pm EST
Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl | Carson, Ca. | NFL Network

The Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl is considered the third-best of this weekend’s All-America games and is the Marine Corps’ version of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Current Michigan commits:

CB – Ross Douglass (East)
DT – Maurice Hurst, Jr. (East)
* Kyle Bosch and Taco Charlton chose not to play due to enrolling early at Michigan

Rivals:

DB – Devin Butler (East) – Notre Dame
WR – William Fuller (East) – Notre Dame
OT – Mike McGlinchey (East) – Notre Dame
QB – Malik Zaire (East) – Notre Dame
CB – Cole Luke (West) – Notre Dame
RB – Khalfani Muhammad (West) – Notre Dame

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Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013 | 1pm EST
U.S. Army All-American Bowl | San Antonio, Texas | NBC

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is traditionally considered the nation’s premier high school all-star game and is in its 13th year. It has featured eventual Heisman Trophy winners and more than 200 eventual NFL players. This year, the West team will wear yellow and the East team will wear black.

Current Michigan commits:

#87 – TE – Jake Butt (East)
#73 – OL – Chris Fox (West)
#27 – DB – Jourdan Lewis (West)
#14 – DB – Dymonte Thomas (East)

Michigan targets:

#27 – RB – Derrick Green (East)

Other notables:

#5 – DB – Kendall Fuller – Former Michigan target, Virginia Tech commit
#10 – LB – E.J. Levenberry – Former Michigan target, Florida State commit
#21 – S – Su’a Cravens – Former Michigan target, USC commit

Rivals:

#24 – RB – Ezekiel Elliott – Ohio State commit
#9 – CB – Eli Apple (East) – Ohio State commit
#35 – K – Johnny Townsend (East) – Ohio State commit
#69 – OT – Evan Lisle (East) – Ohio State commit
#76 – DT – Michael Hill (East) – Ohio State commit
#72 – OT – Steve Elmer (West) – Notre Dame commit
#1 – RB – Greg Bryant (East) – Notre Dame commit
#74 – OL – John Montelus (East) – Notre Dame commit
#26 – LB – Doug Randolph (East) – Notre Dame commit
#88 – WR – Corey Robinson (West) – Notre Dame commit
#9 – LB – Jaylon Smith (West) – Notre Dame commit
#44 – LB – Mike Mitchell (West) – Announcing commitment to either Ohio State, Oregon, or Texas A&M
#17 – WR – James Quick (East) – Announcing commitment to either Ohio State or Louisville

Unlike the Under Armour game, Michigan’s four commits playing in this one are split between the two teams. Derrick Green is the big one to watch since he is reportedly leaning towards Michigan. He fueled speculation on Wednesday by posing for a photo with the four Michigan commits and then went on a Rivals chat and said Michigan does hold a slight lead. Ohio State and Notre Dame both have a number of commits playing in the game as well, and there are a couple that are making their announcements live during the game and have Ohio State among their finalists.

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Another thing you may notice is the complete lack of Michigan State prospects on the rosters for these three games. Of the Spartans’ 15 current commits, only two are rated four stars by Rivals and the rest are three stars.

Michigan has the unique position of having three big rivals. Most teams only have one rival to get up for, but year-in and year-out, Michigan has three. While we, as fans, hate each of these teams, we carry some respect for them. Michigan State and Ohio State carry conference affiliation ties while Notre Dame, well, we all just put up with them. All season long, it’s fun to keep track of how each of them is doing, but there’s only so much time on Saturday to watch games. More often than not, they play at the same time Michigan does so you don’t get a chance to do your “advanced scouting.” Well, don’t fret because we’ve got you covered. This weekly feature will give you an overview of Notre Dame, Michigan State, and Ohio State’s games the previous weekend and a look ahead to the upcoming one.

#1 Notre Dame 22 – USC 13
Record: 12-0
This Week: Regular season over

Notre Dame took the final step towards the BCS title game by downing USC in its season finale. Despite the Trojans missing their record setting quarterback, Matt Barkley, and replacing him with a freshman, I may be ready to change my tune on the Irish. All season long I have been reluctant, to say the least, to give Notre Dame full credit for being a top team. The rankings may say they are the No. 1 team in the land, but my football knowledge says they are far from the top team in the land. They struggled against Purdue, BYU and Pitt – none of whom are good teams. They barely beat Michigan despite being given the ball six times on turnovers. On Saturday night they beat a USC team with two future NFL receivers on offense (possibly the best receiver tandem in college football no less); but they did it against a freshman quarterback making his first start.

Theo Riddick celebrates the undefeated season (Danny Moloshok, AP)

However, Notre Dame has beaten all comers and I will not take anything away from their defense. They’ve held strong when they needed to and when it matters the most, like in the red zone. They have finally found their coach in Brian Kelly and he is poised to become yet another Irish head coach to win a national title in his third season.

Charlie Weiss may have recruited these seniors but Brian Kelly has turned them into winners. This Notre Dame team is good and given what they’ve done they deserve to play in the BCS title game. I will not concede they are the best team in all the land, yet. Nor will I proclaim they are back; I need to see consistency, not just one magical season. Regardless, they will be a worthy opponent for the SEC in the BCS title game, unlike Ohio State has proven to be against them in title games.

And now on to the game. The Irish took their opening drive and went straight into the heart of Trojan territory. However, they were held off inside the 10-yard line and held to just three points. USC and its redshirt freshman took the field and ran the ball four straight times with Curtis McNeill. With the “pressure” off their young QB, Lane Kiffin let the kid air it out. He missed on three straight attempts and USC was forced to punt. Notre Dame used a heavy dose of Theo Riddick through the air and on the ground as they made way for a Cierre Wood 2-yard touchdown run.

Up 10-0 ten minutes into the game and it looked like the Irish might run away with it. But as Lee Corso likes to say, not so fast my friend. Max Wittek regained his composure and went 5-of-5 for 48 yards and a touchdown to Robert Woods to get the Trojans back within three points. Notre Dame mounted another long drive but managed only a field goal. USC added another field goal their next time out, and then forced the Irish into a three-and-out to get the ball back with just over a minute and a half remaining and a chance to take the lead before halftime. The Irish defense had other ideas as they picked off Wittek’s first pass attempt; ultimately setting up Kyle Brindza for a career long 52-yard field goal, which he nailed. The Irish led 16-10 at the half, but it was far from over.

Max Wittek’s first pass of the second half was also picked off, but this time the Irish could not capitalize. It went back and forth until about the six minute mark in the third when Brindza hit his fourth field goal of the day to give Notre Dame a two possession lead at 19-10. USC added a field goal on their next drive to cut the lead back to six but that would be as close as they got.

Aided by a 60-yard kick return by George Atkinson III, the Irish were set up in great field position and used it to their advantage. They quickly marched inside the Trojan 10-yard line but were held out of the end zone. It didn’t matter because Kyle Brindza’s fifth field goal of the night proved to be the nail in USC’s coffin.

Next:

At 12-0 and the No. 1 team in the BCS rankings, Notre Dame is set up for the BCS title game against the winner of this weekend’s SEC Championship game, Georgia or Alabama. Both teams sport stout defenses and good quarterbacks. I’d give Georgia the edge in the passing attack (which could cause ND fits if they cannot get pressure) and Alabama the edge in the rushing attack. Regardless of which team emerges out of Atlanta we should have a great title game on our hands.

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Michigan State 26 – Minnesota 10

Dan Conroy's four FGs clinched a bowl bid for MSU (Paul Battaglia, AP)

Record: 6-6, 3-5 Big Ten
This Week: Regular season over

Michigan State was looking to get bowl eligible against a Minnesota team that just cannot catch a break. Le’Veon Bell made sure the Spartan offense did its part, rushing for 266 yards and a touchdown, while Dan Conroy made four field goals.

On defense, they looked like the Sparty of last year, holding the Golden Gophers to a mere 96 yards of total offense, 92 of which came through the air.

The Gophers took the lead 7-3 in the first on the heels of a pick six by Aaron Hill but that would be the only time they found the end zone. Conroy added a field goal, then Andrew Maxwell found Bennie Fowler for a 41-yard touchdown pass less than three minutes later to go up 13-7. Sparty picked off four passes and made the most of them as they held off a Gopher team without its head coach in the second half.

Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill suffered yet another seizure during halftime and did not return. Our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.

Next:

With the win Michigan State became bowl eligible. It wasn’t quite what they expected but they should be thankful to be going bowling at all. At this point we don’t know for sure who they’ll play but it won’t be a New Year’s day bowl, we know that much. We will find out the matchup on Sunday evening.

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Ohio State 26 – Michigan 21
Record: 12-0
This Week: Season over

We won’t rehash the tragedy that struck on Saturday, but Ohio State’s season ends before December due to NCAA sanctions. In true Buckeye fashion, they honored the man who put them on probation during the first quarter of Saturday’s game, giving him a standing ovation and lifting him onto their shoulders. That’s all you need to know about our rivals to the south.

A thousand words (Jay LaPrete, AP)