Big Ten tournament bracket...

[Puckhead]

So here is the basic bracket.

Michigan plays Penn State at 8 PM on Thursday. Can they make it three in a row?

If they win that game they play Minnesota at 8 PM on Friday.

If they win that game they play either Wisconsin, Ohio State, or Michigan State whoever comes out of the other half of the bracket. I would expect that to be either Wisconsin or Ohio State but who knows, there have been plenty of strange things happen this year.

The only way into the NCAA tournament for Michigan, of course, is to win the Big Ten.

Minnesota looks to be a lock for the tournament sitting at #5 in the Pairwise. I would say that has them playing the Big Ten tournament in the hunt for a #1 seed in the NCAA. There isn't a lot separating them from #4, it might be a bigger stretch for them to move up beyond that, but winning the Big Ten would help them (especially if Western stumbles). Penn State and Ohio State are inching down toward that bubble territory sitting at numbers 13 and 14 respectively. Surprisingly, or maybe not, I'm not sure what the first half of their season looked like, Wisconsin who finished second in the Big Ten is on the outside looking in and likely has to win the Big Ten tournament to make the NCAA as well (they are currently #18 in the Pairwise). I don't think I've ever seen Michigan so far out of contention, at least in the years of the Pairwise, as they sit all the way down at #36 (while they have had a couple of good weeks, this isn't a big surprise given how their year went overall).

So a couple days to rest and prepare and then their last shot at extending the season begins Thursday. I don't know how I feel about that, well I do, it's just a strange place to be. I've never liked the fact that sub .500 teams can get into the tournament (happens because of how the auto-bids are given to conference champions). Even if they win all three tournament games next weekend Michigan would still be two games below .500 and it just doesn't seem right that they could take a tournament spot from a team that had a better overall year because they had a good weekend. However, those are the rules and everybody has been playing under them for a number of years so nobody should be taken by surprise and from a purely selfish point of view it would be nice to see these guys get a chance to make some noise (especially some of the Seniors who stuck with it at Michigan). Of course that doesn't mean it feels any more right just because it's Michigan that could get in by virtue of that auto-bid process, although I wouldn't feel so bad that I would lose sleep over it. It's just a strange place we seem to have gotten to this year.

 

[alfadriver]

Here's what's really interesting about Thursday's game- PSU has a MASSIVE amount of pressure on it. After a great season, with some of it spent at #1, if we beat them, I'd be pretty confident that they will not get an autobid. Need MSUStudent to run the numbers, though.

So going into the game, we are on a high, playing well, and apparently having a really good time. No real pressure, as I see it. Nothing really to lose- everything to win.

 

[jz597]

It's awfully hard to beat a team 3 in a row, and Penn St. does have some legitimate talent. That said, I suppose I'd rather be heading into the game the way we finished the weekend than the way they did. They'll have the last change, so that limits our ability to match lines, although I'm not sure how much we did that over the weekend.

I would guess that the crowd (or lack thereof) will make it a bring your enthusiasm kind of game and that's where last weekend might help us. I really think we need to play from in front. If we can get an early one, my bet is that Penn St starts feeling some doubt, especially after firing almost 100 shots and only getting 2 in.

Here's hoping the string of solid team performances continues and that our goalies stay hot.

 

[STPGopherfan]

So here is the basic bracket.

Michigan plays Penn State at 8 PM on Thursday. Can they make it three in a row?

If they win that game they play Minnesota at 8 PM on Friday.

If they win that game they play either Wisconsin, Ohio State, or Michigan State whoever comes out of the other half of the bracket. I would expect that to be either Wisconsin or Ohio State but who knows, there have been plenty of strange things happen this year.

The only way into the NCAA tournament for Michigan, of course, is to win the Big Ten.

Minnesota looks to be a lock for the tournament sitting at #5 in the Pairwise. I would say that has them playing the Big Ten tournament in the hunt for a #1 seed in the NCAA. There isn't a lot separating them from #4, it might be a bigger stretch for them to move up beyond that, but winning the Big Ten would help them (especially if Western stumbles). Penn State and Ohio State are inching down toward that bubble territory sitting at numbers 13 and 14 respectively. Surprisingly, or maybe not, I'm not sure what the first half of their season looked like, Wisconsin who finished second in the Big Ten is on the outside looking in and likely has to win the Big Ten tournament to make the NCAA as well (they are currently #18 in the Pairwise). I don't think I've ever seen Michigan so far out of contention, at least in the years of the Pairwise, as they sit all the way down at #36 (while they have had a couple of good weeks, this isn't a big surprise given how their year went overall).

So a couple days to rest and prepare and then their last shot at extending the season begins Thursday. I don't know how I feel about that, well I do, it's just a strange place to be. I've never liked the fact that sub .500 teams can get into the tournament (happens because of how the auto-bids are given to conference champions). Even if they win all three tournament games next weekend Michigan would still be two games below .500 and it just doesn't seem right that they could take a tournament spot from a team that had a better overall year because they had a good weekend. However, those are the rules and everybody has been playing under them for a number of years so nobody should be taken by surprise and from a purely selfish point of view it would be nice to see these guys get a chance to make some noise (especially some of the Seniors who stuck with it at Michigan). Of course that doesn't mean it feels any more right just because it's Michigan that could get in by virtue of that auto-bid process, although I wouldn't feel so bad that I would lose sleep over it. It's just a strange place we seem to have gotten to this year.

What you said. Not sure I'd want to face your team in the tourney. Especially at the Joe. Good luck. Just not too much. ;-)