Huh-uuuuuuuuuge win...
The Buckeyes went into the Breslin Center and beat MSU for the first time since 1992.
Naturally, the game was not on TV here in Michigan. Fox Sports chose to show a game between the Red Wings and Canadiens alumni teams and no local station picked it up on ESPN-Plus. I hate this state so much.
Now all that stands in the way of at least a share of a Big Ten title are home dates with Michigan and Purdue and a roadie at Northwestern.
I'm hoping that the combination of Northwestern's strong showing in Columbus and Michigan's big win over Illinois will add up to the Buckeyes taking those two games very seriously. Then, it's just a matter of finishing strong against the Boilers.
The other four-loss teams probably have tougher remaining schedules.
Iowa is at Illinois (very tough) before finishing at home against Penn State (gimme) and Wisconsin (not easy).
The Badgers are at Northwestern (not a gimme), home for Minnesota (gimme), at Michigan State (tough), and at Iowa (tough).
One is guaranteed to lose, since they play, and both have tough road games on top of that. There's a good chance OSU could win the league outright.
This season has been almost as out-of-leftfield as the 1999 Final Four run.
I've pretty much completely convinced myself to go to the Big Ten Tourney. And jeez... wouldn't it be convenient if OSU played some of its NCAA games in Auburn Hills...
Finally, here's a crazy thought: with a win tomorrow night, the OSU women's basketball team would clinch the Big Ten title. The OSU men control their own destiny to win at least a piece of the championship with three more wins.
That means that in one academic year, OSU could win at least a share of a Big Ten Championship in football, men's basketball and women's basketball. Without looking it up, I'm going to guess it's been a very long time since that has happened in the Big Ten, and maybe even nationally.
3 Comments:
You weren't alone in your inability to see the game. It wasn't shown in Toledo. Toledo's ESPN+ affiliate is a UPN station, and they show UPN network programming on weeknights, (Thanks, guys, I've been waiting all week to see the new episode of "South Beach" -- NOT!). The only mid-week Big Ten games I've been able to see all year have been the ones that were broadcast nationally.
So not only did the Detroit area miss seeing the game, so did Northwest Ohio. At least I was able to listen to the game (not great, but better than nothing).
I guess I lucked out here on the west side of the state (Grand Rapids). I got to see the Buckeyes' thrashing since Comcast Local picked up the ESPN+ feed.
I got it on Comcast local in Monroe, too.
Post a Comment
<< Home