Ideally, this entire article is debatable. Ideally, Michigan and the rest of the Big Ten contestants each play a full program of 20 games, and the winner is decided fairly.
Ideally.
The reality is that with a month to go, some teams (Nebraska) played only seven Big Ten games, while others (Ohio State) played 14.
Michigan is in the middle, having played nine, after five having been postponed in the past two weeks. The Wolverines return to action on Sunday. The last day of the regular season is scheduled for March 7. Michigan to complete a Top Ten list of 20 games would require 11 games in 22 days.
Damn it.
Is it very possible Michigan, Nebraska and possibly others – Illinois? Michigan State? – do not reach 20.
In announcing the original schedule, Big Ten did not address this scenario. The league did this despite – or perhaps because of – what happened during the football season.
A quick update on football: The Big Ten initially said that teams must play six games to appear in the league championship before changing their policy so that the best team, 5-0 Ohio State, could play.
Although postponements were inevitable for the hoops – the Big Ten acknowledged this by scheduling two series of “folding goodbyes” – there was no language about crowning a champion or placing teams in the league tournament in the event of an abbreviated regular season.
A Big Ten source told MLive on Tuesday afternoon that the conference’s 14 sports directors are involved in “active and ongoing discussions” on those same topics. Expect a public announcement within a week. Whether the classification is ultimately decided by something as simple as the percentage of victories remains to be seen.
“Flexibility is the keyword,” said the source. The Big Ten is already adjusting quickly, relocating its post-season tournament from Chicago to Indianapolis on Tuesday.
This is all very relevant for first place Michigan. The Wolverines are 8-1 in the league. Illinois is next in 9-3. The state of Ohio is 10-4. Michigan has yet to face either, and was only scheduled to play against each other once. Wisconsin, Purdue and Iowa each have five losses.
This is forming, like many years, to be a fight to the end – perhaps not so much for the first case Michigan continues to win, but certainly for the other seeds. Five teams have five or six defeats; four have seven.
The implications go beyond the race for the conference. Nine Big Ten teams are currently part of the NCAA Tournament field, with two others knocking on the door, via ESPN and CBS Sports.
Perhaps the league will be lucky and COVID-19, at least for the next month, will stop wreaking havoc on the schedule. Maybe Michigan and others will make their way to the end, playing every other night.
It is much more likely, however, that any contingencies that the Big Ten has to determine the classification will be used.
More basketball content in Michigan:
After a few ‘very long days’, Michigan basketball is back
A beloved porter, and the death of COVID that shook Michigan athletics
Michigan basketball rises in AP vote without playing