Game Thread: Nebraska @ Illinois — 2:30 on BTN

[Jack_John_Mark]

I think the majority of people in that committee would say via the eye test Nebraska is definitely a tourney team.

We screwed ourselves with our non-con schedule though and then obviously the Big 10 didn’t help us any. Add in the fact that Minnesota was about a 4 seed type of team when we beat them and then they lost half of their team....

It just might not be meant to be this year. We also lost games we could have won (such as Kansas) that would have flipped this whole story.

 

[psaboy]

Going to need a deep run in B1G tourney, at least semi final round if not champion game.

 

[gobigred]

Going to need a deep run in B1G tourney, at least semi final round if not champion game.

Semifinals won’t be close to enough now after yesterday’s bad loss. It’s make finals or win whole tournament

 

[Red_Alert]

Semifinals won’t be close to enough now after yesterday’s bad loss. It’s make finals or win whole tournament

And beat either Mich St, Ohio St, or Purdue in the process. If there are upsets leading up to it and Nebraska ends up facing lower RPI teams, that isn't going to help them.

 

[Jack_John_Mark]

There is about a 90% chance that we’re sitting there on selection day nervously awaiting our fate.

The only way that is not the case is if we win the tournament or drop both of these next 2 games.

 

[psaboy]

Semifinals won’t be close to enough now after yesterday’s bad loss. It’s make finals or win whole tournament

I think if they win out reg season and get a win over OSU, MIch, MSU or Purdue they make it. Also depends of they get 4 or 5 seed, if 5 seed they have to play extra game, start on Thursday. The way I see if they win out and Michigan win out they are 4 seed because they beat Michigan, not sure if that is correct, but isn't head to head 1st tie breaker?? If NU is 4 seed and Michigan 5 seed, then the 5th seed plays the 4th seed on Friday, if the 5 seed wins on Thursday. So that is W they would need in my mind

 

[Jack_John_Mark]

Nebraska needs a lot to go their way in order to get into this tournament without winning the Big 10 tournament.

Most importantly, Nebraska needs to obviously win out and also Michigan needs to win out so that our win over then remains quadrant 1. At that point we need Michigan to get past their 2nd round game so that we get the rematch, and then we need to do the improbable and beat them for a 2nd time, hoping to God that they don’t drop out of quadrant 1 for losing to us.

Then we need to move on and knock off what will likely be Michigan State for an opponent in the semi-finals. This would give us 3 quadrant 1 wins and 24 wins overall.

The hardest part about all of these pieces coming together is that Michigan’s last 2 games are both on the road at Penn State and Maryland. Those are both going to be extremely difficult games, and in fact they’ll probably be underdogs in both.

I’m no expert, but I’d say percentage-wise the chances of us pulling off our part AND Michigan pulling off theirs is about 10%.

 

[psaboy]

The only way Michigan is lower than 5 seed is if they lose both games and PSU beats Huskers in last regular season game. Not sure how tie breakers are determined if multiple teams are tied.

 

[Jack_John_Mark]

The only way Michigan is lower than 5 seed is if they lose both games and PSU beats Huskers in last regular season game. Not sure how tie breakers are determined if multiple teams are tied.

Yea, them being a 5-seed isn’t my concern. My concern is that they stay in quadrant 1.

Since the committee places such an emphasis on these stupid metrics they have, it’s important for us to end up with quadrant 1 wins. If Michigan loses one of these last games to either Penn State or Maryland, they’re gonna drop to quadrant 2 and suddenly our 4/5 matchup doesn’t help our resume much at all.

Like I said, we either need a lot to fall into place for us or we just flat out need to win the whole fuckin thing.