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Big Ten Bracketology: It’s January 8, and someone thinks Rutgers is going to be a 7-seed

And I can’t even argue with them.

NCAA Basketball: Rutgers at Michigan State
STEVIE PIKE’S GOT HIS DANCIN’ SHOES
Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Holy shit, NCAA Tournament bracketology is back.

I’m not prepared for this—physically, emotionally, you name it. My own basketball team, the Northwestern Wildcats, are incredibly terrible and have approximately seven scholarship players healthy, which is not to say they have seven Big Ten-caliber scholarship players healthy. So these are not terribly fun for me, but the idea of checking on the two other teams I care about—the Marquette Golden Eagles and Drake Bulldogs—roped me in today.

Well, and this tweet:

Why yes, you did read that correctly. After the cheatin-ass North Carolina Tar Heels and “field”, Illinois and Rutgers are the two teams most favored to win the NIT.

Why yes, it is January 8.

Let’s just start the drinking.

Big Ten Bracketology

B1G Observations

  • Michigan State and a 2-seed. Feels like this is just what they are every year, even if it’s only been 2016 and 2019.
  • It’ll be fun to watch Ohio State and Maryland basically just flip-flop spots when the next editions of these projections come out.
  • Either way, looking like those two teams, plus Michigan, could make a pretty strong collection of Big Ten teams on the 3- or 4-lines.
  • No, I don’t think Penn State will be a 4- or 5-seed, like most of these projections seem to think. That’s not intended as a knee-jerk reaction to their loss last night at Rutgers, just a commentary on the rough-and-tumble nature of the conference.
  • Give it a week, and wisconsin will be on the 7-line, Iowa will be tumbling out unless they get healthy in a damn hurry.
  • So what does this mean for Indiana, Purdue, or Minnesota? Your guess is as good as mine. This is January bracketology. What are you even doing here?
  • Oh that’s right: Here for what SBN’s own Chris Dobbertean is predicting to be the #7 SEED RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS. This is the darkest timeline. Stock up on canned peaches and Twinkies.

Poll

WHAT SEED DOES RUTGERS GET

This poll is closed

  • 13%
    6 OR BETTER
    (57 votes)
  • 7%
    7
    (29 votes)
  • 9%
    8
    (40 votes)
  • 14%
    9
    (59 votes)
  • 19%
    10
    (81 votes)
  • 6%
    11
    (26 votes)
  • 5%
    12
    (22 votes)
  • 5%
    FIRST FOUR
    (24 votes)
  • 12%
    #1 — IN THE NIT
    (50 votes)
  • 6%
    NONE OF THE ABOVE
    (26 votes)
414 votes total Vote Now

Poll

How many Big Ten teams make the NCAA Tournament?

This poll is closed

  • 23%
    10
    (86 votes)
  • 37%
    9
    (135 votes)
  • 26%
    8
    (95 votes)
  • 9%
    7
    (33 votes)
  • 3%
    6 or fewer
    (11 votes)
360 votes total Vote Now

Remember that this is all too early and the heat death of the universe is imminent and nothing matters, so if your first comment is going to be “ThiS iS dUm ItS tOo EaRlY” just go jump off a bridge.