The Michigan Wolverines dropped a pivotal game in Ann Arbor to Michigan State this weekend, but their Big Ten championship hopes aren’t dead yet. Today, we rank the final five games by importance as the Wolverines attempt to reclaim the top spot:
The weekend started off rough for Michigan Wolverines fans, as they watched Michigan State beat the Wolverines by double-digits at Crisler Center. It was the Wolverines’ first loss in a month — and their first at home all season — and it was the most costly of the season with the Spartans taking sole possession of first place in the Big Ten.
Now with five games to go, Michigan is a half-game out of the top spot. The Wolverines need a strong performance down the stretch to regain the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and/or share the Big Ten regular season title. Today, we rank each game in order of importance.
No. 5 – Michigan vs Rutgers, 2/27 @ 9 p.m.
The Scarlet Knights have had an underwhelming season after bringing in two five-star freshmen — they are below .500 and have won just four of their last 10. These two teams saw each other earlier in the month, as Rutgers was without star freshman Dylan Harper. Still, the Scarlet Knights hung around, with Michigan only winning by three. There are no excuses to this game with what is at stake and having it be at Crisler Center.
No. 4 – Michigan vs Illinois, 3/2 @ 3:45 p.m.
Illinois has been in a free fall the last few weeks, losing six of its last 10 and recently getting blown out by Wisconsin and Michigan State. Right now, the Illini are at risk of being a bubble team if they can’t turn the corner soon. It’ll be a race to 80 points, as Illinois is 1-5 this season when allowing that many points.
No. 3 – Michigan @ Nebraska, 2/24 @ 8 p.m.
Coming off the loss to Michigan State, the Wolverines need to bounce back, and Lincoln is one of the most difficult places to play in the country. The Huskers are on the bubble, so a win over Michigan may be the difference between them making the tournament or not.
No. 2 – Michigan vs Maryland, 3/5 @ 6:30 p.m.
It feels a little disrespectful to have this game at No. 2, given they have won 10 of their last 12, but we all know what is coming at the top of this list. Maryland’s starting lineup averages more than 10 points per game, including Derik Queen and Julian Reese, who nearly average a double-double apiece. Pair them with two of the best three-point shooters in the country, Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Seton Miguel, and you have a team that still has hopes of a Big Ten crown of their own.
No. 1 – Michigan @ Michigan State, 3/9 @ noon ET
No other game will be as important as this one. Michigan State was able to come into Ann Arbor to earn the top spot this past weekend, but it won just the battle, not the war. While the Spartans have one less game remaining than Michigan, their schedule is tougher. They go to Maryland next, host Wisconsin, and then head to Iowa before finishing the season against Michigan. The Wolverines are still very much in play at earning sole possession of that top spot, and there is just something about this game that makes it feel like it could lead to that scenario.