Indiana's Conference Schedule Ranked 14th in B1G This Season

[MTHawkeyes43]

I understand that the conference schedule is the luck of the draw. Watching the Iowa vs. Indiana game the other night ESPN put up a graphic that showed Indiana playing the 14th ranked schedule in the league this year. What I find appalling is how the major sports pundits do not find that troubling; however, let the Hawkeyes football team play a weak conference schedule and it is nonstop on all of the sports talk shows. Moreover, that is one of the aspects that I dislike about the super conferences. Indiana gets a double bye playing a weak conference schedule. They played Purdue, Maryland, and Michigan State just once and Purdue and Maryland they played at home.

To clarify my point I am not complaining about Indiana, I suggest that this is the down side of the super conferences. Back in the day when the B1G was a true ten team league it was a true home and home with each team.

 

[cubsMDdmb]

Indiana beat us twice, including in Iowa City. We shouldn't complain about them. They won it and deserved to win it.

 

[GPRHAWK]

it is an unfortunate consequence of super conferences. If we had won the B1G with our schedule that would have been quite an accomplishment.

 

[MepoDawg#]

Saw a graphic of the past so many B1G champs. Most had 11th or worse in conference strength of schedule.

 

[StormHawk42]

After the Iowa football season, I would figure we would be the last ones to complain about conference scheduling.

 

[ROCKY MOUNTAIN HAWK]

Saw a graphic of the past so many B1G champs. Most had 11th or worse in conference strength of schedule.

Wow, that's interesting.

 

[MepoDawg#]

Wow, that's interesting.

I think it was in the Indy broadcast this weekend so I can't find it.

 

[MepoDawg#]

Found it on a Indy paper article.

In fact, since 2002, of the 11 outright Big Ten champions, only three -- 2007 Ohio State, 2013 Indiana and 2014 Michigan -- have finished better than 10th in the Big Ten in conference SoS*. Only one of those three, IU three years ago, finished in the top half of the conference, and even then, only barely, at sixth.

 

[billholub]

Actually it's not really that weird if you think about it ...

In a full round robin conference, the conference winner would have the easiest conference schedule every single year ...

 

[ROCKY MOUNTAIN HAWK]

Found it on a Indy paper article.

In fact, since 2002, of the 11 outright Big Ten champions, only three -- 2007 Ohio State, 2013 Indiana and 2014 Michigan -- have finished better than 10th in the Big Ten in conference SoS*. Only one of those three, IU three years ago, finished in the top half of the conference, and even then, only barely, at sixth.

That's a crazy stat that nobody thinks about.

 

[El Simbolo]

IU bball didn't get the same treatment as UI fball becuz national championships are settled differently in bball. IU doesn't simply now need to beat MSU in a single game to reach the Final Four

 

[MepoDawg#]

Actually it's not really that weird if you think about it ...

In a full round robin conference, the conference winner would have the easiest conference schedule every single year ...

If only the B1G was a true round robin.

 

[El Simbolo]

With the unbalanced schedules maybe it's time to start recognizing the BTT champ as "The Conf Champ". The ACC does that. Does anyone else?

 

[bulletproof90]

And Rutgers had the toughest schedule because they didn't get to play...Rutgers.

 

[SDHawkDoc]

Ugh. Bracketology has indiana as the 3 seed in Des Moines.

 

[El Simbolo]

Is there a website with this Conf SOS?

 

[StormHawk42]

Ugh. Bracketology has indiana as the 3 seed in Des Moines.

I think if Iowa can get through Purdue AND Indiana, they may be able to bump them out of that line. That would give Iowa 6 top 25 wins. Idk maybe it's just wishful thinking.

 

[MTHawkeyes43]

Is there a website with this Conf SOS?

http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_conf_Men.html

 

[Hawkeye_311]

The four worst teams in the final standings were teams we only played once. The schedule matters a lot when teams are evenly matched.

 

[DarkThunder#61]

They deserved to win it.

Nahhhh.

 

[DarkThunder#61]

Ugh. Bracketology has indiana as the 3 seed in Des Moines.

And Iowans should boo them when they play. The whole game. Just chant Crean sucks the whole game and watch the Hoosier make an early exit. I'll laugh.

 

[RockEyeState]

After the Iowa football season, I would figure we would be the last ones to complain about conference scheduling.

Yeah, as much as I abhor getting 2 L's to Indiana in close games, the Hawkeye hoopsters had a chance to do something very special. Over half-way thru, I thought they had done it. They let it slip thru their fingers, by never learning to shoot clutch Free throws.

 

[DewHawk]

I was thinking about Indiana's season as I watched them dismantle Maryland yesterday and came to the conclusion (Captain Obvious) they are very good team at this point. But IMO, the advantage they had with the very weak schedule was their players had time to mature/play more minutes/develop against weaker competition and still win. If they had a tougher schedule upfront I think they would definitely not be the team they are today. Their confidence right now is off the charts and Yogi is one of the best point guards in the country.

 

[El Simbolo]

They beat us twice head-to-head, so I'm not going to argue the merit of their conference championship, but difference in their schedule compared to ours and Wisconsin's is astounding. The combined conference record of both us and Wisconsin, once you remove games played against us, is 165-141. Indiana's is 145-161. IU played Nebraska, Illinois, & Minnesota twice. We didn't play any of those three or Rutgers more than once. Of the bottom eight teams the only one Wisconsin played twice is Illinois. Within the top six, IU & MSU only played two of the other five twice. We played three of the five twice, and Wisconsin played four of the five twice. Here's the full breakdown of the top eight teams: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/58995716/B1G SOS.pdf

Maybe its just as well IU swept us ;-) Had we beaten them last week only to finish a game behind them, this SOS disparity may have driven me nuts.

 

[Ronman]

Yes, they beat us twice, but just think if the schedules had been reversed and they would have had to play MSU and Purdue twice each in the first month of the season. They may have picked up more than the 3 defeats that they wound up with.