Fake Big Ten Standings III

Michigan claimed the first and only Fake Big Ten title with a 4-0-0 stretch run, including a win over archrival Michigan State at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena on February 2nd. Photo: MGoBlue.com

Michigan probably won't win any actual trophies this season, but they will always be able to claim a title in the only season of the Fake Big Ten, 2012-2013. The Wolverines used a late-season 4-0-0 surge against Michigan State and Ohio State to edge out Minnesota, whose loss to Wisconsin on February 17th in the outdoor Hockey City Classic at Chicago's Soldier Field proved fatal.

Unfortunately for the maize-and-blue, they don't get an autobid to the NCAA tournament for winning the Fake Big Ten - in that sense, the Gophers get the last laugh as the only future Big Tenner likely to earn the right to play for a (real) national championship.

Penn State finished third, a result just as stunning as the 3-2 overtime win at Wisconsin Monday in the final game of the season for both the Nittany Lions and the Fake Big Ten that clinched a top-half placement (only NCAA Division I games are counted in PSU's overall numbers, by the way). The Badgers were Holstromed into fourth, while Ohio State dropped to fifth after being swept by Michigan over the weekend. Michigan State... well, at least this doesn't count for anything.

Obviously, this isn't a perfect way to look at things by any stretch of the imagination, although generally, teams did grab a decent sample of games against future Big Ten rivals this season. Minnesota-Wisconsin and Michigan-Michigan State-Ohio State games are ensured by present conference arrangements, of course. However MSU, to their credit, also scheduled Penn State and Minnesota, only missing Wisconsin. Independent PSU worked in those games against the Spartans, as well as the Buckeyes and Badgers. OSU played three of the five, with CCHA opponent Michigan joining the Nittany Lions and Spartans. Minnesota (Wisconsin, Michigan), Michigan (Michigan State, Ohio State) and Wisconsin (Minnesota, Penn State) hit two.

Here are the final standings:

	Conference				Overall
	W-L-T	Pts.	Pct.	GF-GA	W-L-T	GF-GA
Michigan	6-1-0	12	0.857	31-20	12-18-2	99-115
Minnesota	4-1-1	9	0.750	22-10	21-6-5	117-64
Penn State	3-2-0	6	0.600	14-18	11-12-0	64-72
Wisconsin	2-3-1	5	0.417	15-13	14-11-7	75-65
Ohio State	2-3-0	4	0.400	14-17	13-14-7	81-82
Michigan State	2-9-0	4	0.182	24-42	10-21-3	72-94

Conference Results

October 12: Michigan State 1 at Minnesota 5 [box score]
October 13: Michigan State 1 at Minnesota 7 [box score]
November 9: Michigan State 1 at Michigan 5 [box score]
November 10: Michigan 2 at Michigan State 7 [box score]
November 16: Wisconsin 2 at Minnesota 2 [box score]
November 17: Wisconsin 1 at Minnesota 3 [box score]
November 30: Ohio State 1 at Michigan State 0 [box score]
December 1: Ohio State 3 at Michigan State 1 [box score]
December 29: Penn State 5 vs. Ohio State 4 (Pittsburgh, PA) [box score]
December 30: Michigan State 2 vs. Michigan 5 (Detroit, MI) [box score]
January 25: Penn State 3 at Michigan State 5 [box score]
January 26: Penn State 3 at Michigan State 2 [box score]
February 1: Michigan State 2 at Michigan 3 [box score]
February 2: Michigan State 2 vs. Michigan 5 (Detroit, MI) [box score]
February 15: Minnesota 3 at Wisconsin 2 [box score]
February 17: Minnesota 2 vs. Wisconsin 3 (Chicago, IL) [box score]
February 22: Michigan 5 at Ohio State 3 [box score]
February 23: Michigan 6 at Ohio State 3 [box score]
February 24: Penn State 0 at Wisconsin 5 [box score]
February 25: Penn State 3 at Wisconsin 2 (OT) [box score]

Fake Big Ten Standings II

Luke Juha and the Penn State defense neutralized Ohio State star Ryan Dzingel just enough to take over first place in the Fake Big Ten. Photo: Steve Manuel/GoPSUSports.com

Even though the Fake Big Ten Standings was initially intended as a lazy throwaway post, the first installment was actually pretty popular, so I'm offering this update, to be followed by others at the end of January and February. Hey, why not?

Just to restate my idiot-repelling caveat, I know that this is in no way legitimate. That's why it's the Fake Big Ten. The major flaw, of course, is the current conference alignment. With three future Big Ten schools in the CCHA, two in the WCHA and independent Penn State, teams generally don't play anything resembling a true Big Ten schedule, or even one that can be compared to other future conference rivals for any reason beyond novelty.

The Fake Big Ten received a nice boost over the weekend when Penn State and Ohio State ended up playing each other at the Three Rivers Classic, while Michigan and Michigan State met in the Great Lakes Invitational (neither matchup was guaranteed going into the tournaments). Because I'm still high on hubris from the Nittany Lions' victory over OSU, let's rank teams by points percentage. Speaking of PSU, I only included NCAA Division I games in the overall mark - it just didn't feel right including wins over the likes of DIII Fredonia for something like this, not when Minnesota is obliterating Boston College in their out-of-conference games.

	Conference				Overall
	W-L-T	Pts.	Pct.	GF-GA	W-L-T	GF-GA
Penn State	1-0-0	2	1.000	5-4	6-8-0	39-45
Minnesota	3-0-1	7	0.875	17-5	13-3-3	69-35
Ohio State	2-1-0	4	0.667	8-6	7-8-5	39-41
Michigan	2-1-0	4	0.667	12-10	7-10-2	55-63
Wisconsin	0-1-1	1	0.250	3-5	4-7-5	35-36
Michigan State	1-6-0	2	0.143	13-28	5-11-3	40-54

Conference Results

October 12: Michigan State 1 at Minnesota 5 [box score]
October 13: Michigan State 1 at Minnesota 7 [box score]
November 9: Michigan State 1 at Michigan 5 [box score]
November 10: Michigan 2 at Michigan State 7 [box score]
November 16: Wisconsin 2 at Minnesota 2 [box score]
November 17: Wisconsin 1 at Minnesota 3 [box score]
November 30: Ohio State 1 at Michigan State 0 [box score]
December 1: Ohio State 3 at Michigan State 1 [box score]
December 29: Penn State 5 vs. Ohio State 4 (Pittsburgh, PA) [box score]
December 30: Michigan State 2 vs. Michigan 5 (Detroit, MI) [box score]

Conference Games Remaining

January 25: Penn State at Michigan State
January 26: Penn State at Michigan State
February 1: Michigan State at Michigan
February 2: Michigan State vs. Michigan (Detroit, MI)
February 15: Minnesota at Wisconsin
February 17: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin (Chicago, IL)
February 22: Michigan at Ohio State
February 23: Michigan at Ohio State
February 24: Penn State at Wisconsin
February 25: Penn State at Wisconsin

Fake Big Ten Standings

Tom Serratore and Minnesota held off Lee Reimer and Michigan State in a key early-season series.

Just because it's the laziest post I could conjure up for Sunday Funday, here's a look at the Fake Big Ten standings so far this year, through the games of Saturday night.

The major flaw in looking at this, of course, is the current conference alignment. With three future Big Ten schools in the CCHA, two in the WCHA and independent Penn State, teams generally don't play anything resembling a true Big Ten schedule, or even one that can be compared to other future conference rivals for any reason beyond novelty. But hey, that's why this is the Fake Big Ten.

Still, it should be said that Michigan State will play every Big Ten opponent but Wisconsin, while Penn State and Ohio State could end up playing at least three of the five (if PSU and OSU meet at the Three Rivers Classic). Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin will each get two opponents in.

                ----Conference----   -----Overall-----
                W-L-T  Pts.  GF-GA   W-L-T  Pts.  GF-GA
Minnesota       3-0-1    7   17- 5   7-2-2   16   36-21
Michigan        1-1-0    2    7- 8   4-6-1    9   40-39
Michigan State  1-3-0    2   10-19   4-6-2   10   30-35 
Wisconsin       0-1-1    1    3- 5   1-5-2    4   14-21
Penn State      0-0-0    0    0- 0   6-3-0   12   30-22
Ohio State      0-0-0    0    0- 0   4-3-3   11   19-21

Conference Results

October 12: Michigan State 1 at Minnesota 5 [box score]
October 13: Michigan State 1 at Minnesota 7 [box score]
November 9: Michigan State 1 at Michigan 5 [box score]
November 10: Michigan 2 at Michigan State 7 [box score]
November 16: Wisconsin 2 at Minnesota 2 [box score]
November 17: Wisconsin 1 at Minnesota 3 [box score]

Conference Games Remaining

November 30: Ohio State at Michigan State
December 1: Ohio State at Michigan State
December 29: Penn State vs. Ohio State (Pittsburgh, PA)*
December 30: Michigan State vs. Michigan (Detroit, MI)*
January 25: Penn State at Michigan State
January 26: Penn State at Michigan State
February 1: Michigan State at Michigan
February 2: Michigan State vs. Michigan (Detroit, MI)
February 15: Minnesota at Wisconsin
February 17: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin (Chicago, IL)
February 22: Michigan at Ohio State
February 23: Michigan at Ohio State
February 24: Penn State at Wisconsin
February 25: Penn State at Wisconsin

* Tentative, conditional on in-season tournament results.