Who is the greatest Big Ten coach of all time? There's one way to find out: by pitting the best of the best in our own version of March Madness.
Our Big Ten coaches tournament bracket is down to the final eight competitors, with a Final Four bid on the line. Our top four overall seeds received first-round byes but now find themselves in some heated battles.
The third of our four second-round games features the first upset from the first round and one of most-recognizable figures in Big Ten history ...
No. 2 Michigan's Bo Schembechler vs. No. 10 Wisconsin's Barry Alvarez
Tournament résumés:
Alvarez: He revived the Badgers program during his 16 years as head coach in Madison, compiling 118 wins and three Rose Bowl championships. In fact, Alvarez is the only league coach to win back-to-back Rose Bowls. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010, and he always brought a certain swagger to the field that can still be felt in the program, which he oversees as athletic director.
Schembechler: "Those who stay will be champions" was a motto Schembechler used early in his tenure, and he proved that to be true -- at least as far as Big Ten titles. His 13 league championships are tied for the most ever, and his 143 Big Ten victories are the second-most all time. Schembechler has the highest conference winning percentage (.850) of any coach who competed in the Big Ten for at least 10 years. The one thing missing? No national title.
Which coach advances? Voting is open through the weekend, and drop us a note as to why you voted the way you did. The best responses will run in our results posts.
