The NCAA tournament selection committee's mock reveal on Saturday didn't bring too many surprises, with the 16 teams mostly matching the consensus top 16 entering the weekend. But it did raise one interesting talking point that will be worth considering the rest of the season: the pecking order at the top of the Big Ten. Michigan, Ohio State and Illinois were 3-4-5 in the mock reveal and have been 3-4-5 in these Power Rankings over the past two weeks. But I can't imagine it ends that way, and who knows how much room will be available for the league on the 1-seed line or in the top five.
Michigan has the edge right now, and the Wolverines started to resemble their pre-pause selves in the second half against Wisconsin. Ohio State has the best top-end résumé of the group, with eight Quadrant 1 wins and the head-to-head advantage over Illinois, while the Fighting Illini have the best talent of the group on paper and perhaps the highest ceiling.
This will sort itself out, though. Michigan could get a few more games to make up for postponements, but right now, the Wolverines still have to go to Ohio State and host Iowa. The Buckeyes must face both Michigan and Illinois, as well as Iowa. The Illini have four of their final five games (as of now) on the road, but they likely have the friendliest stretch in terms of opponents.
The top of the Big Ten and how those three teams look in a few weeks will have a huge impact on how the top of the bracket looks in a month.
