This B1G Week 11/25-12/1

Hello and welcome friends to another edition of this B1G Week. So close. We were so close to having a perfect week in the Big Ten. The league as the whole went 20-1 with the lone loss belonging to Northwestern against Radford. Sure it wasn't against the toughest competition but perfection is still perfection.

That light competition is well deserved though with what's coming up. This is Feast Week with several Big Ten teams competing in Thanksgiving tournaments. This week will be followed up with the Big Ten ACC challenge and immediately after by the December conference games.

Note: we will not be making prediction for tournament games past the first round as opponents past that round are yet to be determined. 

Big Ten Game of the Week

Monday-Wednesday - Various Times - ESPN Networks - Maui Invitation - I'm choosing this as the conference game of the week because Michigan State has the potential to have the biggest matchup, possibly facing off against Kansas in the final. Georgia and Virginia Tech will be interesting teams to watch in the top half of the bracket but it'll be surprising if it's not the Jayhawks and Spartans playing for the title.

Nonconference Game of the Week

Wednesday-Friday - Various Times - ESPN Networks - Battle 4 Atlantis - This tournament does feature a conference team in Michigan but they aren't the featured player down in the Bahamas. Paradise Island this year features two top ten teams, North Carolina and Gonzaga, and a top fifteen matchup in the first round, Seton Hall vs Oregon. I expect Carolina to make it to the championship game but the bottom half of the bracket is anyone's game. 

Power Ranking

1. Michigan State (0)
2. Ohio State (0)
3. Maryland (0)
4. Michigan (0)
5. Wisconsin (0)
6. Penn State (0)
7. Indiana (0)
8. Purdue (0)
9. Illinois (0)
10. Rutgers (0)
11. Iowa (0)
12. Minnesota (0)
13. Nebraska (+1)
14. Northwestern (-1)

Power Ranking Thoughts

Only one change in this week's power rankings. We were left with no choice but to move Northwestern down a notch due to them ruining the conference's perfect week. That wasn't very Rad(ford) of them. 

Actual Rankings

1. Indiana - 5-0
2. Maryland - 5-0
3. Ohio State - 5-0
4. Penn State - 5-0
5. Michigan - 4-0
6. Illinois - 5-1
7. Iowa - 4-1
8. Rutgers - 4-1
9. Wisconsin - 4-1
10. Michigan State - 3-1
11. Purdue - 3-2
12. Minnesota - 3-3
13. Nebraska - 2-2
14. Northwestern - 2-2

B1G Picks

Monday

5 pm - ESPN 2 - Virginia Tech @ Michigan State

Grant's Pick: Michigan State, Troy's Pick: Michigan State

6:30 pm - BTN - Kent State @ Ohio State
Grant's Pick: Ohio State, Troy's Pick: Ohio State

7 pm - ESPN 2 - Wisconsin vs Richmond
Grant's Pick: Wisconsin, Troy's Pick: Wisconsin

7:30 pm - Washington State @ Nebraska
Grant's Pick: Nebraska, Troy's Pick: Nebraska

8:30 pm - BTN - Lousiana Tech @ Indiana
Grant's Pick: Indiana, Troy's Pick: Indiana

8:30 pm - FS1 - Bradley vs Northwestern
Grant's Pick: Bradley, Troy's Pick: Bradley

Tuesday

7 pm - BTN - NJIT @ Rutgers
Grant's Pick: Rutgers, Troy's Pick: Rutgers

8 - BTN + - Lindenwood @ Illinois
Grant's Pick: Illinois, Troy's Pick: Illinois

TBD - Wisconsin vs Auburn/New Mexico

TBD - Nebraska vs George Mason/Old Dominion 

TBD - Michigan State vs Dayton/Georgia

Wednesday

Noon - BTN - Michigan vs Iowa State

Grant's Pick: Michigan, Troy's Pick: Michigan

5 pm - ESPN 2 - Ole Miss @ Penn State
Grant's Pick: Ole Miss, Troy's Pick: Penn State

TBD - Northwestern vs Kansas State/Pittsburgh

TBD - Nebraska vs TBD

TBD - Michigan State vs TBD

Thursday

11 am - ESPN 2 - Maryland vs Temple
Grant's Pick: Maryland, Troy's Pick: Maryland

8 pm - FS1 - Texas Tech vs Iowa
Grant's Pick: Texas Tech, Troy's Pick: Texas Tech

TBD - ESPN/2 - Michigan vs Alabama/North Carolina

Friday

2 pm - BTN + - UMass @ Rutgers
Grant's Pick: Rutgers, Troy's Pick: Rutgers

3 pm - BTN + - DePaul @ Minnesota
Grant's Pick: Minnesota, Troy's Pick: Minnesota

9 pm - BTN - Morgan State @ Ohio State
Grant's Pick: Ohio State, Troy's Pick: Ohio State

9:30 - CBS Sports - VCU vs Purdue
Grant's Pick: VCU, Troy's Pick: VCU

TBD - ESPN 2/U/News - Penn State vs Oklahoma State/Syracuse

TBD - ESPN/2 - Michigan vs TBD

TBD - Maryland vs Texas A&M/Harvard

TBD - FS1 - Iowa vs Creighton/San Diego State

Saturday

Noon/4 pm - BTN/+ - South Dakota State @ Indiana

Grant's Pick: Indiana, Troy's Pick: Indiana

Sunday

TBD - Maryland vs TBD

Grant's Previous Week Pick Record: 20-1

Grant's Total Pick Record: 57-8

Troy's Previous Week Pick Record: 20-1

Troy's Total Pick Record: 55-11



To stay up to date on the newest Head in the Game articles (and general sports commentary), follow @headingameblog on Twitter. You can also find us on Twitter @T_RoyStory (Troy) and @G_Tingley (Grant)