We're reaching the end of January, getting closer to the all anticipated conference tournaments and the big dance. Most of the Big Ten have about ten games left on their schedules before the postseason in March, each game all the more important for those who are jockeying for position in the standings.
Two such teams are No. 3 Ohio State (18-3, 6-2) and No. 22 Michigan (16-5, 6-2), who play this Sunday in Columbus on CBS as the Game of the Week. The Wolverines bounced back from their third straight road loss against the Arkansas Razorbacks to beat Purdue at their place on Tuesday, allowing them to keep pace with Ohio State and Michigan State (17-4, 6-2) atop the Big Ten.
All three of the Buckeyes' losses this season have come on the road and they have won three straight overall by an average of 25 points. Winner stays in first and loser drops; in other words, this is a monster game.
Beside the U-M/OSU rivalry game, this weekend's slate is thin, but here's a look at the rest of the relevant games this weekend:
Saturday, January 28
Purdue @ Northwestern; 4 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN3
Butler @ Green Bay; 7 p.m. ESPNU
Illinois @ Minnesota; 8 p.m. BTN
Sunday, January 29
No. 22 Michigan @ No. 3 Ohio State; 1 p.m. CBS
Iowa @ No. 17 Indiana; 6 p.m. Big Ten Network