The train you hear rolling down the track is the biggest week in Ohio State’s (15-5, 5-4) season. On Tuesday night, Purdue (17-4, 6-2), winner of six straight steams into Value City Arena and on Saturday night the Buckeyes play Minnesota (18-3, 6-3). Win both and the Buckeyes earn their place at the bar with the Big Ten’s upper tier.  Two losses, however, and the Buckeyes find themselves knee deep. (more…)

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Six games into the Conference season, here’s an indiscriminate collection of players we enjoy watching without sole regard to their individual numbers.  Some are stars, some will be stars, some are glue.  All make their teams better, which at the end of the day is all that really matters. (more…)

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The reign of Purdue’s Chris Kramer as the Big Ten’s finest defensive player is over.  Rather than a knock on Kramer, it’s an acknowledgment that Minnesota’s Damian Johnson is a remarkable player and a defensive force.  After hounding future lottery pick Earl Clark into a miserable shooting game in the Golden Gophers’ 70-64 win over Louisville, Johnson gets another shot at proving his mettle when Raymar Morgan and Michigan State hit Williams Arena at high noon. (more…)

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So it’s official.  On Friday night, Michigan was the first Big Ten team to fall, losing fair and square to Duke. They’ll get another crack at Duke in two weeks in Ann Arbor. Wisconsin could be the second conference team to stumble when they play No. 2 UConn tonight. After a weekend of football blow outs, Big Ten fans now turn their attention in earnest to basketball. (more…)

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