College Basketball Big Ten Power Rankings Tiers: Badgers Plummet

Tier V: Penn State, Rutgers, Indiana, Michigan

It's Minneapolis or bust for this tier, all of whom are nowhere near the required parameters for an at-large bid. As we've mentioned before, the real headline here is which head coaches survive the offseason among this group. Mike Rhoades is clearly safe at Penn State in his first season in Happy Valley. Steve Pikiell has blue-chip recruits coming in next season in what could be a put-up-or-shut-up season for him at the helm. That leaves Mike Woodson and Juwan Howard, who were both under serious fire from their fanbases in 2023-24. With Indiana alum Dusty May potentially departing Florida Atlantic this offseason and the controversies surrounding Howard, those are the two names to monitor this offseason.

Tier II: Illinois

Illinois did well to bounce back from their Penn State loss with a victory over Iowa, but it wasn't as easy as the double-digit margin indicated. Tied with under six minutes to go, the Illini pulled away to avoid another defeat, remaining alone in second in the Big Ten standings. They feel like they're on an island in this second tier as a team that has proven to be better than those in the lower tiers but not at the level of the Boilermakers. Perhaps they can prove they can keep up with Purdue in Tuesday's home stand against the conference leader.

Tier III: Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Northwestern

The real story in this tier is the continuous fall of Wisconsin. The Badgers once pushed for inclusion in the top tier, with Purdue back in early January, but have been one of the nation's biggest disappointments over the past month. They will exit the month of February with a woeful 2-6 record, now sitting in fourth in the Big Ten behind Northwestern, Illinois, and Purdue. Northwestern and Michigan State require a bit more work to solidify their spots in the projected field, while Nebraska is likely a lock after ripping off four straight wins over the past two weeks.

Tier IV: Iowa, Maryland, Ohio State, Minnesota

These four teams technically remain alive in the at-large race, but it would take a colossal effort to realistically receive a bid. After notching recent victories over Michigan State and Wisconsin, Iowa seems to have the best chance with strong predictive metrics for a bubble team. Ohio State could be the one to keep an eye on here. Interim head coach Jake Diebler has the Buckeyes believing after knocking off Purdue and Michigan State on consecutive Sundays.

Tier V: Penn State, Rutgers, Indiana, Michigan

It's Minneapolis or bust for this tier, all of whom are nowhere near the required parameters for an at-large bid. As we've mentioned before, the real headline here is which head coaches survive the offseason among this group. Mike Rhoades is clearly safe at Penn State in his first season in Happy Valley. Steve Pikiell has blue-chip recruits coming in next season in what could be a put-up-or-shut-up season for him at the helm. That leaves Mike Woodson and Juwan Howard, who were both under serious fire from their fanbases in 2023-24. With Indiana alum Dusty May potentially departing Florida Atlantic this offseason and the controversies surrounding Howard, those are the two names to monitor this offseason.