This weekend features the big Michigan-Ohio State rivalry, Michigan State vs. Minnesota and Penn State against Wisconsin. At first glance, none of the matchups seem too competitive. But the first and last are certainly intriguing, as Ohio State is playing well lately and the Badgers can score.

There might be some intersecting results from those two matchups, and sweeping Ohio State or Wisconsin won’t be easy – especially since it’s still tough to tell how Michigan and Penn State really stack up against other teams.

I doubt Michigan State-Minnesota will be much of a matchup, unless the Spartans have shored up their defense. The Gophers may not look like their 2014 counterparts, but they’re still at the top of the Big Ten.

At the moment, Michigan is first in the Big Ten. Minnesota is second, Penn State third, Wisconsin fourth, Ohio State fifth and Michigan State last. And since this topic came up on Twitter, I wanted to look at strength of schedule (per CHN’s KRACH) of each Big Ten team. Here’s how they rank:

Michigan: 31
Minnesota: 8
Wisconsin: 30
Michigan State: 26
Ohio State: 24
Penn State: 44

It’s just something to keep in mind.

Michigan vs. Ohio State: Jan. 15 at 6:35 p.m.; Jan. 17 at 5:05 p.m.

The rivals meet in a home-and-home series on Friday and Sunday. What seems like a potential blowout might not be one, as the Buckeyes are a better team than their record indicates. Ohio State also has an explosive offense, so the games will probably be offensive shootouts (again).

Michigan still hasn’t faced a true test in the Big Ten, nor much out of conference. The Wolverine offense isn’t a concern, but the defensive still is. Michigan was impressive in winning the Great Lakes Invitational, but consistency has also been a struggle.

The Buckeyes have also struggled with consistency and defense and goaltending. And while Ohio State doesn’t have players like Kyle Connor and J.T. Compher, the Buckeyes feature a dangerous offense with players who can make you pay. The Buckeyes are also unbeaten in their last four, which includes the Florida College Classic championship. The key to this series will be defense and goaltending, both areas that were strong during the post-winter break tournaments.

Prediction: Michigan sweeps

Minnesota vs. Michigan State: Jan. 15 at 8:05 p.m. CT: Jan. 16 at 7:35 p.m. CT

The Gophers will host the Spartans this weekend, matching one of the top teams in the conference with the last. The Spartans are on a six-game losing streak and have just one win in 14 games. It’s been a tough year for Michigan State, which was really hurt by some defensive departures (including Josh Jacobs). While the offense was a positive point earlier in the season, it’s struggled of late.

Meanwhile, Minnesota’s scheduled is sprinkled with some wins and losses of late. But as I pointed out above, the Gophers have had a pretty tough schedule. They do have a pair of Big Ten losses, one against Michigan (when they allowed eight goals) and one to Penn State. Minnesota is a young team, but should be able to take down the Spartans.

Prediction: Minnesota sweeps

Penn State vs. Wisconsin: Jan. 15 at 6:37 p.m.; Jan. 16 at 6:07 p.m.

I’m not so sure these are two certain wins for Penn State. The Nittany Lions are good, but they by far have the weakest schedule in the Big Ten (something I’d guessed before looking at the numbers). That makes it hard to tell how Penn State will fare against a Wisconsin team that’s not terrible. Beating Minnesota was certainly impressive for Penn State, but the Nittany Lions responded by allowing seven goals.

The Badgers haven’t won much this season. But most of their games have been close, and they proved a long time ago they’re better than last year’s Badgers. Wisconsin, like Minnesota, is a very young team. But the Badgers still have talent, and can win some games in the conference this year.

Prediction: Series split

Friday, January 15th, 2016 - 9:00 am | Big Ten, Blogs, Notes, Thoughts, Ramblings