NFL Tickets
TV Schedule: Thursday, Jan. 28, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN
Stadium: XFINITY Center
As a result of matchups like this one, the Big Ten has been too kind to us in the 2015-16 college basketball season.
Iowa enters this mega-showdown with a 16-3 record, 7-0 Big Ten record and is ranked as high as No. 3 in college hoops. Maryland enters with a 17-3 record, 6-2 conference record and is ranked as high as No. 7. Let me make one thing perfectly clear: These two squads are serious national title contenders … if you couldn’t tell by the looks of those rankings, and they reside in the same conference.
Also residing in the Big Ten are the Indiana Hoosiers, Purdue Boilermakers and Michigan State Spartans. You know, three more teams that could end up winning a title. If the Big Ten is going to win a national championship, why not this year?
Back to the game: The Hawkeyes are the only undefeated team in Big Ten play, and they have captured some major wins in the process. After all, they have taken down Michigan State (twice), Michigan and Purdue (twice). They also have a nine-game winning streak going for them.
The Terrapins lost their last contest to Michigan State, as if Iowa needed another confidence booster entering this battle.
All of the Iowa praising aside, Maryland entered the season as a favorite to take home the title, and that is still the case. The Terps only have three losses total on the year, their lineup is filled with players who can take over a game and they also have a Player of the Year candidate (Melo Trimble). Of course, Iowa also has a POY candidate in Jarrod Uthoff.
No matter who comes out on top, an endless amount of talent will be partaking in this Big Ten clash — just like we drew it up.
PREDICTION: Hawkeyes 72, Terrapins 77
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