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What Ohio State’s conference win means for the Big Ten

CHAMPAIGN, IL - FEBRUARY 13: Ohio State Buckeyes women's head coach Kevin McGuff talks with players during a timeout in the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Illinois Fighting Illini on February 13, 2018, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - FEBRUARY 13: Ohio State Buckeyes women's head coach Kevin McGuff talks with players during a timeout in the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Illinois Fighting Illini on February 13, 2018, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Ohio State Buckeyes have taken the Big Ten crown outright this season after sharing with Maryland last season. The Maryland Terrapins have won the regular season title and conference tournament titles each year they have been in the conference. All the Buckeyes needed to do was defeat Penn State and they did just that. But what does this mean for the conference? This means that this conference has the ability to compete with the ACC and the SEC conference in the league.

Ohio State won the title, but it would not come easy. In the past, it was usually between the Terrapins and the Buckeyes. Maryland steamrolled through the conference the last three year. However, they suffered a program-high four losses, including games from Michigan State, Purdue, and Michigan.

Another interesting thing to note is that the conference looked a lot different in the beginning of the season. Rutgers’ surprising surge to the top of the conference along with Iowa and Michigan. Although Ohio State and Maryland are the top two in the conference again this season, teams such as Minnesota and Nebraska made surprising leaps throughout the season to round out the top five of the conference. If you look at the image below, you will see that the difference of losses between the top six teams was just three.
Another interesting thing to note is that the conference looked a lot different in the beginning of the season. Rutgers’ surprising surge to the top of the conference along with Iowa and Michigan. Although Ohio State and Maryland are the top two in the conference again this season, teams such as Minnesota and Nebraska made surprising leaps throughout the season to round out the top five of the conference. If you look at the image below, you will see that the difference of losses between the top six teams was just three.

It was a very exciting season this year for the women’s teams. From Iowa in a thriller with Florida State, to Indiana looking at death in the face to rising all the way to eighth in the conference. Purdue knocking off almost all of the ranked teams was just purely great basketball, while Minnesota made the Barn an intimidating place to play.

The Big Ten Women’s conference is on the rise and it has the chance to be in the mix for being a great top heavy conference. With just a few more pieces and more notoriety, this conference will soon start giving other teams a run for their money very, very soon.

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