Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor, May 15, 2013
Last summer, I compiled a Big Ten football uniform bracket for fans to vote on. Unsurprisingly, Michigan won – although there were upsets along the way. This year, it's time for a helmet bracket (only primary lids considered).
Here's how it works: The field is divided into the Legends Division and Leaders Division, with the champion of each meeting for the title, and BTN fans will vote on every matchup. Also, the two top vote-getters from each division receive a first-round bye.
Editor's note: Seeds were determined by Facebook polls, using the results as of Wednesday afternoon (Legends | Leaders). Why the 4-6/3-5 format instead of the conventional 4-5/3-6? With Michigan and Ohio State earning the top seeds in routs, coupled with the fact No. 2 seeds also receive a bye, I wanted to give the runaway No. 1's some kind of advantage.
LEGENDS DIVISION
1. Michigan (first-round bye)
2. Iowa (first-round bye)
3. Michigan State
4. Nebraska
5. Northwestern
6. Minnesota
FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS
No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 6. Minnesota (Winner gets No. 1 Michigan)
No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 5 Northwestern (Winner gets No. 2 Iowa)
LEADERS DIVISION
1. Ohio State (first-round bye)
2. Wisconsin (first-round bye)
3. Penn State
4. Indiana
5. Illinois
6. Purdue
FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS
No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 6 Purdue (Winner gets No. 1 Ohio State)
No. 3 Penn State vs. No. 5 Illinois (Winner gets No. 2 Wisconsin)
About Brent Yarina | BTN.com web editor Brent Yarina covers football and men's basketball for BTN.com. He writes the popular uniform feature "Clothes Call," which also focuses on the latest cosmetic changes across Big Ten arenas and stadiums. Read all of his work here. You can subscribe to Yarina's RSS feed and follow him on Twitter @BTNBrentYarina. |