Bracketology: Predicting the 2025 NCAA Tournament Field – Big Questions in the Big Ten

01/13/2025 09:30 AM

Hello friends, and welcome back to Bracketology at ClutchPoints, where this week in addition to taking a look at an updated set of bracket projections, we’re going to spend a little time asking — but definitely not answering — ten big questions about the Big Ten Conference. Let’s get to it!

-So, why are we setting our sights on the Big Ten specifically? Well, that’s a question I actually will answer!

Nearly 130 years ago to the day — January 11, 1895 — the presidents of Purdue University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois, Lake Forest College, Northwestern University, University of Minnesota and University of Wisconsin met to discuss and create policies designed to regulate intercollegiate athletics. All of these years later, this is considered the first informal meeting of what would come to be known as The Big Ten Conference.

-How do you think those University presidents would’ve reacted if they were told that one day, their conference would include schools in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Nebraska, California, Oregon and Washington? I imagine they probably would’ve been pretty confused since planes weren’t yet invented and Washington had only been a state for six years.

-Who is Mick Cronin going to blame for UCLA’s struggles now that he’s already taken shots at both his players and the officials? Joe Bruin better watch himself!

-Do you think that Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey are regretting, even a little bit, going to Rutgers and toiling away on a .500 team when they could’ve probably gotten just as big of a bag to play at a school that will actually make the NCAA Tournament?

-Assuming Indiana fires Mike Woodson at the end of the season, would Dusty May consider leaving Michigan after only a year to coach at his alma mater?

-Under first-year head coach Eric Musselman, it’s likely that USC will miss out on the Big Dance this season. However, teams in their second season under Musselman have historically made a big jump. Nevada won a Mountain West regular season and tournament title and went to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade, and Arkansas went to their first Elite Eight in two and a half decades. So I guess the question here is, can someone remind me of this next season so I can wager accordingly?

-Will Northwestern win enough games for Brooks Barnhizer and his mustache to contend for Big Ten Player of the Year? The senior guard is currently ranked in the top ten in all five statistical categories in the conference.

-On the topic of Big Ten Player of the Year, will Braden Smith end up winning the award and giving Purdue the distinction of being the first program in 25 years to produce the conference Player of the Year for three straight seasons?

-After eking out three straight conference wins by a total of seven points, is Oregon here to stay, or will the Ducks string of competency in close games eventually swing the other way?

-Did I win a Big Ten parlay over the weekend? As I said earlier, I’m not here to provide answers, but let’s just say I was rooting for Oregon, Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue on Sunday afternoon.

And with all of those questions asked — and most not answered — let’s get to this week’s Bracketology projections.

Bracketology Bracket 

Bracketology Breakdown 

Top Seeds: Auburn Tigers (South Region), Duke Blue Devils (East Region), Iowa State Cyclones (Midwest Region), Tennessee Volunteers (West Region)

Multi-Bid Leagues: ACC (5), Atlantic 10 (2), Big 12 (8), Big East (3), Big Ten (10), Mountain West (3), SEC (12), WCC (2)

Bracketology Bubble Watch 

Last Four Byes: Ohio State, Texas, Arkansas, Dayton

Last Four In: Saint Mary’s, Texas Tech, New Mexico, Cincinnati

First Four Out: Missouri, Vanderbilt, Penn State, Villanova

Next Four Out: Iowa, Arizona State, Creighton, SMU

Five Most Intriguing Games of the Week 

Tuesday January 14th (ESPN, 11 PM ET) – Baylor at Arizona

Wednesday January 15th (ESPN2, 7 PM ET) – Kansas at Iowa State

Saturday January 18th (ESPN, Noon ET) – Alabama at Kentucky

Saturday January 18th (NBC, 3 PM ET) – Purdue at Oregon

Sunday January 19th (CBS, Noon ET) – Illinois at Michigan State

And One! 

Since we started this week’s Bracketology with an extended look at the Big Ten, it’s only fitting to close things out with a Big Ten prediction… one that I won’t be able to cash in until the opening week of March. Though it may not be bold since they are one of two unbeaten teams in conference play at the time of this writing, I’m going to say that Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans win their first Big Ten regular season title since 2020. Let’s hope another pandemic doesn’t follow.

Past And One! Predictions 

11/24/24 – I’ll eat way too much food on Thanksgiving (CORRECT)

12/2/24 – The Big 12 will win the Big East-Big 12 Battle (CORRECT) and the SEC will win the ACC-SEC Challenge (CORRECT)

12/12/24 – At least nine of those 12 SEC teams in the December 12th Bracketology field will be victorious over the weekend (CORRECT)

12/16/24 – Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas and Ohio State will win in the opening round of the College Football Playoff (CORRECT)

12/23/24 – Penn State, Texas, Oregon and Notre Dame will win in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff (INCORRECT)

1/2/25 – Florida and Tennessee will both secure SEC wins over the weekend over Kentucky and Arkansas respectively (INCORRECT)

1/6/25 – Arizona will be considered at least a 9-seed by not only myself, but by my fellow Bracketologists as well (TBD)

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