Big Ten Tournament 2012 Bracket: Bold Predictions for Opening Round Games

The Big Ten conference underwent a makeover this season, but at the end of the day Michigan State and Ohio State still reigned supreme. At least that was the case in the regular season. Now it's time for the tournament to begin, which opens the door for everyone else. 

The opening round gets underway on Thursday with four games featuring teams like Indiana and Northwestern. The Hoosiers are going to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008, while the Wildcats are so close to getting their first ever invite to the big dance. 

Here are bold predictions for all four of the opening-round games taking place from Indianapolis. 

Iowa Will Avenge A February 26 Loss Against Illinois

In the first game of the Big Ten tournament, the Iowa Hawkeyes will get revenge on the Illinois Fighting Illini for their 65-54 loss in Champaign. 

Neither team had a great shooting performance in that game—Illinois hit 42.3 percent of its shots, while Iowa connected just 36.7 percent of the time. The Illini had a plus-10 advantage on rebounds including  six more offensive rebounds. 

For the season, Iowa is averaging 72 points per game compared to 66 for Illinois. The Hawkeyes are going to set the tone for this game early, forcing the Illini out of their comfort zone. 

It will be a long afternoon for the Illini.

Indiana's Road to Redemption Will Start With Penn State

For the first time in his four seasons at Indiana, Tom Crean is going to make an NCAA tournament appearance. But the road back to prominence is far from finished. They still have to take care of business in the conference tournament. 

Everything starts with a game against Penn State. This is the perfect matchup for the young Hoosiers. They need to keep building their confidence as they move into the second round against Wisconsin. 

Indiana's shooters will be on point in what is basically going to be a home game in Indianapolis. The only question is how long it takes before Crean sits his starters to prepare for Friday. 

Northwestern Will Secure An NCAA Bid With A Win Over Minnesota

Being sentimental in sports can get you in trouble. You pour all your emotion into a team or player, only to be let down when things don't work out. 

Northwestern is oh-so close to getting into the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. It is firmly on the bubble right now, but a strong showing in the Big Ten tournament will push them over the top. 

The Wildcats were picked apart by the Golden Gophers on January 22, but did get revenge on February 18. Their ultimate payback will end with a victory in the Big Ten tournament on Thursday. 

Nebraska Will Pull Off The Biggest Upset Of the Opening Round

It has been a rough inaugural season in the Big Ten for Nebraska. The team finished with a 4-14 record and eight losses in the final nine games of the year. 

But the Cornhuskers will get their biggest win of the season against the Purdue Boilermakers. Senior guard Bo Spencer is going to take over the game late in the second half to give the Cornhuskers a victory. 

The Boilermakers are playing well right now and have an outside shot to get in the NCAA tournament with a strong showing, but their inconsistent play earlier in the year will catch up to them in this game. 

Thursday, March 8th

Game 1: No. 8 Iowa vs. No. 9 Illinois, 11:30 a.m., BTN

Game 2: No. 5 Indiana vs. No. 12 Penn State, 25 minutes following Game 1 conclusion, BTN

Game 3: No. 7 Northwestern vs. No. 10 Minnesota, 5:30 p.m., ESPN2

Game 4: No. 6 Purdue vs. No. 11 Nebraska, 25 minutes following Game 3 conclusion, ESPN2

Friday, March 9th

Game 5: No. 1 Michigan State vs. Game 1 Winner, Noon, ESPN

Game 6: No. 4 Wisconsin vs. Game 2 Winner, 25 minutes following Game 5 conclusion, ESPN

Game 7: No. 2 Michigan vs. Game 3 Winner, 6:30 p.m., BTN

Game 8: No. 3 Ohio State vs. Game 4 Winner, 25 minutes following Game 7 conclusion, BTN

Saturday, March 10th

Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner, 1:40 p.m., CBS Sports

Game 10: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner, 25 minutes following Game 9 conclusion, CBS Sports

Sunday, March 11th

Game 11: Tournament Championship, 3:30 p.m., CBS Sports

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