Big Ten Tournament 2013 Bracket: Upsets to Watch for in Chicago

The Big Ten tournament features some of the best teams in the country, but no one is invincible.

After a season that featured almost weekly examples of top-five teams losing to unranked opponents, it would not be surprising to see a few more upsets. This time of year is called March Madness for a reason.

In this conference tournament, fans will be looking forward to some great matchups in the final two rounds. However, a few games can put a wrinkle in this plan.

Here are some potential upsets that teams should look out for heading into the Big Ten tournament.

No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 12 Penn State, First Round

On paper, there is really no reason that these two teams should play a close game. Michigan has one of the most talented rosters in the nation, and Penn State has struggled all year long.

However, the Nittany Lions were more successful against Michigan than any other team in the Big Ten.

Penn State played the Wolverines tough in their first meeting in Ann Arbor before losing 79-71. In the rematch, the Nittany Lions earned their first conference win with an 84-78 upset.

In the win, the Nittany Lions shot 10-of-20 from behind the arc. With the confidence of knowing they can win again, expect another great shooting day from this team.

No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 9 Minnesota, Quarterfinals

Indiana has only lost two road games all season. Unfortunately, the Hoosiers will have to face one of the teams that beat them in the quarterfinals.

Illinois and Minnesota will face each other in the first round of the tournament in a game that will have major bubble implications for the NCAA tournament.

Between the two, Minnesota likely presents the bigger challenge to the top seed. The Golden Gophers are a very good rebounding team, which takes away Indiana's biggest advantage in most games.

Big man Trevor Mbakwe is also athletic enough to defend Cody Zeller down low. 

If Minnesota plays to its ability (which doesn't happen all that often), it can defeat the Hoosiers one more time.

No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 6 Iowa, Quarterfinals

Iowa will first need to defeat Northwestern to reach this point, but that should not be too difficult considering that the Wildcats enter the game on an eight-game losing streak.

In the next round, the Hawkeyes will get a chance to make a statement win against Michigan State.

As of now, it is unlikely this squad reaches the NCAA tournament, but the season isn't over. A win over an elite team in the Big Ten tournament will provide Iowa with a legitimate argument for an at-large bid. The squad ended the year strong with a solid 6-2 record and finished sixth in the toughest league in the country.

The Spartans have little to play for besides seeding. It would be reasonable to expect them to fall to an opponent trying much harder to advance with its season on the line. 

Tournament Bracket

Full Schedule (via BigTen.org)

First Round, Thursday, March 14

Game No.	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
1	Illinois vs. Minnesota	12 p.m.	BTN
2	Michigan vs. Penn State	25 min. after Game 1	BTN
3	Purdue vs. Nebraska	6:30 p.m.	ESPN2
4	Iowa vs. Northwestern	25 min. after Game 3	ESPN2

Quarterfinals, Friday, March 15

Game No.	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
5	Indiana vs. Game 1 Winner	12 p.m.	ESPN
6	Wisconsin vs. Game 2 Winner	25 min. after Game 5	ESPN
7	Ohio State vs. Game 3 Winner	6:30 p.m.	BTN
8	Michigan State vs. Game 4 Winner	25 min. after Game 7	BTN

Semifinals, Saturday, March 16

Game No.	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
9	Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner	1:40 p.m.	CBS
10	Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner	25 min. after Game 1	CBS

Championship, Sunday, March 17

Game No.	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
11	Semifinal Winners	3:30 p.m.	CBS

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