Must Watch End Of The Season Games

It is March but things are not quite mad yet.  The NCAA season will come to a close for most teams at the end of this week, and most people eyes are all ready set on trying to predict the 64 teams that will descend into March Madness.  Slow down just a bit, though, because there are some really great games left to play among ranked teams that are going to make for some good basketball.

Indiana vs Ohio State University

March 5 on ESPN

Indiana is on its way to finishing on top of the Big Ten for the first time since 2002, and a loss to Ohio State is not going to derail them from this course.  Do not thing for a moment, however, that either of these teams are going to phone it in.

Indiana likely has their eyes set on finishing up the not only on top of the Big Ten but also securing the no. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament.  Knocking off the no.14 Ohio State will go a long way in improving their rankings and moving them toward that number one spot.

Ohio State is going into the tournament in all likelihood, but they have been sketchy on the road.  They would really like to change the tide of their luck before the tournament by getting a big upset win against Indiana.

Indiana is favored heavily in this game with a point spread of -8.

Notre Dame vs Louisville

March 9 on CBS

Notre Dame is likely on their way to the tournament, but they are just on the fringe of the top 25.  Louisville is sitting comfortable at no. 8 and are all but guaranteed a trip into the tournament.  However, Louisville is going to do all they can to not be the team that helps boost Notre Dame as we head into the NCAA Tournament.

An upset win for Notre Dame would not only give them a big division win before the Big Ten  tournament, it would also give them a boost in the National Rankings and help carry them into March Madness on a high note.

This game has less of a national implication for Louisville and more of a potential divisional impact.  A loss or win for Louisville will have little impact on their national standings.  It looks as though the Big East is going to be highly contested this year.  Notre Dame and Louisville are both big teams in the east, but the division also has the dominate Marquette.  In other words, this is going to be a highly contested division and this game is a preview of that tournament.

Indiana vs Michigan

March 10 on CBS

Indiana does not have an easy final two games ahead of them.  Along with the previously mentioned game against OSU tonight, they will then have to take on the no. 7 ranked Michigan for their last game of the season.  With two top ten teams clashing this late in the season this game will likely have big implication on the potential for both these teams going into the NCAA Tournament as the no.1 seed.

Indiana has defeated Michigan previously in the season 81-73.  Michigan will not only be looking for redemption.  They will also be looking to move up the ranking late in the season by defeating one of the best teams in the nation.