From: AP via SI.com -
COLUMBUS, Ohio -Moments after his fourth-ranked Boilermakers’ huge win at No. 9 Ohio State on Wednesday night, Purdue coach Matt Painter declined to celebrate.

The victory kept his team in the thick of the Big Ten race. But he was well aware there was no time to relish it.

“We knew we had to do something special if we were going to fight to get in this race,” he said. “We’ve been able to do that. You get a huge win like this, this just means that your reward is you get to play Illinois next. So it never gets any easier.”

Over the next three weeks, the Big Ten will determine its regular-season champion, or champions. It seems all 11 teams in the conference still have something on the line - a better tournament seeding, individual honors, making the NCAA field. That means almost every game is up for grabs.

Barring a major upset, the trophy will go to the team or teams who survive the major showdowns still left on the schedule. Michigan State (11-3) hosts Ohio State (10-4) on Sunday, and plays at Purdue (10-3) on Feb. 28. The Boilermakers host Illinois (9-4) on Saturday before welcoming the Spartans. The Illini also play at Ohio State in early March and host Wisconsin (9-4).

There hasn’t been a tie for the top spot in the conference since Michigan State and Illinois in 2001, but it seems unlikely that any of the top teams can escape the rigors of these final weeks without at least one more loss.

“I tell the guys this all the time, the last undefeated team was in 1976,” Ohio State coach Thad Matta said, referring to the last team to run the table in Division I, Indiana. “It’s how you pick yourself up and get ready to go again.”

One very possible scenario has Michigan State, Purdue and Wisconsin finishing at 14-4. That’s a novelty in itself: Not since 1979 has the Big Ten had a three-way tie for the title.

The conference crown isn’t the only honor still up…….

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