Many have hit the halfway point of the Big Ten season, yet not much is decided in the race for a conference title.

Four teams have emerged as frontrunners: Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan State and Purdue, but figuring out who is the favorite among the group is near impossible.

Let’s take a look at the Week 12, Feb. 1, rankings in the B1G:

14. Nebraska

Record: 6-15 overall, 0-10 in the Big Ten | Last week: 14

Nebraska remains winless in the Big Ten, but perhaps the Cornhuskers are close, at least based on the latest result and their upcoming schedule. Nebraska led for 38 minutes against Rutgers Saturday but couldn’t finish off the Scarlet Knights, who rallied for a 2-point victory. But the second half of the Big Ten slate eases considerably; Nebraska doesn’t play a team with an above .500 conference record until going to Wisconsin in the regular-season finale. One would think that between now and then, the Cornhuskers could pick up a win (or 2).

13. Northwestern

Record: 9-10, 2-8 | Last week: 13

Northwestern has had a number of games this season that it led in the second half, only to fade late. Add its latest game, a loss to Illinois on Saturday, to the list. The Wildcats led by 6 with 8 minutes to go, only to be outscored 19-10 down the stretch. One has to wonder about 9th-year coach Chris Collins’ stability after this lost season. Northwestern, which had a veteran team with enough versatility to compete in the Big Ten and perhaps be an NCAA bubble team, hasn’t found its footing. Will someone take the fall for that?

12. Minnesota

Record: 11-7, 2-7 | Last week: 10

Say this about Ben Johnson’s first Minnesota team: It plays hard and is well-prepared. And that’s a huge positive for a program that seemed in dire straits when Johnson took over after last year. He just doesn’t have enough depth to be able to compete day-in and day-out in the Big Ten, especially when his roster has been comprised by Covid at times this season. Minnesota has lost 2 straight, but fought in each, including a 6-point loss — in a game that was closer than the final margin — at Wisconsin on Sunday.

11. Maryland

Record: 11-10, 3-7 | Last week: 12

Maryland’s 2- game winning streak, which was snapped in a lackluster home performance vs. Indiana Saturday, had given the Terrapins hope for a surge toward an NCAA Tournament berth. But that seems incredibly unlikely. Maryland would likely need to finish 8-2 in the second half of the Big Ten slate, and with 2 games vs. Michigan State, 2 vs. Ohio State and a trip to Purdue remaining, it appears impossible. Maryland’s starting 5 is OK — maybe above average — but the competency drops significantly after that, and creates a razor thin margin for error for the Terps.

10. Iowa

Record: 14-7, 4-6 | Last week: 8

Iowa is a mystery. Shouldn’t the Hawkeyes be better than 4-6 at the halfway point of their Big Ten season? It feels like they should. But Iowa’s double-overtime loss to Penn State on Monday night, in one of the more thrilling games in the Big Ten this year, is a crushing blow to the Hawkeyes’ NCAA Tournament hopes. Super sophomore Keegan Murray deserves a better fate. But the Hawkeyes are so darn inconsistent, not just game-to-game but possession-by-possession. The second half of the Big Ten provides opportunities for cheap wins, but will getting back to .500 be enough for the NCAA?

9. Penn State

Record: 9-9, 4-6 | Last week: 11

Got to love the grit and determination showed by Penn State on Monday night, as it clawed its way to a double-OT victory vs. Iowa. One might have expected for the Nittany Lions to mentally fold, once Iowa rallied, considering the Hawkeyes were down 6 with 71 seconds left in regulation and needed a ridiculous tip-in by Murray to get the game to an extra session. And PSU needed a huge triple by Myles Dread to get the game into a second OT. From there, the Lions took back control, grabbing a needed victory after back-to-back loses, including one at Iowa 9 days earlier.

8. Michigan

Record: 10-8, 4-4 | Last week: 9

Michigan thought that it had turned a corner with 3 straight wins — against Maryland, Indiana and Northwestern — but its old problems, mainly a lack of consistent offensive weapons outside of Hunter Dickinson, showed back up in a thumping at rival Michigan State on Saturday. But we’ll know a lot more about Michigan soon, as the Wolverines play 5 games in the next 13 days, starting with tonight’s home contest with Nebraska. If it could somehow go 4-1, which would likely mean splitting vs. Purdue and beating Ohio State, then perhaps UM can get back into the NCAA picture. But that seems a tall order for an inconsistent, barely above .500 team.

7. Rutgers

Record: 12-8, 6-4 | Last week: 7

There’s good news and bad news for Rutgers. The good news: Rutgers will play 8 straight Quad 1 opponents in the second half of the season. The bad news: Rutgers will play 8 straight Quad 1 opponents in the second half of the season. It’ll be a tough slate for the Scarlet Knights, who play at Northwestern tonight before the start of the gauntlet, but one they should embrace, especially since it’ll give them an opportunity to make up for those dreadful November loses that are staining their résumé.

6. Ohio State

Record: 13-5, 6-3 | Last week: 5

After Ohio State’s loss at Purdue on Sunday, in which the Buckeyes rallied from 20 down by lost on Jaden Ivey’s near walk-off 3-pointer, Coach Chris Holtmann challenged his starters, at least a few of them, to step up their play. Outside of E.J. Liddell and Malaki Branham, who each scored 20, OSU got only marginal production from  Zed Key, Jamari Wheeler, Justin Ahrens, Meechie Johnson and Kyle Young, who have all started this season, as the group went 2-for-7 in the second half, with only 3 rebounds and 3 assists. If Holtmann gets a positive response, OSU might be able to make a bit of a run to stay in the conference race, considering only 1 of its next 5 opponents is above .500 in the Big Ten.

5. Indiana

Record: 16-5, 7-4 | Last week: 6

Indiana can beat anyone left on the schedule because of the Hoosiers’ ability to lock down opponents. Who would have though that would be the case before the season? In the last 2 games, IU has overwhelmed Penn State and Maryland, allowing only an average of 56 points. Impressive. And you’ve got to give a ton of credit to point guard Xavier Johnson, who not only has been great defensively, but has now taken over as a leader for the Hoosiers, and has found a good balance offensively, between finding his own shot and setting up teammates. He’ll have to play a ton of minutes, with backup Rob Phinisee out with a painful foot injury.

4. Illinois

Record: 15-5, 8-2 | Last week: 4

Despite a seemingly ever-changing roster due to injury and illness, Illinois continues to find ways to win, hanging on for a 1-point victory against Michigan State, then rallying past Northwestern for a 3-point win. But the Fighting Illini might want to get healthy, and soon. The second half of the Big Ten season presents more challenges than the first, including these 5 road trips: Indiana, Purdue, Rutgers, Michigan State and Michigan. Can Illinois win 3? Only if Andre Curbelo and Kofi Cockburn stay in the lineup together, a rarity so far this season.

3. Michigan State

Record: 16-4, 7-2 | Last week: 1

Michigan State needs to find some consistency. Its last 4 games include a home loss to Northwestern, an emphatic win at Wisconsin, a pedestrian loss at Illinois and a dominant home victory over Michigan. That kind of roller-coaster won’t be good enough to keep the Spartans at the top of the Big Ten. What gives? Michigan State has big-time turnover issues as it gives the ball away a Big Ten-worst 14.2 times per game. Those lost possessions are proving costly. The 2 recently loses, vs. NU and Illinois, have come by a total of 3 points.

2. Purdue

Record: 18-3, 7-3 | Last week: 3

Purdue has run its winning streak to 3, the best current mark in the Big Ten. Since the loss at Indiana, the Boilermakers seem to have increased their focus, taken better care of the basketball and upped their defensive intensity, although that still faces lapses. A big problem, though? Purdue’s free throw shooting, particularly with bigs Zach Edey and Trevion Williams, has been poor. It cost the Boilermakers in the loss at Indiana and nearly did again vs. Ohio State Sunday. But Jaden Ivey’s last-second heroics saved the day.

1. Wisconsin

Record: 17-3, 8-2 | Last week: 2

The Badgers have built a résumé that might put them on the 2 line of the NCAA Tournament, perhaps even up to a No. 1 seed. Almost no one would have predicted such a thing before the season. But Wisconsin is 10-3 vs. Quad 1 and 2 opponents this season, an impressive mark, and the Badgers have a knack for closing out games, as they did vs. Minnesota Sunday. But challenges await, including upcoming games vs. Illinois (Wednesday) and Michigan State (Feb. 8).