The Division I Big 10 conference can be a little mysterious. The league doesn’t maintain any public resources – website, USA Rugby CMS, Facebook group – and there are a couple of caveats that further obfuscate the goings-on within the competition. Nevertheless, this fall-based conference always produces playoff-worthy squads, and after a month of play Indiana and Michigan State have emerged as leaders.
But first, the caveats, starting with the biggest one: Penn State. The only champion that the Big 10 has ever known is actually a DI Elite program. All that means is that the Nittany Lions defer their post-season play until the spring with the other DI Elite teams. This year, Penn State plays all of the Big 10 conference teams except Purdue.
As an institution, Ohio State is a Big 10 team and it’s playing Big 10 teams, but it has not rejoined the conference. Instead, the Buckeyes are members of the hybrid Allegheny conference as they rebuild, and with more than 40 registered players, it’s signaling a comeback. Rutgers, too, spent a couple of seasons in the DI Big 10, but then folded. This year, the New Jersey team resurfaced in the DII Tri-State conference and is awaiting its first league win.
One might confuse Davenport University as a Big 10 conference team, but it’s registered as an independent program. The Panthers only lost 24-17 to Penn State and last weekend beat Notre Dame 45-29. The Grand Rapids squad will also play Michigan and Michigan State, but not Indiana, before applying to playoffs as an at-large team.
So that leaves five Big 10 teams eligible for DI fall playoffs: Indiana, Michigan State, Michigan, Notre Dame and Purdue. Penn State’s results figure into the standings, which will determine final placing and the automatic berth to regional playoffs. Michigan State has been building off of last year’s breakout season and is 3-1 against playoff-eligible teams with only Penn State to play. Indiana is 3-0 against playoff-eligible teams, and it’s taken some time for the Redstorm to regain its form.
Indiana used to be the regular runner-up to Penn State (Notre Dame has assumed that role the last few years) and was thus selected as a founding member of the DI Elite in 2015-16. But a week prior to the inaugural national quarterfinals, Indiana pulled out of the competition, necessitating a rebuilding campaign that is starting to pay off today.
“Over the last four years our numbers have been way down,” Indiana head coach Vaughn Mitchell reflected. “Over the last two years we only graduated three seniors, so over the past three years we have been a very young team, and now we have a large junior/senior-led team. Right now we are in a good spot, but we will need to grow our underclassmen numbers because we have a lot of upperclassmen on the team now.”
A good season driven by seasoned upperclassmen could spur that growth in numbers, and coach Mitchell knows he has the personnel in place to attract quality student-athletes and nurture newcomers.
“Our captain this year is Lauren Procter. She is a leader on the field and has been with the team for four years now,” Vaughn highlighted the role models. “Also leading on the field are three juniors: Maria Bashmakov, Teddi Buell and Arie O’Brien. About 30% of the team played in high school in Indiana: 3 from Pike, 2 from Avon, 1 from Fishers, 2 from Brownsburg, 2 from Hamilton United. It has definitely helped with these girls coming into college already knowing the game.”
Indiana began the fall with a 68-0 win over Allegheny’s Ohio State, and then followed with a 10-point win over Notre Dame. Procter, Bashmakov, Aly Gamble, Emma Jones, Tori Eastes and Estelle Genoud all scored in the 41-31 win over the Irish. That set up a match against then-undefeated Michigan State, which had beat Notre Dame 29-17.
“Michigan State is a real tough team. They put a lot of pressure on us at every breakdown,” Vaughn reflected. “Michigan State played hard the whole game and never let up.”
A tense battle evolved, but the Redstorm were able to put Genoud, Jones and O’Brien away for tries for a 19-10 win. That confidence rolled into a 65-point shutout against Purdue last weekend. Indiana has a bye week and then plays Michigan and Penn State the subsequent two weekends.
Michigan State and Indiana have viable shots at the automatic berth, and the runner-up would make a good candidate for an at-large berth.
“This team is ready to get back to the playoffs,” Mitchell confirmed. “No one on the current team has never been to nationals.”
Remember, too, that there are no “nationals” for USA Rugby’s Division I or Division II colleges but rather separate fall and spring seasonal championships. The current DI spring champion is BYU, and the current DI fall champion is the U.S. Air Force Academy. The first round of fall playoffs occurs on Nov. 23-24, and it will produce the finalists who will then contest the title on Dec. 8 in Matthews, N.C.
BIG 10 FIXTURES
Oct. 19
Notre Dame @ Michigan
Ohio State @ Purdue (NL)
Davenport @ Michigan State (NL)
Oct. 26
Penn State @ Michigan State
Michigan @ Indiana
Nov. 2
Indiana @ Penn State
Davenport @ Michigan (NL)
Nov. 9
Michigan @ Penn State
#Big10 #Indiana MichiganState