Big Ten's Topsy Turvy Weekend Upends Patrick Stevens' Top 20

Big Ten play began with a topsy-turvy weekend, and it’s anyone’s guess what comes next.

First Michigan dealt Maryland its first loss of the season on Saturday afternoon, a triple-overtime thriller. Moments later, Rutgers closed out a defeat of Johns Hopkins. And on Sunday night, Ohio State extended its winning streak to nine by toppling Penn State.

All three victories came on the road, and the first two were particularly eye-catching considering how non-conference play had treated Michigan and Rutgers.

The upshot? Michigan surged back into the Top 20, and Rutgers is on the doorstep after enduring losses the previous three Saturdays.

Patrick Stevens is a longtime USA Lacrosse Magazine contributor. This is his weekly submission to the USA Lacrosse Division I Men's Top 20.

PATRICK STEVENS' TOP 20

1. Cornell (6-1)

Much like Maryland, the Big Red is an overtime loss at home away from heading into the final weekend of March without a loss. CJ Kirst’s nine-goal outburst against Yale gives him a 50-point season roughly at the midpoint of Cornell’s non-NCAA tournament schedule. (Last week: 3)

2. Maryland (7-1)

The Terrapins lost a triple-overtime coin flip to a Michigan team that came in with a .500 record and was fresh off a 12-goal loss at home to Notre Dame. It’s not as if Maryland was embarrassed, but it also warrants getting dinged just a bit for the home loss. A drop to No. 2 is warranted. (LW: 1)

3. Ohio State (9-1)

The Buckeyes keep checking boxes. They shot 44.8 percent, nearly doubled up Penn State on faceoffs (17-9) and got 17 Caleb Fyock saves in a 13-9 triumph in Happy Valley. A visit from Rutgers is up next for Nick Myers’ bunch. (LW: 5)

4. North Carolina (7-1)

It took all of last season for the Tar Heels to get to seven victories. They got there Friday with a 14-2 drubbing of High Point. North Carolina held the Panthers scoreless for the final 35:49 and allowed its fewest goals since an 18-2 pummeling of Manhattan in 2016. That season, you may recall, ended well for Joe Breschi’s program. (LW: 4)

5. Princeton (5-2)

The Tigers held Harvard to 22 percent shooting in a 13-11 victory, with the defense keyed by Colin Mulshine’s work on Crimson star Sam King (one goal on seven shots). A trip to surging Dartmouth, where Princeton hasn’t lost since 2013, comes Saturday. (LW: 6)

6. Penn State (6-2)

A slow start to the second half did in the Nittany Lions on Sunday night against Ohio State. A (relatively) quick turnaround for a noon start against a cranky Maryland team awaits Penn State, which ripped Maryland in last year’s Big Ten semifinals and has never won consecutive games against the Terrapins. (LW: 2)

7. Notre Dame (4-2)

Here are the Irish’s results the last four seasons when it has nine or more days between games:

2022 vs. North Carolina: 9 days, 12-5 W
2022 at Syracuse: 10 days, 18-11 W
2023 vs. North Carolina: 14 days, 16-9 W
2024 vs. Syracuse: 14 days, 14-12 W 

Chances are good that when Duke visits next Saturday, Notre Dame will be rested — not rusty. (LW: 7)