Notre Dame and Ohio State are competing Monday to wrest the throne of national champs from the Michigan Wolverines, a familiar foe for both teams.

Only one more half stands between Michigan and the win they were favored to collect coming into this afternoon. They have jumped out to a quick 48-38 lead against Washington. Michigan entered the match having won four straight and they're just one half away from another.

The Michigan Wolverines (11-5) take on the Washington Huskies (12-5) in a matchup of Big Ten teams at 7:00 PM ET on Wednesday. The game airs on B1G+.Last time out, Michigan won on Saturday 87-60

Before leaving Montlake this week, Danny Sprinkle cautioned his University of Washington basketball team that life on the road in the Midwest Big Ten could be brutal, but the Huskies really didn't comprehend what he was talking about.

On Sunday in Ann Arbor, the Huskies hung close with the Michigan Wolverines for a half before falling back and suffering a 91-75 loss, their third in a row. At least Danny Sprinkle's team didn't roll over and get demolished, as it did in a 34-point loss at Michigan State four days earlier in East Lansing.

But for the Washington men's basketball team, an 81-77 loss to No. 19 Illinois on Jan. 5 showed a ton of promise. The Huskies (10-8, 1-6 Big Ten) stormed back from a 17-point deficit to tie the game at 75 — pushing the conference favorites to the brink in front of an electric home crowd.

Ohio State is scheduled to face Notre Dame for the national title on Monday, Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, a development that was not lost on a Michigan Wolverines fan who took time out to troll the Buckeyes over the weekend.

It’s fair to say that the Hawkeyes season is hanging on by a thread. After another deflating loss, this time in Eugene, the Iowa women’s basketball team sits at 12-7 overall, with a 2-6 record in Big Ten play.

The Huskies visit the Spartans as we continue our college basketball odds series with a Washington-Michigan State prediction and pick.

No. 16 Michigan State improved its perfect home record to 8-0 with yet another Big Ten victory, this time over Washington. The Spartans t

No. 14 Michigan State basketball hosts Washington on Thursday night (8 p.m./BTN), the first of four games against the Big Ten's West Coast additions.

Regardless of Buckeyes' playoff success, Wolverines' victory in Columbus remains crucial for program's momentum, says Sherrone Moore.