The Michigan Wolverines came into the 2021 NCAA Tournament pegged as the No. 1 seed most likely to fall early given how vulnerable they appeared down the stretch. That has not happened yet because Illinois — the conference’s other No. 1 seed and a national title contender — was unable to make it out of the opening weekend.
Illinois getting popped early has become the rallying cry for people who believe that the conference was overrated this year. It was the cherry on top of a weekend that also saw Ohio State and Purdue get upset by double-digit seeds.