WISCONSIN

Of the five Big Ten teams currently ranked in the top 25, the Badgers lead them all at No. 10. They are led by senior All-American Jenny Lyman, who placed eighth and ninth at last year’s NCAA championships in the 400- and 200- yard freestyle. She was also the 2002 Big Ten champion in the 50-yard freestyle.

Prediction: Wisconsin is 5-0 against Big Ten opponents this year. This week should be no different — the Badgers are the team to beat.

INDIANA

After falling 33.5 points short of winning last year’s Big Ten title, the No. 17 Hoosiers will be gunning for retribution. Although they lost Susan Woessner, last year’s Big Ten Swimmer of the Year, the Hoosiers have the services of nine seniors and back-to-back Big Ten Coach of the Year Dorsey Tierney, sister of NU coach Jimmy Tierney.

Prediction: The Hoosiers won’t have enough to beat Wisconsin.

PENN STATE

Last year’s Big Ten champs are anchored by the return of 40 swimmers and divers. The Nittany Lions finished 21st at the NCAA Championships last year. This year they enter Big Tens ranked No. 14 with a 6-2 record, although they have faced only one conference opponent. And that opponent was lowly Michigan State.

Prediction: Funky conference schedule will keep Penn State from winning, but it should finish in the top three.

NU

Even though the Wildcats started out their Big Ten season 0-3, look for them to make a charge. In eight years head coach Jimmy Tierney hasn’t finished lower than fourth at Big Tens. If Carmen Cosgrove wins the butterfly events and Brielle Bovee continues her unbeaten streak in the breaststroke, this year should be no different.

Prediction: The Cats will need to capitalize on recent success and swim to their potential. Otherwise, it could be a long week.

PURDUE

Not many people realize how large an advantage the home team has. As host of the championships, the No. 25 Boilermakers will try to turn around a season-ending slide in which they’ve lost two of their last three against Big Ten opponents, dropping their conference mark to 3-3.

Prediction: Coming off a 211-142 loss to unranked Minnesota, the home pool may be the way Purdue finishes in the top five.

MICHIGAN

When the No. 19 Wolverines came to Evanston, they were only one event away from being upset by the Cats. A program that once prided itself on diving was man-handled by NU’s Ashley Carter. Michigan’s success this week will ride on its relay teams, which rank in the top three in the Big Ten.

Prediction: Michigan has been on and off all season. This week the Wolverines are due for a disappointment.

MINNESOTA

All-American senior Keri Hehn leads the Golden Gophers, who have posted convincing wins over Purdue and Illinois. But Minnesota loses major points for swimming its last meet against the “Twin Cities swim team” and “Gustavus.”

Prediction: Although it finished ninth at last year’s Big Ten Championships, Minnesota’s season-ending emotional lift should keep it out of the gutter.

IOWA

A tough conference schedule that included early meets against Wisconsin and Purdue left the Hawkeyes stumbling. Although they stand at 8-4, their record is due in large part to a lax non-conference slate, which included teams such as Drury and Truman State.

Prediction: Bad.

ILLINOIS

The best of the bottom feeders, which isn’t really saying much since the Fighting Illini lost to Iowa by 108 points in one of their six conference losses. With its only two wins in the Big Ten coming against Michigan State and Ohio State, the lone highlight of Illinois’ season is three-time All-American backstroker Jessica Aveyard. Oh wait, she graduated last year. Nevermind.

Prediction: Worse.

MICHIGAN STATE

At first glance, the Spartans look like a respectable team. They’re 6-4 with a win against Eastern Michigan and a narrow five-point loss to NU. But upon closer inspection, you see a team that lost two matches in one weekend by a combined total of 329 points and won only one event.

Prediction: There’s probably a small private high school in the state of Michigan that has a swim team better than Michigan State’s. Somewhere, Sparty sheds a tear.

OHIO STATE

Comparing the Buckeyes’ football team with their women’s swim team is like comparing apples to gas cans. The swim team ended the season with five Big Ten matches, losing them all. There is, however, a ray of hope for freshman Deanna Strunk, who holds the team’s season best times in the 100- and 200-butterfly, and the 200- and 400- individual medley.

Prediction: Belly-flopping into the race for last place.