March Madness 2010 Standings Led by Big Ten

March Madness 2010 standings only exist in one format. The March Madness 2010 standings are more for the benefits of conferences, even as individual teams fight for glory. Though there is only one real winner of the NCAA tournament, their conferences can also claim victory as well with their teams' performances. Every year, the likes of the Big East, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC fight to proclaim their league the best in the land. But judging by the March Madness 2010 standings so far, this fight is long from over, and just as topsy-turvy as the brackets.

In the first round, the dominant story was the Big East's struggles, as the powerful league went 1-3 on opening day - when it should have been 0-4. Nevertheless, it got four teams out of eight in the second round, but that total was halved again this weekend.

The most notable record in the March Madness 2010 standings is the Big East's mere 6-6 record. Only Syracuse and West Virginia made it to the Sweet 16, a year after four Big East teams got to the Elite Eight. Everyone agrees the league isn't as strong as last season, but most expected better results than this before the Sweet 16.

As it turns out, the leaders in the March Madness 2010 standings are the Big Ten. This conference is often taken lightly during the regular season, but it winds up making a big impact in the NCAA tournament anyway. This year, the Big Ten has the most teams in the Sweet 16, with Ohio State, Michigan State and Purdue. In fact, there could be an all Big Ten regional final in the Midwest between the Buckeyes and Spartans - although few will root for the Spartans over Northern Iowa.

The Big Ten is 7-2 thus far, even with Wisconsin's bad loss to Cornell yesterday. Purdue's overtime win over Texas A&M put them over the top, and stopped the Big 12 from getting the most Sweet 16 teams. As such, the Big 12 only has a 7-5 record, with only Kansas State and Baylor left - and without Kansas, the conference might not be able to catch up.

In the March Madness 2010 standings, only two of the other 'Big Six' conferences have winning records so far. The Pac-10, for all its struggles, is 3-1 thus far with Washington still alive. The SEC is 4-2, with Tennessee still standing and Kentucky favored to go all the way. Meanwhile, the ACC is at .500, just like the Big East, with a 5-5 record and only Duke still alive.

Only the Big Ten, Big 12, Big East and SEC have multiple teams in the Sweet 16. The Atlantic 10 started strong this year, but they are just 2-2 with Xavier still carrying their banner. The Mountain West had high hopes, but finished 2-4 thanks to New Mexico and BYU's losses on Saturday.

However, there are still some unbeaten mid-major leagues, thanks to their Cinderellas. The Horizon, Ivy, and Missouri Valley Conferences are 2-0, due to Butler, Cornell and Northern Iowa's Sweet 16 runs. The West Coast conference trails at 3-1, with St. Mary's as the team still alive instead of Gonzaga.

These March Madness 2010 standings are still early, just like the Big Dance itself. The real winners will be determined in the Final Four and beyond, and a conference that has struggled can redeem itself with a national champion. Yet it seems unlikely that more than one team from a conference will get to Indianapolis, like the Big East did last year. This year, parity has reigned through the land, and that applies to the big leagues as well.

For now, it still seems certain that the top leagues will be the last one standing - unless Northern Iowa, Cornell, St. Mary's and Butler still have surprises left. If not, then it's up to the Big Ten, Big 12, and maybe the last of the Big East and SEC, to fight for the March Madness 2010 standings victory.

Sources

AL.com- "Four days of Madness are complete"

News Ok- "Big 12 falters in NCAA Tournament" blog.newsok.com/berrytramel/2010/03/22/big-12-falters-in-ncaa-tournament/