Seems like the Great Lakes was just really, really, incredibly bad this year. Behind Wisco, nobody differentiated themselves -- you had Ohio State just 7 points ahead of Indiana State, who was only 9 points ahead of Butler, etc.
Honestly, there was not that big a difference between the quality of the 2nd team and the 11th (Central Michigan within 3 points of beating UMich!).
The teams at the top had decent 3rd men, but 4th and 5th guys placing in the 40s and 50s in a weak region? These teams are just not that good right now.
What do Michigan State, Ohio State, and Indiana State have in common? They were at the top of the Great Lakes, and finished 19th or worse in their respective races at Pre-Nats! Butler had the best Pre-nats, finishing 13th and losing to Utah State and Air Force.
Come on.