College Basketball

[Ming]

No ****. When Alabama and Texas go undefeated, they're going to play for the title. If you play a weak schedule, you have to hope that the teams who play tougher schedules slip up.

So... you are admitting that the BCS colleges get the nod even if the records are equal... again, meaningless seasons for the have nots.

It's hardly a miracle to have a season end with one or no undefeated teams from the BCS conferences. It happens regularly.

And when was the last time a non BCS team played in the championship? again, meaningless seasons for the have nots.

Football is the only sport that really matters. No major school is going to jeopardize its crucial football revenues out of concerns for basketball or the non-revenue sports

Sure, Football is the number one sport, just like it is in the professional leagues... But if the NCAA came up with it's own playoff plan that provided good revenue... You are just being an idiot by saying all the other sports don't really matter to the big conferences... but no surprise from you.

[Drake Tungsten]

So... you are admitting that the BCS colleges get the nod even if the records are equal...

I clearly said that the teams with the tougher schedules get the nod; the quality of your regular season competition actually matters in college football. You read about as well as Sloww does.

And when was the last time a non BCS team played in the championship?

Don't change the subject. You're claiming that it is all but impossible for a non-AQ school to play in the BCS championship game, that it would take a "miracle" for this to happen. This is a patently ridiculous statement, given the events of the past season. TCU was literally one second away from a place in the championship game.

You are just being an idiot by saying all the other sports don't really matter to the big conferences... but no surprise from you.

Go look at the balance sheets for some major college athletic departments and tell me how they're going to make ends meet if football revenue drops. The college football regular season is the cash cow of college athletics and university presidents aren't going to mess with a good thing just because idiotic NFL fans like yourself think they should.

[Guynemer]

Don't change the subject. You're claiming that it is all but impossible for a non-AQ school to play in the BCS championship game, that it would take a "miracle" for this to happen. This is a patently ridiculous statement, given the events of the past season. TCU was literally one second away from a place in the championship game.

In theory. However, one need look no further back than '06 to see that, rightly or wrongly, the poll voters will manipulate their results to get a preferred outcome. It was by no means a done deal that TCU would play for the title had the Huskers been even slighlty less atrocious on offense.

[flash9286]

Is that why all the analysts were saying they got the easiest region?

Just like all the analysts said the Big East was good. Criticizing Duke means more viewers or readers. If you actually look at the stats, Duke didn't have the easiest bracket, not that that matters to Duke haters.

[Drake Tungsten]

However, one need look no further back than '06 to see that, rightly or wrongly, the poll voters will manipulate their results to get a preferred outcome.

As I said earlier, a mid-major team needs to have a good track record to be able to earn a shot in the title game (precisely because the poll voters won't seriously consider an upstart team in a weak conference). Now, I don't particularly like the polls and preferred earlier iterations of the BCS formula where the computers played a bigger role, but I also don't think that the pollsters are going to be a huge obstacle for teams like Utah, TCU or Boise State in the future. If Boise is a preseason top-five this year, that's a pretty clear indication that the pollsters take them seriously and will put Boise in the championship game if they go undefeated and there aren't two other undefeated teams with stronger schedules.

It was by no means a done deal that TCU would play for the title had the Huskers been even slighlty less atrocious on offense.

It would have been TCU or Cincinnati, neither of whom are traditional powers.

[Guynemer]

If Boise is a preseason top-five this year, that's a pretty clear indication that the pollsters take them seriously and will put Boise in the championship game if they go undefeated and there aren't two other undefeated teams with stronger schedules.

Well... we'll see. Frankly, I would be shocked if a one-loss team doesn't finish in front of them if it comes to that.

It would have been TCU or Cincinnati, neither of whom are traditional powers.

Cincy is at least from a BCS conference; I wouldn't have put it past the pollsters to elevate OSU or Oregon or even a Bama-Florida rematch ahead of TCU.

[Drake Tungsten]

Cincy is at least from a BCS conference

That's a very technical point. Cincy and TCU are pretty much equivalent in prestige terms; Cincy is in a BCS conference (one that I don't think is any more respected nationally than the Mountain West), but TCU has the superior history.

I wouldn't have put it past the pollsters to elevate OSU or Oregon or even a Bama-Florida rematch ahead of TCU.

Sorry, but I don't see any way that would've happened.

Well... we'll see.

Indeed.

[Guynemer]

Don't get me wrong; I hope you're right, I just have no faith in the pollsters.

Now, that said, your larger point about the college basketball regular season and tournament is 100% spot on.

[Drake Tungsten]

Don't get me wrong; I hope you're right, I just have no faith in the pollsters.

Well, I can certainly understand that. The pollsters are idiots, for the most part.

Now, that said, your larger point about the college basketball regular season and tournament is 100% spot on.

Does anyone even care about this year's tournament anymore, beyond cheering for Duke to lose?

[Guynemer]

Do away with all the conference tournaments, and just invite all regular-season conference champs, and you've got yourself a true championship tournament. What we have now is fun, no doubt, but it fails at determining a truly worthy champ more often than not.

Of course, that is true of pretty much every sport at every level--too many teams make the playoffs.

[Drake Tungsten]

Do away with all the conference tournaments, and just invite all regular-season conference champs, and you've got yourself a true championship tournament.

Of course, that is true of pretty much every sport at every level--too many teams make the playoffs.

Don't even get me started on the NBA playoffs.

[Guynemer]

They're all the same, Drake. "Wild card" berths are the worst thing to ever happen to postseason sports. NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, NCAA, you name it.

[Drake Tungsten]

They're all the same, Drake. "Wild card" berths are the worst thing to ever happen to postseason sports.

I agree with your general point, but the NBA playoffs are particularly odious. Seriously, three months of playoffs? Three ****ing months?

[Ming]

I clearly said that the teams with the tougher schedules get the nod; the quality of your regular season competition actually matters in college football. You read about as well as Sloww does.

And you should learn to think... The BCS has it rigged and won't give the lower conferences the chances they need for a better schedule unless they are willing to only play away games. The big conferences rarely play a road game against the lesser opponents. They don't have to so they don't.
The BCS conferences are a closed old boys network... making for meaninglyess seasons for any non BCS team/

Don't change the subject. You're claiming that it is all but impossible for a non-AQ school to play in the BCS championship game, that it would take a "miracle" for this to happen. This is a patently ridiculous statement, given the events of the past season. TCU was literally one second away from a place in the championship game.

Again... no non BCS team has ever made it to the championship... that's not changing the subject, that's a fact. And when they have a had a chance, the polls made sure it didn't happen. Learn to see reality instead of just kissing the BCS ass.

Go look at the balance sheets for some major college athletic departments and tell me how they're going to make ends meet if football revenue drops. The college football regular season is the cash cow of college athletics and university presidents aren't going to mess with a good thing just because idiotic NFL fans like yourself think they should.

Yeah... tell those BCS schools like NC and Kentucky how less important their Basketball programs are...

A playoff system can be worked out that is fair for everybody and still generate the type of money that the BCS championship does. Nobody is saying that you need to change the regular season and the revenue involved... or change the lesser bowl system... So again, you need to think instead of just playing the BCS mouth piece.

The curent system make the regular season meaningless for any non BCS team.

[Drake Tungsten]

I'm done with you for now, Ming. Guy and I are having an adult conversation.