Same problem, different sport

(originally published January 13, 2010)

We all know that USC, Notre Dame, Florida, Florida St, Ohio St and all those teams in college football can somehow stay inside the top 25 despite dropping 3,4 and sometimes 5 games in regular season.

You know, I can live with that. It usually almost takes these teams out of the BCS Bowl game talks, so it has little effect on what really happens.

However, their college cousin, basketball, has the same problem but this has a much bigger role on the ending results.

I shall do a simple chart.

(note:records are all regular season record)

Team A 25-3 .893 17-1 Conference .944

Team B 18-11 .621 8-8 Conference .500

Team C 28-9 .757 9-7 Conference .563

Team D 18-10 .642 8-8 Conference .500

Which team would you pick?? Do you even hesitate?? Not at all. All of you would pick team A in a second.

Wouldn't you like to know who each team is???

Team D--- North Carolina (lost in 2nd round of the NCAA)

Team C--- Georgia Tech (lost in the finals of the NCAA)

Team B--- Michigan St (lost in 1st round of the NCAA)

Team A--- Utah St (didnt recieve invitation to NCAA tournament)

You may recall a couple years back. A talented Utah St team had lost only two games the entire regular season. The best record in the country. They were rudely ranked only 23rd in the nation heading into the conference tourney. I dont care who you play, but if you lose just two games, that should be an auto bid. But Utah St, came out flat and lost in the first round of their conference tourney.

The unthinkable happens.

A team that went 25-3 was given an invitation to the NIT, aka the losers bracket.

How can this happen.

North Carolina is another one of those teams like Duke that gets bids for what shirt they wear and not for what they display on the court. How can this happen!?!

Look, I know its a biased opinion I have. But right now for instance. In the top 25. Michigan St is 8th in the country with three losses. North Carolina is 13th with four losses.

Is this ok??

Northern Iowa is 16-1

Coastal Carolina is 16-2

UAB 16-2

Louisiana Tech 16-2

None of these teams have sniffed the top 25 except UAB for a week this year.

Whats the deal??

Its no the BCS, but its still bogus.

By the way.... I do love looking up this stuff, even though no one reads this!