“For the first time in NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament History, there will be no #1 or #2 seed in the final four. As a matter of fact, we’re going to have either the second #8 in the final (Villanova) or the first #11. This just goes to show how exciting playoffs could be for college football, and how the NCAA needs to dump the BC$ in order to move to a real championship playoff.”
Just wanted to get that out there, since you’ll probably only hear it about fifteen billion times between now and the final game. I’d be interested to see if we hear about this or about Ashley Judd more often… Not that there’s anything wrong with more photos of Ms. Judd.
But, the fact of the matter is that this final four, while entertaining, does not prove the need for a college football playoff. In fact, it proves that a playoff would have no more likelihood of “crown a true champion” than the current BCS process. Or, for that matter, the old “play the bowls and wait for the polls” system that existed back in the days of yore.
“Wait! How can you say that! These teams have a chance to win or lose a title on the court/field!! That’s better than some computer making the decisions…”
True, but it depends on your definition of “better”. A playoff would bring the “madness”; the excitement, the upsets, the energy, but it wouldn’t be any more qualified to say that the last team standing would be the “best”. Because, at the end of the day, that’s not something that’s simple to pin down.
The NCAA Tournament, this year’s in particular, is all about matchups and how a team is playing at the moment. It’s why Selection Sunday is so important for sports fans- we know that the region where our favorite team is placed, and who else is there makes a huge difference between a short stay and a longer run in the tournament. It’s why people were surprised by Pitt’s relatively easy region this year, and the bracket of doom that Ohio State ended up with.
It also discredits the regular season, since a team like VCU who played abysmal defense prior to their conference tournament can suddenly catch fire and manage the second best defense in the tournament (to Kansas, the team they upset). Since it only matters that a team play well at the end of the year, what purpose is there for rivalries and games that impact ranking and possibilities for inclusion in the BCS later on? Just play well enough to make the tourney and let the chips fall from there.
The one and done format highlights these two issues- you only need to be good right now, rather than the best overall. In addition, three hours of a player or team being off their game, injuries to significant members of the squad, or one “fluke” moment can impact a single game in ways that discredit that game’s “ultimate” status. This is why conferences crown two champions- they recognize the difference between a season’s worth of excellence and winning a tournament… although at Ohio State, we don’t have to worry about that distinction in basketball.
Oh, and about those computers- this week, when people start talking about how the BCS is a mistake and that a playoff is better, you’re also welcomed to remind them that Virginia Commonweath was a controversial choice by the committee… that many thought the Hokies should have received their bid. So, even the wonder of March Madness is not without its subjectivity… but that’s the nature of the discussion.
We’ve talked before about what “champion” means, and I’m still of the mindset that unless you pull one together like the NBA or MLB (multiple games) you’re still only giving the “title” to someone based on arbitrary decisions, and that choosing to acknowledge the “champ” based on polls is not better than handing out the title after a one and done tournament. Different? Certainly. More exciting? Possible. But not “better”… because you’re just going to end up with the “if we played 7 times my squadron would win 5 of them” arguments to go along with the “who gets in and who doesn’t” one.
So, if you ask me about the “BCS or Playoff” debate, I’m going to go with option C- “Either is fine. Pass the nachos.”
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