Posted on 11/28/2005 3:52:48 PM PST by LisaMalia
Early Tourneys Over the BCS?
The good folks at ESPN have taken this past week and labeled it for all us college basketball fans. "Feast Week" is not only a take on our most gluttonous holiday, but it's also the first opportunity of the hoops season to handle a massive amount of rainbow shots, floor burns, and alley oops. While some of these games are scheduled beforehand, most of the interesting contests at this time happen in those delightful little "preseason" tournaments.
From the heart of New York to the sands of Maui, universities send their most prolific hoopsters to those wonderful competitions where squads can gauge their abilities heading into the meat of their seasons. And hey, what's wrong with taking in the scenery of the Big Apple or an Alaskan Glacier?
I know that this is football season, and everybody's pumped up for the BCS. However, as blasphemous as it may sound, I think I prefer these small hoops gatherings to the late-season pigskin craze. Now, in my mind, March Madness has the BCS beat, hands-down. But there just seems to be more potential for excitement and hope right now, when sneakers squeak for the first time in months.
Maybe that's why I'm enjoying this week so much, despite my lack of watching many games due to my early morning schedule. So, why the lack of postseason love, you ask? I'll try to open your minds.
I will admit that several football games have made the 2005 season very interesting lately. Fresno State/USC was a classic shootout. Miami, with that new division title in hand, was bogged down at the wrong time by Georgia Tech. Heck, even LSU had a tough time hanging on against Arkansas on Friday.
Then again, could these games top Duke's nail-biter against Memphis in the NIT finals? How about LaMarcus Aldridge saving Texas from an early season loss against West Virginia at the Guardians Classic? Don't forget about the runs of Gonzaga and Michigan State in Maui, including their 109-106 triple-overtime meeting in the semis.
They all ended up to be just one win or loss in columns that will add up to 25 or 30 games as the season ends, but these losses don't sting right now. Perhaps the best news from these matchups, though, is that we may very well see them again come March, when everything will be on the line.
That's a problem with the BCS. With the bowls running who comes into their stadium after the New Year, you aren't as likely to see some of the better games replayed in the postseason. A Texas/Ohio State rematch seems pretty impossible right now. How about USC and Notre Dame hooking up again? I wouldn't waste your wishes. That's the beauty of these tourneys. The billing of a national championship preview could be a true statement.
At the moment, you might be thinking, "How crazy is he? Early basketball against the BCS race? Haven't the white coat guys come in and strapped him up, yet? Every single game in the college football season matters, especially right now."
Sure, I hear ya, but I ain't buying the argument. True, the basketball regular season holds the attention less than football's equivalent. But don't give me the line that "every game matters." Tell me, how big was that Tennessee/Kentucky battle? Then there's this year's Egg Bowl, where Ole Miss and Mississippi State had one SEC win between them going into the game. Even the normally important Nebraska/Colorado tilt might have sealed up spots in the Houston and Champs Sports Bowls.
Even in an early basketball tournament, mediocre teams get to place themselves in a situation where they play over a consecutive number of days. It's an opportunity to see flaws and strengths against different styles of play. Michigan State may be 2-2 after leaving Hawaii, but you have to believe that those two losses will help them more than any early loss would benefit USC's football squad.
Now, I will admit that there are a lot of those illegitimate school tournaments. You know, the ones where one big-time program invites three schools from the MEAC, Southland, and Big Sky Conferences (or the like). Those piddly excuses for games should basically go the way of the former August football games.
However, give teams a chance to go up against strong competition, and they can find out more about their capabilities. Who knows, maybe they could turn a few heads, just like Florida did in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.
But overall, these tournaments let players determine their championships by ... well, playing. The politicking and headaches of the current bowling system can bring an annoying feeling to the month of November. So, isn't it nice to see someone enjoy playing a game for once?
Sure, you can take the preceding sentiments as those of a basketball nut. But I tell you, I wouldn't mind taking an island vacation right about now? You?
I hear Temple's looking for a conference.:)
I don't mind the automatic bids, so long as everyone has one.
I don't think the little guys will get represented without them and without the WAC, CUSA and MWC conference champs, then you miss out on TCU (MWC), Fresno State (WAC) and whoever will be coming out of the CUSA championship game.
they aren't actually.
They are entering the MAC next year.
One game, big deal, as opposed to the number of games on TV that schools like Texas, Ohio State, Michigan, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Miami, USC, UCLA, or Notre Dame, etc., get throughout the entire season. College basketball is even worse. ESPN shows the Big Sky Conference tournament at 3:00 in the morning via tape delay.
The Tarnished Domers will get a bid because their AD and other school officials were able to drive a hard bargain with the BCS (thanks in large part to their exclusive NBC contract). As long as they are bowl eligible and can smell the top 10, they just about get whatever they want. No need to join a conference for them. Just play Army and Navy every year, don't screw up, and voila! No team bothers me more than ND. They haven't earned or deserved one iota of what they've gotten in the past 30 years.
I would love for Miami to be a media darling though. Oh that it were true :) Perhaps someday...
Uhhh, why would you say that? Did you see Gary Barnett's press conference after Iowa State lost, putting Colorado into the B12 Champ Game? He looked about as happy as a guy who just won a raffle, with the prize being the chance to wrestle an angry bear. The Buffaloes didn't even bother to show up for last year's game in a similar situation. This year's Texas team is better than the Oklahoma team that pulled Colorado's pants down and spanked their pasty, white bottom. Do you have reason to believe that this year's game will be any different?
Uhhh, when you score 42 points and lose, it aint the offense's fault. They DID exploit the USC defense. It's just that the USC offense is so good, they have been able to overcome their defense getting exploited.
They didn't on a couple drives where USC shut them down when their defense needed a break.....
And they didn't when they had the ball on that final drive.
There was a very obvious hole RIGHT UP THE MIDDLE against USC in that game. Why they didn't run the ball up the middle every other play is a mystery to me. USC didn't have a prayer at stopping it, yet Pat Hill continually went back to the pass and Pinegar isn't that type of QB yet.
Actually, ESPN will be showing playoff games each week and the championship game. Live. Really!
Come on. Notre Dame has a brutal schedule, year in and year out. Additionally, every team gets up for them like it's the Super Bowl. Say what you will about the Irish, but they don't play a soft schedule.
Until you have a Tourney College FB is just bad Fantasy FB.
La Fiesta Oregon
Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters
And they didn't when they had the ball on that final drive.
I guess we have a different definition of "exploit". Evidently you believe a team has to score every time they have the ball in order to "exploit" their opponent's defensive weaknesses. By that definition even the Indianapolis Colts don't often "exploit" defenses. They have to punt every once in a while, too.
I'll stand by my statement that if you score 42 points, you have "exploited" an opponent's defensive weaknesses and should win. If you don't, it would mean that your defense is getting exploited to an even greater degree. Again, that would indicate a problem with your DEFENSE, not offense.
yeah that is generally what exploit means.
And if you don't exploit the other teams weakness enough to win, then what did you do?
USC sure as hell exploited the fact that Fresno couldn't stop them on the ground either.
Of course then Nevada snuck up on Fresno, but that's another story.
Not really. Exploit means "to make productive use of". Fresno exploited USC's defense to the tune of 42 points. Unfortunately for them, USC exploited their defense for 50 points. BOTH teams exploited their opponents' defensive weaknesses.
yeah but USC exploited them MORE.
When USC couldn't move the ball by other means, they were running it with Reggie Bush off of the left End.
When Fresno couldn't move the ball through the air, they continued to throw it.
LOL. Is there an echo in here? I just said that!
apparently....
And Fresno was unable to exploit them enough to win.
LOL. Yeah, I'm sure after the game the defensive players were sneering at their offensive teammates and saying things like "42 points???!!! All you could score against the #1 team in the country, the team that hasn't lost in like 3 years, is a lousy 42 points????!!! You LOSERS!"
It's the only fair thing to do. Just like in basketball we'll hear whining from the bubble at large teams that don't get in but if you don't win your conference don't complain about not going to the dance.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.