Comments on: Morning Five: 09.07.10 Edition

By: rtmsf

rtmsf — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 07:13:51 +0000

In reply to Andrew. Now I regret calling this site RTC... shoulda been Screw the Casual Fan, haha. Has a much better ring to it.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 07:07:38 +0000

Okay. I’ll agree with all (or most) of that, although I still can’t get past the idea that just because a game doesn’t have an effect on the national title picture that it is inherently meaningless.

And, screw the casual fan.

By: rtmsf

rtmsf — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 04:40:03 +0000

In reply to Andrew.

I think you’re looking at it as fans of those particular teams would. And of course if you’re a Boise State fan, you care about every game on the schedule.

The point I’m trying to get at is that the every game = playoff meme means that the “casual fan” doesn’t care (and shouldn’t care) about Boise as soon as they lose their next game. This is the corresponding argument that refers to the MBB season only really “matters” during three weeks in March. If all we’re talking about are meaningful games that matter, then Boise’s games after an L simply do not matter.

My point is that neither is true. There is value to both Boise State’s games after a loss just as there is value to a January game between Purdue and Michigan State in basketball.

I think BCS defenders try to have it both ways — they want for Michigan-Ohio State games to “matter” b/c of the rivalry and the tradition of it all, but they rip college basketball b/c of a “meaningless” regular season. You see, that doesn’t work. If Duke-Carolina in February is meaningless, then so is that UM-OSU game (assuming it doesn’t impact the natl. title race, as it does not in most years).

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 02:39:23 +0000

I don’t think the argument that every weekend is a playoff is inconsistent with still caring about teams once they are eliminated from national title contention.

Because it certainly is true that every week in college football is a playoff, in that if a certain team loses, they no longer have a chance to be national champion. That hit home big time last night when Boise State was playing – if they lose, their national titles hopes were over. But, if they had lost, they would have still had many over their season goals still available: win the WAC, get to a BCS bowl, etc.

Much like, say, Arkansas-Pine Blufff or Monmouth or Montana or Davidson in basketball – all of those teams have theoretical chances at winning a national championship, but just based on budgetary and other reasons, those chances are simply that, theoretical. Doesn’t mean we should quit caring about them just because they aren’t going to win the national championship. They still have plenty of reasons to play.

And, for what its worth, there would have been significantly less drama in last night’s BSU/VT game if BSU could have lost and still made it into a playoff for the championship at the end of the season. The system for determining a college football champion is far from perfect, but a playoff system (of any type) has its drawbacks too.

By: The Hemogoblin

The Hemogoblin — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 23:59:41 +0000

The Ducks should never have let Ernie Kent go. He was going back on the upswing. He either recruits or coaches, and he finally had a team full of competent players again… and then they all left.

By: rtmsf

rtmsf — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 23:29:29 +0000

In reply to Andrew.

But Andrew, that’s not the argument that we hear. We hear over and over again from the BCS-defenders that the reason it’s so wonderful is b/c every weekend is a playoff. If that’s TRULY the case, then let’s hold to that standard. Therefore, once teams are out of contention, then we need to stop talking about them. The casual fan isn’t interested in an 8-4 Notre Dame team unless they’re a ND fan.

The flip side to the argument is that they have to admit that there are actually meaningful games that do not impact the national title race, and if that’s the case (again, not my argument, but the one we hear), then the CBB regular season isn’t meaningless or w/o value either (a common refrain).

I’m looking for consistency in the argument. I personally believe there is value in all kinds of games in all kinds of situations, but I’m not the one running around telling everyone that every week of the CFB season is a playoff either.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:34:54 +0000

Just because a team is eliminated from national title contention in football doesn’t mean their season is over, doesn’t mean there is nothing else they can accomplish… Is the national title the only goal in college basketball? There are 200+ teams that have a theoretical chance at winning the NCAA tournament next season who will have to pick other more reasonable goals…

While I love the NCAA tournament, the march towards the inevitable football playoff is doing more to hurt the sport than a playoff to determine a slightly-less-mythical national champion could ever cure.