This is wildly ignorant.

I've needed to get out of this debate a long time ago, but here I go AGAIN...

I'm sorry, but I think Big Name teams do matter.  They matter in 4 ways:

1.  It energizes the fan base.  Penn State may have been worse than a whole lot of teams week 1, but the reason it got everyone excited is because it was Penn State and not UL Lafeyette, who is probably better (and I can't even spell their name).  Count the number of people who make the investment to go to an away game vs. say Penn State vs. a generic team, count how many went to Game Watches and count how many were talking about that game.

2.  It energizes the players.  Can't be certain about this one as I don't know the players, but don't tell me this isn't the highlight of their season.  I can ensure you the players have @ Memphis and @ Oklahoma circled on the schedule.  I'm not even sure Oklahoma is any good, but it's still circled.

3.  The NCAA Committee apparently looks at Quality Wins and Bad Losses, or at least that's on the screen they show on TV when they're assessing the resume of Bubble Teams.  I've never seen a graphic listing "Sneaky Good Teams."  Instead, that's a term a fan base uses when it's attempting to justify their schedule.

4.  Some Quality Wins give you some wiggle room and cushion for a couple bad losses.  When you have no Quality Wins over teams the NCAA Committee takes notice of, then a couple bad losses is enough reason to sink you.  When you have no quality wins, your margin of error is razor thin in the MAC.  A couple bad losses in an otherwise great season, may be enough to keep you out. 

And from watching this team the first two games, I can't help to continue thinking what a waste it continues to be that they aren't being given the opportunity right now to showcase themselves on a more national level.  These guys have shown they can play with all but about 10-15 teams in the country right now, but instead we're beating UNC-W by 38 points and trying to get psyched for the Wofford game.  I think they've earned the right to have better.

Chicken George, you already know I agree with you. Somebody said "bad losses" keep us out of an at-large. I completely disagree. It is extremely difficult to run the table in ANY conference and that expectation in unrealsitic. Players do get excited about playing bigger name opponents. I can tell you I have memories of playing at St John Arena before a packed house but I don't remember beating Marietta at home. Playing about four games above our head on the road, which would be two more than scheduled this year, along with the current schedule would give us a chance at some quality wins. Don't you want to test yourself to see how good you are?

George, you've put together a strong argument. I'll address each of your points individually.



Agreed. However, we would only see this benefit in basketball on a weekend game. For whatever reason, bigger names only want to play us during the week...

Memphis, absolutely. Oklahoma? Maybe. They don't have a lot of cachet in basketball these days. I wouldn't be surprised if UMass gets them up.



Here is what the selection committee will be look at come March. Note how things are broken down. I would consider anything in those first two categories a good win and anything in that last column a bad loss. What name is attached to the number is less important than the number itself and what category it's in. A lot of fans (fueled by ignorant pundits) don't realize this is a numbers game. There's less mystique and aura attached to big schools than people think (aside from the elite few). Get the numbers in your favor. Don't lose to the big numbers and get wins against the small numbers. It's that straightforward. A win over UMass will matter more than a win over Memphis if UMass ends up with the smaller number next to it.



Then you don't know how the selection committee operates. We had a top 50 win last year, even though you don't respect it because of conference affiliation. Losses to Toledo, EMU, and maybe BG was what killed our case.



We're not asking for an undefeated run. We're asking those losses don't go to bad teams.



First, it's debatable whether or not Oklahoma is "above our head." The higher you go, the fewer teams are above you, right? But UMass could very well win the A-10. Beating the champion of a superior conference, and the A-10 should be very strong, is a good win. Second, you continue to ignore the fact the staff very much wanted to schedule those games and were simply refused. You think we get to just name our opponents? It doesn't work that way. And, again, even if we find people to play us, both parties have to agree on a date. If we're going on the road, it has to be worked into the schedule in a logical logistical manner. For instance, we're taking a whole week off to get ready for fake OU.

With that marshmallowy-soft bubble last year? We would've been in with the win over Marshall and a couple other top 100 wins.



No. This is what I'm saying. It's a numbers game. If Oklahoma is, like, 75th, there is no way in the world that's more impressive than beating a top-30 UMass. The NCAA has been very transparent about their process. You should find one of the dozens of articles about it because you're just wrong about how they go about things.

We are in a preseason tournament with UNC-W, Hampton, Richmond and Wofford and we are the host team.

Let me also state that my points are for "THIS years type team."  You have a Mercedes type team this year and I think you run it hard a few extra games as compared to say next season, when the schedule we have this year would be fine.  Actually, next year you may actually wish to drop say Memphis is you wanted and keep the rest.   

Every once in say 5, 10, 15 years you have this kind of team coming back.  When you do, you want to run your Mercedes (I'm not a car enthusiast, so pick you elite type car here) unlike most other years when you're driving a Chevy.  This team, if given the opportunity, could've knocked off a couple Top 20 schools in a tournament and really made a name for itself heading into MAC play.  You can't accomplish this when your tournament of choice is Hampton, UNC-W, Richmond and Wofford.  All you've got to gain in this type of tournament is the threate of picking a resume "Bad Loss" against 3 of those 4 teams, all of which have not been very good.

With our Senior leaving next year I would not wish to schedule an OOC schedule like the one we should've had this season.  You gotta pick your spots and this was a a spot to try to capitalize as you're playing a strong hand.

Mercedes proved it was a Mercedes last year.  We enter next year as a Chevy until they prove differently.  I don't think anyone would argue that with DJ, Walter, Ivo, Reggie--et al. gone this time next year, they'll have to prove themselves all over again.  They may be a Mercedes, they may be better, but this time next year we'll be working out all the kinks of having literally an entirely different looking team.  No roster turnover this year from a Sweet 16 team, mega roster turnover next year. 

60% of todays points are gone this time next year.  That's significant.  "Green, Setty, Willis & Co" have not played 1 minute in an OHIO uniform.  They can call themselves all they want, I will call them unproven.

Stevie needs to get much better before he is a solid starting PG. Willis will be the starting PG next year unless there is some improvement from Stevie.

He does, but he has a whole year and a great leader to learn from.

That's fine but losing games energizes no one.  That's what you are setting yourself up for if you allow the Big 6 to set their own terms on when and where.  Even if you feel you are the better team winning on the road is extremely difficult.  It's why they won't play in Athens.  Our game with Richmond will help us a hell of a lot more come March than our Oklahoma game, one because Richmond is better and two, because there is a better chance we win it mainly because we are playing at home.   The talking heads who are comparing resumes of at large worthy teams may ooh and ah more over Oklahoma but the guys behind the closed doors won't.   They are looking at numbers and they realize that Richmond is a better team.  And last year Oklahoma would have counted as a bad loss behind closed doors.  I don't disagree that it is much more fun to beat the Big 6 but that doesn't make it better.

In the end, getting teams to come to Athens should be the goal. And the best way to do that is make yourself a program that year after year is a guaranteed RPI boost.  We are close to that mark but not yet.  But right now we are scheduling very wisely.

I'm looking at Butler's schedule this year, they went to the NCAA Tourney finals TWICE. And there still only playing 3 ranked opponents. One was played in a preseason tourney (UNC) and a neutral court against Indiana