My First NCAA Tournament Games

My dad and I went to the NCAA Men’s Tournament first round games at the Dome last weekend, and my friend and I went to the second round games.  These were the first ever tournament games I’ve been to, and I had a blast.

Here is my take on the teams that I saw play:

North Dakota State – These guys gave it their all in the first round against Kansas.  Their guard had one of the best performances I’ve ever seen in person.  The Dome was absolutely rocking with all of the NDSU fans.  Played Kansas VERY tough and were in the game until the final three minutes.

Kansas – Took care of buisness in both games.  IMO they rely too much on two players… which could be trouble if either one is in foul trouble or doesn’t play very well.  Aldrich is a beast.  Collins can’t miss (but also can’t play a lick of defense).

Dayton – GREAT spirit.  From the band (and their incredible leader) to the cheerleaders to the fans.  They brought that extra flair that makes the experience special.  Looked very good against West Virginia, but couldn’t make a shot to save their lives against Kansas.  Provided the best dunks of the weekend.

West Virginia – Very disappointing against Dayton.  I thought they would have played much better.  Good team.  Good coach.  Just wasn’t their day.

USC – Looked very good against MSU.  Lacked some size, but had great guard play and a very balanced attack.

Michigan State – The best team I saw this weekend.  Balanced attack.  Great defense.  Good size.  USC played them tough, but they stepped up when they had to.

Having seen the teams play in person, I’d have to say that Michigan State will beat Kansas next week.  I think they have the size to cause Aldrich some problems, and the guard play to cause Collins some trouble.  They also had a much more balanced attack than Kansas, which allows them to better absorb a below average performance from some of their players, as well as exploit any holes in the Kansas defense that open up.

Utah Should Be #1

I read a piece yesterday advocating that people should vote for Utah as the #1 team in college football.  Having listened to tall the talking heads debate this week, I’ve decided that I too believe Utah should be #1.  They are the ONLY team that will finish the season without a loss.  They beat every team they were allowed to play, and in their last game absolutely demolished a team that had been ranked #1 for much of the season and was with a few minutes of playing in the national championship.  I don’t think you can hold a flawed system against them.  They deserve to share the championship. 

Additionally, Utah should be voted #1 to show just how flawed the system is.  As long as people continue to go along with this BCS system and play the game, nothing will change.  While I honestly believe that Utah deserves to be #1, I also believe in a playoff system.  In order to get that, we need to prove how ludicrous the system is and start stirring up some controversy.

So, rank Utah first.  They’re worthy – it is easy to justify ranking them #1 – and it would stir up some much needed controversy.

Fiesta Bowl

The Fiesta Bowl just ended.  What a game.  I never thought Ohio State would be in the game at all, but all credit to them.  They hung tough, dominated the Texas defense on the ground, and held the lead into the final minute of the game against a team that probably deserves to be playing in the National Championship Game.  And what a play by Texas to score the winning touchdown.  Great read by McCoy.  This was the most exciting bowl game I’ve seen this year.  Hopefully the game Thursday will be just as good.

People have been on the Big Ten’s case all year about how much it sucks, but Ohio State did the conference proud tonight despite their loss.  They showed that they could hang with a high-powered high-octane offense.

I don’t think Texas did enough in the eyes of the voters to be voted #1.  Personally, I think they are just as deserving of the #1 ranking as either Florida or Oklahoma, but in the flawed system they have, they’ll be left out in the cold without a real chance to prove themselves.

Also, for the record, I absolutely LOVE the sweater vest and tie that Jim Tressel wears on the sidelines.  A stellar outfit.