NCAA Qtr: Ohio State at Minnesota

[ARM]

Last week? Yeah, that was more like a dress rehearsal.

Over the years, Gopher fans have had the pleasure (?) of doing this with fans of the Bulldogs (2010, 2017), Badgers (2006, 2008, 2016, 2018, 2019), and Fighting Whioux (2012, 2013) -- playing four times during the season, once in the WCHA tourney, and once more in the NCAAs. Now we can add the Buckeyes to our "friends and family" plan. You'll find that this is how it often works in the NCAA, and if you were a bus ride away, it would become a tradition.

Anyway, this is where we can share thoughts and notes on the game at a neutral site. Good luck!

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Re: NCAA Qtr: Ohio State at Minnesota

Looks like the game will be available on BTN+

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: NCAA Qtr: Ohio State at Minnesota

Over the years, Gopher fans have had the pleasure (?) of doing this with fans of the Bulldogs (2010, 2017), Badgers (2006, 2008, 2016, 2018, 2019), and Fighting Whioux (2012, 2013) -- playing four times during the season, once in the WCHA tourney, and once more in the NCAAs. Now we can add the Buckeyes to our "friends and family" plan. You'll find that this is how it often works in the NCAA, and if you were a bus ride away, it would become a tradition.

So the "Game That Shouldn't Have Been Scheduled" has its own thread. Well, we ought to embrace it, I guess.

But before I do, I feel compelled to point out that bracket integrity would have been extremely easy to accomplish this year, but for the "Minimize Flights" rule. Simply using the final Pairwise rankings would have given us:

#8 Mercyhurst @ #1 Cornell
#5 Princeton @ #4 Minnesota

#6 Ohio State @ #3 Northeastern
#7 Clarkson @ #2 Wisconsin

No intra-conference match-ups in the first round. Perfect bracket integrity right off the bat. And if you're willing to count the CHA as a Western league, (admittedly a big stretch) all 4 games are the coveted East/West match-ups. It would have been a great tournament.

Last, & Least Important: I've stood up for conference mates on this issue repeatedly over the years. Obviously it's impossible to remember what every poster has said about any given issue. But from my vantage point this controversy is old hat, not something I'm just finding out about.

 

[ARM]

Re: NCAA Qtr: Ohio State at Minnesota

I am happy at least the Princeton gets to experience something different this year, as the Tigers three previous tournaments have all been trips to Minneapolis. We've known for weeks that we would have at least one All-WCHA qtr if the league had both host and unseeded teams. It was a surprise in 2008, but these days, we know where the NCAA's priorities are.

At least for some issues -- committee representation maybe -- the NCAA does consider the CHA to be in the West.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: NCAA Qtr: Ohio State at Minnesota

I am happy at least the Princeton gets to experience something different this year, as the Tigers three previous tournaments have all been trips to Minneapolis.

I'll agree that's a plus. I didn't realize that Princeton and the U of M had that streak of consecutive match-ups. Good on you for finding a positive.

Of course this assumes the Princeton/NU game will actually be played. With the rapidly unfolding Covid-19 developments, who knows?

We've known for weeks that we would have at least one All-WCHA qtr if the league had both host and unseeded teams. It was a surprise in 2008, but these days, we know where the NCAA's priorities are.

For those paying attention, yes. Pretty much everyone who posted a comment agreed that the Committee would pair Princeton & NU. Many of us also believed that the CHA Champ was highly likely to be sent to Cornell. If those two match-ups were indeed givens, then what you say is correct.

Overall, this was a pretty easy bracket to predict when the playoffs started, and basically a lock once the conference results were in. Which means, among other things, that the NCAA Committee deserves credit for transparency.

At the same time, this result isn't common sense. Nor is it just. The long term goal should still be to get rid of the "minimize flights" rule, or at least to put a lot less weight on the flight factor.

The current decision rules have become normal. That doesn't establish that they're ideal, or even good.

 

[Offsides Guy]

at the same time, this result isn't common sense. Nor is it just. The long term goal should still be to get rid of the "minimize flights" rule, or at least to put a lot less weight on the flight factor.

The current decision rules have become normal. That doesn't establish that they're ideal, or even good.

well said!!

 

[ARM]

Re: NCAA Qtr: Ohio State at Minnesota

The long term goal should still be to get rid of the "minimize flights" rule, or at least to put a lot less weight on the flight factor.

I agree, and I think it is a priority even over expansion. Otherwise, the expanded field remains a largely regional tournament until the FF. Of course, any of these changes require funding that to date has been denied. Maybe the tournament being totally at risk, as it is, serves to remind people like me to not take it for granted.