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Ohio State lost at Wisconsin Saturday after blowing a 15 point second half lead.  So what does this mean for the rankings tomorrow?  Nothing.  At least it shouldn’t.  At least not for Ohio State.

Wisconsin should get a decent bump, maybe even into the top 10.  But Ohio State?  They should (but won’t) be #1 when the polls come out tomorrow.

The Buckeyes are the last division 1 team to lose this season, and they lost in a place where just about everybody else has lost at some point this decade.  The Kohl Center, along with Allen Fieldhouse, are the toughest places to win a college basketball game.

I can’t say I was surprised Ohio State lost Saturday.  If anything, it will be good for them.  But if the NCAA tournament were to start this week, they better be on the committee’s top line as the #1 overall seed.  They, along with Kansas and San Diego State, are the only one-loss teams in the country.  I don’t think I need to convince you that the Buckeyes are more deserving than San Diego State.  I’ll make quick work of the Jayhawks too.

Ohio State’s lone loss was a four point loss on the road against a Badger team that was undefeated at home and ranked #13.  Kansas’ only setback was a double-digit home loss to Texas.  Ohio State also has four wins over teams currently ranked, while Kansas has just two.  And consider this – the Jayhawks have only two conference wins against teams in the RPI top 60 (Missouri, Kansas State).  Ohio State has six such wins (Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota twice, Michigan twice).

The Big 12 is the most disappointing conference this season in terms of playing to expectations.  Only four teams are going to make the tournament.  Ohio State plays in a better conference against better teams and has beaten better teams.  Simple enough.

You may be able to make an argument for Pittsburgh, but that Tennessee loss is looking worse by the day.

Might as well give Ohio State the top line now.  They are done losing. Kansas still has a Big 12 Championship date with Texas.

#12 Miami Hurricanes at #2 Ohio State Buckeyes
The way to beat Ohio State?  Don’t turn the ball over, and make Terrelle Pryor one-dimensional.  Jacory Harris does not turn it over.  He threw just three incomplete passes in a week one win against Florida A&M.  The defense allowed just 53 net rush yards, and in plays in which they stopped A&M for a loss, they racked up 81 yards the other way.  If their run defense is as good this time, Pryor will be forced to throw, and that’s a perfect recipe for success.
Miami 29, Ohio State 24

#18 Penn State Nittany Lions at #1 Alabama Crimson Tide
Mark Ingram is out, meaning another opportunity for Trent Richardson.  Alabama had no problems in game one, but they probably want a two-back tandem to deal with this Lion D.  They won’t get it, but it won’t matter.  A defensive struggle will consume the first half until Greg McElroy finds some holes in the second half.
Alabama 24, Penn State 9

#17 Florida State Seminoles at #10 Oklahoma Sooners
Brothers reunite as FSU offensive coordinator Mark Stoops meets OU head coach Bob in a showdown of top 20 teams that became very interesting after week one’s results.  Oklahoma blew a 21-0 lead and had to claw out a win against Utah State, while Christian Ponder began his Heisman chase by going 12-14 for 167 yards and four touchdowns in just one half.  Still, Oklahoma will get it together this week.
Oklahoma 33, Florida State 17

#22 Georgia Bulldogs at #24 South Carolina Gamecocks
It’s a battle for second place in the SEC East as the traditional SEC opener between the two heads to Columbia.  I’m still trying to figure out how South Carolina won by 28 with nearly identical stats in every category as Southern Miss.  Every category except red zone chances.  Georgia’s #4 ranked defense won’t be so generous.
Georgia 27, South Carolina 20

#7 Oregon at Tennessee
I was wrong about the Ducks.  Judging by the New Mexico game, it appears they have no weakness on offense or defense.  LaMichael James is back for a showdown with the Vols.  This offense appears to be on the right track, and I’m not going to cross them again until they give me reason to.  Nevertheless, it won’t be a 72 point win in Knoxville.
Oregon 34, Tennessee 16

UPSET SPECIAL – Kansas Jayhawks 26, #15 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 20
Turner Gill’s debut was a disaster.  A 6-3 loss to North Dakota State is embarrassing, but something tells me they’ll be ready for this one.  I don’t know why, and I’ll probably be laughed at later when Tech wins by 20, but Kansas has always had a respectable defense, and they can hang around if they figure out how to slow down Tech’s option.

Last Week:  4-2
Overall:  4-2
Upsets:  0-1

You probably know by now that Nebraska, Missouri, Notre Dame and Rutgers have been invited by the Big Ten to join the conference, or so says Sports Radio 810.  The conference has done its homework and knows that these are the four most attractive schools that may realistically consider the offer.  This is the order that I would assume the Big Ten would want these teams:

1)  Notre Dame – The football independent is already in the geographic area, but the name itself would bring in a lot more revenue, especially if the NBC contract stays intact. Academics are also excellent.

2)  Rutgers – Though the football program is not on the same level with Notre Dame or Nebraska, Rutgers to the Big Ten would put the conference in direct competition with the much less-publicized Big East in the nation’s largest market.

3)  Missouri - A decent football program has perked over the past few years, and the conference would probe into both St. Louis and Kansas City markets.  Missouri has very good overall athletics.

4)  Nebraska – The football program is exactly what the Big Ten wants, and it would get a lot of eyeballs.  However, Lincoln is not in a good place geographically, academics are below Big Ten standards and overall athletics are below average.

Forget Notre Dame.  Although it would be a dream for NBC to keep its contract with the Irish if it were to jump to the Big Ten, it simply won’t happen.  Notre Dame has also developed several rivalries that would no longer be played every year.

Rutgers probably will not leave the Big East.  The school’s football program has become competitive in a relatively balanced conference, and the location is good for that conference as well.

That leaves Missouri and Nebraska.  The alternative to joining the Big East may be a partnership with the Pac 10, which would increase television time and revenue.  However, joining the Big Ten will do this too, but do a lot more with it.

If either the ‘Huskers or the Tigers join the Big Ten, they will more than double their television revenue because the Big Ten has balanced revenue, unlike the Big 12.  In the Big 12, Texas is gobbling up most of the money because it is the best athletic school and grabs the most TV time.  The Big Ten television contracts guarantee set revenue, which is roughly $22 million per school.  Missouri currently gets $9 million from its Big 12 TV contracts.

Also, the Big Ten alone grabs about 30 percent of televisions in the country.  According to CBS, a partnership with the Pac 10 would only mean 40 percent of televisions.  That’s only 10 percent more than the Big Ten, but the Big Ten has 11 teams.  The Big 12 and Pac 10 have twice as many, meaning less TV time.  So just how influential is this Big Ten Network?  Read about how this newspaper portrays it.  The paper is a Columbia, Mo. paper by the way.

Academically, the Big Ten is on a whole different level than the Big 12.  How different?  Consider that the U.S. News and World Report ranks five Big Ten schools before ranking the first Big 12 school in its 2010 Best Educational Colleges list.  Joining this conference would make any Big 12 school’s academics appear more prestigious.

While Nebraska does not have a main rival in the Big Ten, yearly football games with Ohio State, Michigan, and Wisconsin or volleyball games with Penn State would be quite a treat.  Missouri and Illinois play in almost every sport right now.  Imagine bringing the intensity of that border battle into conference play.  Missouri’s rivalry with Kansas is a mere blip on the college sports rivalry radar and would not be missed.  In fact, the biggest sporting event that Missouri and Nebraska circle on the calendars every year is the football game against each other, which they could still play if both schools act with reason and join the Big Ten.

Assuming both schools have actually been invited, give me one reason why either school wouldn’t do it?

Duke is going to win the national championship.

Yes, I probably just gift-wrapped an elite eight berth for Purdue, but I’ll at least attempt to justify why the team I originally picked to get to the finals and lose to Kansas will now get to the finals and win because they don’t have to play Kansas.

1)  Duke is experienced.  Jon Scheyer is a senior, and he is playing like one.  He is the heart and soul of the team, and a pretty good scorer as well.  He averages 18 points and five assists per game.  Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler are also upper classmen with tournament experience.  The three of them account for most of Duke’s points, but don’t forget about Brian Zoubek, who is also a senior.

2)  Duke actually has size to go along with great guard play.  Unlikely previous Blue Devil teams, this team makes an impact with its size, most notably at the defensive end of the floor.  Led by Zoubek’s 7.3 baords and .8 blocks per game, Duke outrebounds and outblocks teams.

3)  Duke plays blistering defense.  The Devils allow just 61 points per game.  That’s a margin of more than 16 points per game against the third toughest strength of schedule in the country.  Opponents shoot just 27 percent from downtown and turn it over nearly 15 times per game against Duke.

4)  They might be the best coached team left in the tournament.  With all due respect to Jim Boeheim, Tom Izzo and Bob Huggins, Duke has the best coach of the remaining 16 teams.  Mike Krzyzewski always gets the best out of his players even if they aren’t the most talented, which is why he continues to make the tournament and do well.  None of the remaining coaches are as good with Xs and Os as Coach K.

5)  Duke has the easiest road.  First, the Blue Devils play a Robbie Hummel-less Purdue team.  The Boilermakers will use defense to hang around, but Duke will pull away with about 10 minutes to go and win by 13.  Next up will be Baylor.  While the Bears are good, they have overachieved and can’t compete with Duke at the guard spot.  Tweetie Carter will get into foul trouble, Smith will shut down LaceDarius Dunn and the Devils will get another double-digit win.  A final four matchup will feature the Devils against West Virginia, who will frustrate the young Kentucky team into submission in the elite eight.  The Mountaineers will get complacent with the three just enough to allow Zubeck to have his best game of the tournament shooting over a small West Virginia team.  Duke will win by seven to set up a showdown with Syracuse for the title.  Respecting Zubeck’s performance from the final four game, Syracuse will pack the zone in tight, leaving open shots for Scheyer, Singler and Smith.  After Duke builds an early lead, they will work the clock and not allow Syracuse to get transition baskets.  After a while, the Orange will switch to man, but it will be too late.  Duke will hoist the trophy after a 13 point win in the championship.

My mulligan scenario is complete.  By Saturday, I might have to try it again.

Not even close actually.  It’s not even the greatest upset of this tournament.

By seed, the honor goes to the fourteenth seeded Ohio Bobcats, who spanked third seeded Georgetown by 14 points.  This is the same Ohio team that was seeded ninth in the MAC tournament.  Ninth.  Northern Iowa was seeded first in the Missouri Valley tournament.

Missouri Valley > MAC
Northern Iowa > Ohio

The Panthers were in and out of the rankings this year but were thought to be a huge cinderella simply because the conference was arguably the worst it has ever been, certainly the worst it has been in the past 10 years.  As a result, their two best wins came against Old Dominion and Siena, and three losses outside the RPI top 100 doomed their NCAA tournament seeding.

Even with the weak schedule, holding opponents to 54 points per game, best among tournament teams, is impressive.  They don’t turn the ball over (only 10.6 per game), they outrebound teams by three on average and they shoot 76 percent from the free throw line.  But somehow everybody (myself included) wrote Kansas on the sweet sixteen line without taking a second glance at the Panthers.

We know better now.

Further proof that this upset should not come as the overhyped surprise that the media is making it out to be lies in recent tournament history.  One, two and three seeds that play poorly in the first round tend to lose in the second round.

In 2005, #2 seed UConn lost to N.C. State after beating Central Florida by only six.In 2006, #2 seed Tennessee lost to Wichita State after beating Winthrop by only two, and #2 seed Ohio State fell to Georgetown after beating Davidson by just eight.  In 2008, #2 seed Duke escaped Belmont by one before falling to West Virginia.  This year, #2 seed Villanova needed overtime to beat Robert Morris, then fell to St. Mary’s.  New Mexico (#3 seed) squeaked by Montana before getting blown out by Washington.

Anyone who watched the Jayhawks play Thursday knows they played poorly.  Lehigh scored 12 of the game’s first 16 points and trailed by only six at one point in the second half.  Maybe Kansas was giving us a warning sign that they were another early exit victim based on poor first round play.  After all, teams only get 48 hours to prepare for the next game after winning the first one.  Maybe 48 hours wasn’t enough for Bill Self to figure out how to score against the physical and fundamentally sound Panther defense.

Either way, this is not the biggest upset in tournament history.  2004 featured #9 seed UAB upsetting #1 Kentucky in a game far more unexpected than this.  How about 2006 when #11 seed George Mason knocked off #1 UConn?  That same year, #14 seed Northwestern State KOed #3 Iowa.  This year’s Ohio over Georgetown game also figured a larger discrepancy in seeds.  Technically, so did Murray State/Vanderbilt.

Now we will never know how the Jayhawks, who were (and still are) the best team in the country, match up with Syracuse.  Or Kentucky.  That’s one nice thing about college football.  We always see #1 vs #2.  Rarely does that happen in college basketball.

Thank you Northern Iowa for ruining some potential dream matchups that avid fans have been waiting all year for.  Then again, thank you for continuing the excitement of this tournament, for making mid-majors believe and for ruining brackets all over the country.

They pulled off the upset.  And it was big.

But it wasn’t the biggest.

Here’s how round two breaks down:

Best performance:  Cornell
The blistering shooting continued for the Big Red in the second round.  Cornell shot 61 percent to route Wisconsin and have won the first two tourney games by a combined 32 points.  Louis Dale scored 26 and Ryan Wittman dropped 24.

Worst performance:  Gonzaga
Catching a break by avoiding Arinze Onuaku, the underseeded ‘Zags laid a dud in what many thought would be a competitive game.  Even without Onuaku, the Orange outrebounded the Bulldogs by nine and shot 54 percent from the field.

Clutch play:  Ali Farokhmanesh
I can’t take this spot away from him anymore.  Farokhmanesh’s ill-advised three pointer five seconds into the shot clock with his team up one turned golden for the Panthers.  The runner up is Korie Lucious, who plays Farokhmanesh next.

(Un)clutch play:  Scottie Reynolds
Every time it looked like Villanova was about to pull past St. Mary’s, Scottie Reynolds was there to kill the momentum with a miss.  The senior guard shot just 4-15 from the field, and 6-30 for the tournament.  Not the way he wanted to go out.

Best coaching move:  Brad Stevens
The 33-year-old frat boy look-a-like used Gordon Hayward perfectly when Matt Howard picked up his fourth foul early in the second half.  Hayward guarded the post, and Butler survived being undersized by making shots and playing great D.

Worst coaching move:  Bill Self
The best coach in the country needed 38 minutes to realize he had a huge size advantage against Northern Iowa.  By then it was too late.  The Morris twins both played well, but the Jayhawks spent too much time settling for jumpers early.

Team that deserved to lose but won:  Purdue
Matt Painter refused to call timeout at the end of regulation, and it almost lost him the game when his team turned the ball over.  Luckily for them, Texas A&M missed two chances to win the game, and the Boilermakers escaped by two in overtime.

Team that deserved to win but lost:  Pittsburgh
The Panthers did everything right in the comeback attempt against Xavier, but an out-of-bounds call was reversed, a travel was missed and the Panthers bricked two threes at the end which allowed Xavier to escape with a three-point victory.

Which is why my eyes lit up when my roommate suggested what very few, if any, had ever thought of.

“What if college basketball used the BCS system?” he asked.

Hmm…what if?

I should say right now that I love March Madness.  The tournament is a lot of fun, and I would never want to see it go away.  But before you dismiss the following idea, consider the proposal below.

Let’s say college basketball did use the BCS system.  There would be no tournament.  The two best teams out of 347 Division 1 teams would play for the national championship.  As for the rest?  The next 32 could play in the NIT perhaps.  Or maybe I develop “bowl” games for the 62 next-best.  Either way, it’s not important.  What is important is how college basketball would determine its national champion.

My roommate and I agree that if the BCS is used, it would have to triple the field to six eligible teams because there are about three times as many D1 basketball schools (347) as FBS football schools (120).  So six teams make the BCS championship, and the champion is determined as follows:

#6 at #3 (winner plays at #2)
#5 at #4 (winner plays at #1)

Winner of 1 vs 4/5 plays winner of 2 vs 3/6 on a neutral court for the title.

Easy enough.

Now on to how to determine the six eligible teams.

The BCS uses the Coaches Poll, Harris Poll and average of six BCS computers to determine the football rankings.  In college basketball, there is a Coaches Poll but not a Harris Poll.  I suggest replacing Harris with RPI.  Though I think the AP Poll is more valid than the Coaches Poll, using both AP and Coaches Polls would not be good because the top six are usually identical.

Four of the six BCS computers also rank college basketball teams (Anderson & Hester and Richard Billingsley do not), so I can use the same computer methods. Ken Pomeroy will be used as a fifth computer.  Because there are only five computers, I will throw out only the median ranking, rather than the highest and/or lowest.

So who would be eligible to play for a national championship right now?

The top six in the Coaches Poll are Kansas, Kentucky, Villanova, Purdue, Syracuse and Duke.

The RPI reads Kansas, Duke, Kentucky, Syracuse, West Virginia and Villanova.

All five computers have Kansas ranked #1.  Since both the Coaches and RPI also have the Jayhawks #1, it’s easy to give them the #1 seed in the basketball BCS.  Their average is 1.

Kentucky does not do too well in the computer rankings.  Only the Colley Matrix has the Wildcats #2.  The median is 4 and the average is 4.5.  Averaging together with the Coaches and RPI gives them a 3.17.

Pomeroy’s computer is going to bring Villanova down.  The Wildcats are ranked #15 in that computer, bring the computer average to 5.75 and the overall average to 4.92.

Purdue got a big win over Ohio State Wednesday, but they are still a consistent 6 in all but one computer, giving them a 5.75 computer average.  Overall, the Boilermakers are a 6.25 because of their low RPI.

Syracuse has a huge game with Georgetown tonight that could alter the rankings, but for now, the Orange have a computer average of 3.25 and an overall average of 4.08.

Duke is ranked sixth in the Coaches Poll but has the #2 RPI.  The Blue Devils have a computer average of 4.5 and an overall average of 4.17.

Outside the top six, West Virginia seems to be the most likely contender.  However, the computers spit out an average of 8.67 for the Mountaineers, giving them an overall average of 6.89.  Purdue’s 6.25 barely beats West Virginia for the sixth spot.

The only other team in consideration is Kansas State.  The Wildcats’ computer average is 9.25, pulling the overall average down to 7.75.

So the six teams in the tournament happen to be the top six in the Coaches Poll.  The matchups are as follows:

(6) Purdue at (3) Syracuse
(5) Villanova at (4) Duke

Purdue/Syracuse at (2) Kentucky
Villanova/Duke at (1) Kansas

Championship on neutral court

I know you are lying if you say you would be even the slightest bit intrigued by this.  Imagine how West Virginia fans would feel.  The Mountaineers are the TCU of college basketball.  Then again, West Virginia did lose to Purdue, who has the sixth and final spot.

How fun would it be to watch college basketball every night, knowing that a loss by any of the top six could make way for #7 or #8 to slide up into the field.

Consider reducing the field to four teams.  Then Villanova, ranked #3 in the Coaches Poll, would be out.

Again, this is purely just for fun.  Everyone imagines what it would be like if college football used college basketball’s system.

Thank you, roomie, for making me imagine the opposite.  Even for just one day.

At large locks:

ACC (3)
Wake Forest
Virginia Tech
Maryland

Atlantic 10 (3)
Temple
Charlotte
Xavier

Big East (4)
Syracuse
West Virginia
Pittsburgh
Georgetown

Big Ten (3)
Ohio State
Purdue
Wisconsin

Big 12 (4)
Kansas State
Texas A&M
Baylor
Texas

Conference USA (1)
UAB

Mountain West (2)
BYU
UNLV

SEC (2)
Vanderbilt
Tennessee

West Coast (1)
St. Mary’s

This leaves 11 at large bids up for grabs.  Below is who takes them (in order) as of tonight.

1)  Rhode Island Rams – That’s right.  The strongest bubble team is the Rams.  With an RPI of 21, the 19-5 Rams have wins over Dayton and Oklahoma State, and no terrible losses.  The Atlantic 10 is better than the Pac 10, SEC and Mountain West, at least in the top half.

2)  Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets – Despite the recent slide, the Jackets have the best strength of schedule in the ACC after Duke, and still only seven losses.  They have five wins against the RPI top 40, and if you’re wondering how deep the ACC is, know that Tech is currently in eighth.

3)  Clemson Tigers – Clemson’s resumé is nearly identical to Georgia Tech’s.  The Tigers’ strength of schedule ranks 31, and they are #30 in the RPI.  They sit sixth in the ACC with nonconference wins over Butler and South Carolina, as well as wins over Maryland and Florida State.

4)  Dayton Flyers – Another A-10 team deserving of a spot is the Flyers.  They are 17-7 but have slipped to seventh in the conference at 6-4.  They beat Georgia Tech and Old Dominion out of conference, and Xavier in conference.  The RPI ranking is #32, and the strength of schedule is #30.

5)  Missouri Tigers – The nonconference schedule was not great, but wins over Old Dominion and Illinois are looking better this month than they did in January.  Quality losses include Richmond, Vanderbilt, Kansas, Baylor and Texas A&M.  The Tigers are in sixth in the nation’s best conference.

6)  Marquette Golden Eagles – Marquette has been competitive in every game this season, and the worst is behind them.  However, an RPI ranked #56 and a strength of schedule ranked #54 are worrisome, but they have worked themselves into a situation where they could finish fourth in the Big East.

7)  Florida State Seminoles – FSU lacks the big win, but does have enough quality victories and few enough bad losses to warrant a tournament berth.  Losing to Maryland twice hurt, but they did beat Georgia Tech twice to make up for it.  They are tied for sixth in the ACC.

8)  Oklahoma State Cowboys – If the Cowboys’ worst loss is at Oklahoma, count them in.  The Pokes have wins over Kansas State and Texas A&M, no bad losses and a strength of schedule ranked #44.  The RPI is in the top 40, and they are 5-5 in the Big 12.

9)  Mississippi Rebels – Ole Miss has done just enough to squeeze into the field, the biggest asset being a win over Kansas State.  Four of the Rebels’ seven losses are to teams in the top 20 in RPI.  The strength of schedule isn’t eye-opening, but outside of Arkansas, they’ve won all the games they’re supposed to win.

10)  Illinois Fighting Illini – The Illini were a lock until the Ohio State blowout.  Even so, they’re winning the games they should win in the Big Ten, and playing well at the right time.  Wins over Michigan State and Purdue were a big boost for the team currently in fourth in the Big Ten.

11)  Florida Gators – They’ve played a tough schedule and have only two losses against teams with an RPI below 27.  Their biggest problem is lack of quality wins.  Despite that, I’m still taking the Gators as my last team in with only eight losses over a Louisville team with three bad losses and nine overall losses.

On the outside looking in:

Louisville
Texas Tech
Wichita State
Mississippi State
San Diego State
Virginia
Cincinnati
Washington
South Carolina

Enough for me to write about it anyway.

To start from the beginning would be to go back a long way, so I’ll just tell you what happened yesterday.  I was at the library (University of Missouri) when I ran into a friend I hadn’t seen in quite some time.  We talked about our semesters, graduation, the weather and…per usual when I’m involved in a conversation…sports.  I asked him, who I will refrain from naming for his own embarrassment, who he thought would win the Kansas/Texas game.  He said Texas.

Dumb.  But I was the guy who said the Colts would win the Super Bowl, so I won’t fault him for a wrong pick.  It was what came next that had me really peeved.

“I don’t ever want Kansas to win.  I hope they lose every game.”

As a Missouri student and fan, he has blindly been led to believe that the most educated college sports fans are ones who hate Kansas.  Fine.  Hate Kansas.  But if you’re a Missouri fan, don’t ever root for KU to lose.  Ever.

This kid considers himself educated.  I just had to walk away.

He’s not the only one.  When Kansas loss to Tennessee, I immediately logged onto Facebook to see a barrage of status updates from my friends and classmates:

“KU sucks.”

“Rock-chalk chickenhawk”

“Kansas is overrrated.”

Joe Schmoe is no longer listed as single.

Okay, so I didn’t really care about that last one, but the first three were quite annoying coming from Tiger fans.

Here’s a lesson to all college sports fans: hate whoever you want, but want your conference opponents to win (no, I don’t get paid for my brilliance).

In college sports, strength of schedule means everything.  If your conference opponents are losing, your favorite team is getting weaker without even playing a game.  In Missouri’s case, every Kansas loss hurts.  The Tigers play the Jayhawks twice in basketball every season.  And every season, I want Kansas to be ranked number one going into those games.  Why?  Because beating an undefeated, top ranked team carries a lot more weight than beating an unranked bubble team.

Same goes for football.  In 2007, I couldn’t believe all the idiots on Missouri’s campus who wanted Kansas to lose a football game.  A golden storyline was being written every week when overachieving KU started 11-0.  While nearly everyone else wanted the Jayhawks to stop flying, I recognized this for what it was – an opportunity of a lifetime for Tigers football.  Undefeated Kansas vs one-loss Missouri on the last day of the regular season, playing for the Big 12 North championship, a chance to play in the Big 12 championship game, and national title hopes still very much alive for the winner.  Not to mention a rivalry game, primetime on ABC, and with College Gameday at the neutral Arrowhead Stadium.  But I guess all that didn’t mean anything for those Tiger fans who were rooting for a Jayhawk loss prior to the Missouri game.  One Kansas loss would have destroyed that moment.  Instead, it was the Tigers who boosted up to number one by beating the number two Jayhawks.

Had Kansas not come into that game unbeaten, who knows if the Tigers would have leaped West Virginia.  One thing is for sure – the game got an enormous amount of publicity, propelled both schools’ football programs, and likely lured at least a recruit or two away from a Texas school to come play in Columbia.  And it was because the team Missouri beat was undefeated.

The nonconference part of the schedule in any sport is the part where every Tiger fan should be rooting for all Big 12 teams, including Kansas, to go undefeated.  Just like every Auburn fan should be rooting for the SEC, and every Butler fan should root for the Horizon League.  In conference play, it all depends on standings, but generally you want the good teams to beat the bad ones so that the matchups with the good teams mean more.

Highly anticipated matchups leads to high attendance, which leads to money.  More money means more opportunity to improve facilities, which leads to better performance.  Better performance leads to more TV time, which in turn creates more exposure.  More exposure leads to better recruiting, which leads to better performance.  Connect the dots any way you’d like.  Just know that there is no justification for rooting against a rival whom your team is going to play, especially against someone whom your team won’t play.

Missouri fans say “but it’s Kansas.  We hate them.  They’re our rivals.”  True.  True.  And true.  They are your rivals, and you may hate them.  But rooting against them is stupid.  It only hurts Missouri.

In professional sports, it’s the opposite.  Hate who you want and root for them to lose.  In pro sports, winning is the only thing that matters.  Quality wins and strength of schedule means nada.  Red Sox fans want the Yankees to go 0-162, and that’s perfectly fine.  But those same Bostonians better be rooting for Notre Dame to win every game so the Boston College/Notre Dame game means more.

So Missouri fans, if you want to root against Kansas because it makes you feel good, then go for it.  Call yourselves true fans.  Call yourselves passionate.

Just please don’t call yourselves educated.

Of course, you can’t talk disappointment without bringing up the defending national champion Tar Heels.  Sure they lost everyone from the national championship team, but a great recruiting class and a talented group of players-in-waiting led by Deon Thompson should not have seven losses in January.

The Big East in general has been disappointing, thanks in large part to the poor performances of Louisville and Connecticut.  The Huskies have a healthy Jerome Dyson, as well as returners Kemba Walker and Stanley Robinson, but they have five Big East losses and haven’t played West Virginia, Syracuse or Villanova yet.  Meanwhile, Louisville, last year’s number one overall seed, has eight losses, including four of its past five in Big East play despite the expectation to contend for a Big East title with Samardo Samuels and Edgar Sosa.

Don’t forget about the Pac 10, namely Washington.  There are high school conferences in Ohio that could send more teams to the dance than the Pac 10, and the Huskies are under .500 in the league and in the bottom half of the conference.

I can keep going.  Oklahoma (12-9) was supposed to contend in the Big 12.  I guess that’s not likely after a 17 point blowout loss at previously winless Nebraska.  Michigan was supposed to do the same in the Big Ten, but the Wolverines have double-digit losses and a 4-5 conference record.

As the season progresses, so does the list of disappointments.  It’s a wide open race this year with no team truly establishing themselves as “dominant.”  It’s also good news for these disappointments that may still end up in the tournament.