Tuesday, March 08, 2005

One Weekend, Two Stinkin' (Meaningless) Upsets

Oh well, there goes the undefeated season...

The Ohio State Buckeyes (of all teams) finally took down the top-ranked, Big Ten Champion, Fighting Illini, 65-64 in Columbus on Sunday. While there were some downsides to the loss (for one thing, it keeps alive the fact that the last undefeated Big Ten champions wore Crimson & Cream), none of them really had anything to do with this season.

The Illini had, of course, already long wrapped up the solo Big Ten Championship and the #1 seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament. The loss also had no effect on the Illini's poll ranking (still #1 in both), nor on the liklihood of their earning a #1 seed (still a lock for the #1 seed in Chicago). Listen, if it gives the Buckeyes a chance to make their season, why be stingy?

Meanwhile in Gainesville...

The Florida Gators (of all teams) finally took down the 3rd-ranked, SEC Champion, Kentucky Wildcats, 53-52, also on Sunday, for the first time in the last nine games overall and in the last four in Gainesville.

The Wildcats had, of course, already long wrapped up the solo East Division and overall SEC Championships, and the #1 seed in the upcoming SEC Tournament. The loss also had little effect on the Wildcats' poll ranking (down to #4 in both), and little effect on the liklihood of their earning a #1 seed (still likely to pull one down, unlikely to draw anything below a 2 seed). Listen, if it gives the Gators a chance to make their season, a chance to rip off their jerseys, jump on the scorer's table and act as if it was the greatest thing in the world that the preseason choice to win the division had just beaten the six-time defending division champion at home, by a point -- to basically look like complete idiots -- why be stingy?

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