2025 NCAA Tourney Bracketology

[Boom Soon]

Also feels like there's some "path dependence" around this week's game. I don't know your program well but seems like a fluky 3OT Vanderbilt win could really push y'all's situation past a point of no return. A 3OT OU win isn't as harmful to us because we're a slight underdog and we're already sort of playing with house money. But even so, we then go to Florida (likely loss) home to Texas (which becomes pretty critical if we lose to OU), and then Murderer's Row again (Aub, @TN, @UK).

In this SEC it feels like any time you drop a game it could be the start of a losing streak that spirals out of control.

If a decent crowd shows up to the LNC then you should feel very good about Vandy’s chances. A good crowd coupled with a big game is PM’s kryptonite. And I’m not being sarcastic.

 

[pnkranger]

If a decent crowd shows up to the LNC then you should feel very good about Vandy’s chances. A good crowd coupled with a big game is PM’s kryptonite. And I’m not being sarcastic.

Every. Single. Time.

 

[SunshinePumper]

You don't get it, or you don't want to get it? We have talked about it for months, and just because some people don't like it doesn't make it untrue: we played a terrible schedule and didn't beat teams as badly as we should have, and our defense is bad. Those three wins would help us if we are near the bubble, but by themselves, they won't get you to that point when the rest of your resume sucks. We have yet to beat a team with a pulse in the SEC, OSU, Providence, and Georgia Tech are crappy teams, and the other 7 wins hurt us more than they help us. If you want to point to our record, then I guess teams from small conferences that go 27-4 should also make the tourney?

I get it - it's just a flawed system. The Indiana football system. Rewarded for blowing out garbage and not beating a team worth a pulse. OU has arguably one of the best 3 game stacked Non-conference wins in the country. Not THE best, but one of the top high-end collection of wins. Been a long time lurker on this board - early Kruger years. I wish you occasionally had some positivity on here.

Signed PM (Most likely)

 

[WichitaSooner]

I get it - it's just a flawed system. The Indiana football system. Rewarded for blowing out garbage and not beating a team worth a pulse. OU has arguably one of the best 3 game stacked Non-conference wins in the country. Not THE best, but one of the top high-end collection of wins. Been a long time lurker on this board - early Kruger years. I wish you occasionally had some positivity on here.

Signed PM (Most likely)

Then you should remember that I was always called out for being a sunshine pumper when Lon was here. My tone reflects the reality of the program. The program is in a really dark place, and I will never accept moral victories or try to convince myself that anything other than regular tourney appearances is acceptable. And I don't like excuses. NIL, portal, fan support, refs -- that stuff drives me up the wall.

As for the system, people complain no matter what. If a 3=loss SEC team had made it over Indiana, people would have whined that the committee is biased and that the results of games need to matter, and that if you can't finish in the top four or five of your league, you don't belong in a playoff.

 

[PhilipVU94]

Incidentally the Vanderbilt beat writer is apparently telling us that the committee considers OOC résumé as a separate thing, not just as part of one overall résumé:

Although the Commodores somewhat made up for [a lousy OOC schedule] by playing a difficult SEC schedule, the committee often looks down on bubble teams with a non-conference schedule [in] this light.

On this point I suspect she's passing along outdated received wisdom, not reporting on a reversion to old rules. Still worth noting that some folks think this distinction is really important. Obviously not as much of a concern for OU because your OOC is strong, but the topic came up above.