Joe Lunardi's most recent "Bracketology" has us playing none other than Kentucky in the first round. Coincidence? I think not. Recently, it seems like OSU always draws horrendous matchups in the NCAA tourney (2011 UK comes to mind). Also, it seems like UC or at least one other smaller Ohio school somehow winds up in our bracket quite frequently. Keep an eye out for future/past Bracketology's and you can see that this is true. What do you all think is the reason for these recurrences? Bad luck? Gene Smith? NCAA/ESPN collaboration?
Here are some facts since the 2000's on OSU's tourney brackets:
2000 Bracket-UC was the 2 seed, OSU was the 3 seed
2001 Bracket-UK 2 seed, OSU 5 seed (upset by 29-5 Utah St.)
2002 Bracket- UC was the 1 seed, OSU was the 4 seed, Xavier was the 7 seed
2003 Bracket- DNQ
2004 Bracket- DNQ
2005 Bracket-DNQ
2006 Bracket- Upset by 7 Georgetown second round (bad matchup with Hibbert)
2007 Bracket- Matched up with 9 Xavier second round (we know how that went)
2008 Bracket-NIT (Dayton and Cleveland State both in the bracket)
2009 Bracket- upset by Sienna (for reference Dayton and Cleveland St in our bracket)
2010 Bracket- OU in the same bracket
2011 Bracket- UK screw over (Xavier also in bracket)
2012 Bracket- UC in the bracket
FYI: Lunardi has Kentucky and Villanova playing in a #12 seed play-in game prior to the match-up with OSU.
gotta assume they win that matchup haha! UC is in the bracket too FWIW
i try not to assume too much when it comes to the ncaa tourney. but yeah he's got uc in that bracket, but watching how uc is playing recently makes me think they might not make it past their first round game.
i also noticed lunardi has both butler and notre dame in indiana's bracket, although butler and nd would play each other in the sweet 16 and the winner wouldn't meet iu until the elite 8.
I'm just waiting for the day when scUM and OSU meet in the tourney
It did happen in the Elite Eight in '92...
I believe there is a rule that teams from the same conference have to be placed strategically so that they cannot face each other until the Regional Finals (except for extenuating circumstances which cause that to be impossible - like 9 teams from one conference).
"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
Well the UK matchup in 2011 has more to do with how they do the Pods than anything. Ohio State was the number 1 overall seed so they kept them in a bracket that would keep them close to home. UK was a 3 that year, and they always draw a ton of fans to their tournament games, so it makes sense that it would keep them close to home as well.
As for other matchups, like UC or a smaller Ohio school, to me it's about ratings and intriguing story lines. Want to get people to tune in, have 2 regional schools that don't really play eachother matched up. A few years back UK played UC for the first time in YEARS. I remember at work 6 people on my team called in that night to watch the game. There was a ton of buzz here in NKY about that game. A lot of people made the ride up to Indy to watch the game.
Yeah I understand what you are saying, but oftentimes these matchups between regional schools is a disadvantage to the "bigger" school, because the smaller school wants a shot at them.
The top 4 seeds are placed in the region they are closest to. This is true every year. So the fact that tOSU has been in the same bracket as UC/UK/etc when they were all in the top 4 is due to being close in geography. Then the 5-12 seeds are meant to be used to "balance out" the regionals a bit, but they still attempt to put them in the region they are closest too. So it's possible as a 6 seed to be in the West if you are UK, but only if they think they need to do it because UC is the best 5 or 6 seed and the midwest is already too stacked.
It's just the way the selection process always works. And that's why the West is almost always the easiest bracket in the tournament. If i'm tOSU, i'm hoping to get a 5 seed instead of a higher seed and be sent out to the West as the best 5 seed to even out the weakest 1-4.
Exactly what I was saying, albeit later than you!
I'd love the West scenario to play out as well. To be a 4 or 5 seed, and play someone like a Kansas State/Oklahoma State in the 2nd Round, with Gonzaga or the weakest #1 in the Sweet Sixteen. I'd take that in a heartbeat.
"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
There was an interesting story put together by Seth Davis in SI last week regarding the selection committee and how they put together the brackets, disproving common myths, etc.
One myth is the "S" curve, meaning the best #1 seed should get the worst #2 seed, best #3 seed, worst #4 seed, and so on. That does not really happen. Everything is done to accommodate travel, not to balance the bracket. That is why you normally see multiple Ohio teams in the same bracket. They're normally placed at sites as close to home as possible, no matter what seed you are. However, preference is given to the higher seeded teams when possible.
"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
Without Noel, I don't see Kentucky beating OSU. Thomas would work those freshmen and position by position I think OSU can matchup very well with UK, and that is based on Ravenel and Amir against what is left of Willy Cauley-Stein. With Noel, I agree it would be an unfair matchup that early for OSU.
I don't see OSU being ranked that low anyways. I see them getting only 1 more lose to Indy before the tourney and I also see them getting at least 1 win in the B1G tourney. With a 25 win record in the B1G, they shouldn't be any lower than a 4. Seriously!
Oh yeah, its not unfair seating. It is geographic design. Reason OSU ends up with UK, UC and other Ohio schools is because the committee keeps teams in their geographic area more often than not. How many times does OSU, no matter what their ranking, goes out west? Not very often.
That is interesting that the "s" curve isn't true. I'm not sure if I like the fact that it is all based on transportation. I think the #1 overall seed should straight up have the easiest path to the final 4. I'm anxious to see how the bracket works out this year.
Based on the fact that OSU has yet to prove they can win away from home, I hope they are close to home. I feel like they can play with anyone when it's a home atmosphere.