This originally appeared in Friday morning’s edition of The A Block, Awful Announcing’s daily newsletter with the latest sports media news, commentary, and analysis. Sign up here and be the first to know everything going on in the sports media world.
In one of the more absurd college basketball storylines in recent memory, the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks and Auburn Tigers have made for a tale of two programs this season.
On the one hand, the RedHawks raced through the regular season, racking up wins and finishing with an undefeated record and a national ranking. Sure, their schedule was soft, but there’s something to be said for, you know, actually winning all the games in front of you.
On the other hand, you have the Tigers, coming off a Final Four and expected to regroup reasonably well after being gifted to nepo-hire Steven Pearl. After a decent start, things fell apart for Auburn, losers of eight of their last ten regular-season games and finishing one game over .500. However, their schedule was among the toughest in the nation, giving them an argument for postseason consideration despite their mediocrity.
On Thursday, the RedHawks were upset in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals, dashing their undefeated hopes and potentially putting a wrench in their March Madness dreams.
Also on Thursday, the Tigers summed up their entire season by blowing a sizable lead and losing to Tennessee by double digits in the second round of the SEC Tournament. With a 17-16 record, you’d think they’d be out of the running, but enough complaining has given them a sliver of hope.
The disappointing day did offer up a curious possibility for both programs. Many people took to social media to suggest that the committee should pit them against one another in the First Four. Doing so would not only make the oft-uninteresting extra games compelling, but it would be a rare instance where we could settle a debate once and for all.
Who deserves it more? The mid-major that impressively ran the table all season long or the SEC school that toiled in mediocrity but played a buzzsaw schedule? Letting them go head-to-head would not only give us an answer but would likely lead to boffo ratings. Has there ever been a First Four matchup as anticipated as this would be?
Unfortunately, Auburn probably screwed the pooch by failing to win a game in the SEC Tournament. But given all the discussions and drama surrounding the program all year, it remains a possibility.
Presumably, the committee doesn’t select teams and make matchups based on TV ratings. That’s what they say, at least. But in this instance, it would not hurt to maneuver this into happening. Let Bruce Pearl run wild and give everyone a chance to put the debate to bed, at least in theory.
