Football teams finding out how hard it is to win a Final 4

[Icecoldbrewdoggy]

Now imagine having to win 4 games on a neutral field before that just to get to the final 4.....

NCAA Basketball Championship.....hardest thing in sports to accomplish.

 

[Dakota25]

I agree that winning a championship in basketball is tougher than football.

 

[KWilt43atbuzz]

Thats why UK winning 8 titles in 5 different decades is rediculous.
No one else has titles in more than 4 different decades.

 

[Sithlyone]

The NCAA tournament is the most entertaining for fans, but it rarely produces the best team as the winner, to much has to go perfect to win it all. That's what makes it the toughest championship. That's why I think it's crazy that an entire sport allows this format to choose it's champion.

 

[UPSCat4080]

The NCAA tournament is the most entertaining for fans, but it rarely produces the best team as the winner, to much has to go perfect to win it all. That's what makes it the toughest championship. That's why I think it's crazy that an entire sport allows this format to choose it's champion.

I hear people use this excuse all the time. What "best team" always wins in a sport ever? Did everyone feel Golden State was the best team last year? Does the odds on favorite always win the NFL title? No. In college basketball more often than not ONE OF the best teams cuts down the nets. Not necessarily a 1 seed because those are not always the best teams, but usually one of the top 5-6 teams in the nation usually win. Other than Conneticut In 2014 you have to go all the way back to the 1997 Arizona Wildcats as the last team not ranked in the top 10 to win the title. In almost 20 years there has been 2 teams not considered a top team in the nation to win a title.

That does not back up "the best team(s) don't win the title" argument.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

We'll see OP. Once Bama beats Clemson I'm not so sure the "final four playoff" format is some tough nut Saban can't crack.

 

[cats195]

I think as we're seeing now: Golden State has been the best team in the NBA for a minute.

 

[Icecoldbrewdoggy]

We'll see OP. Once Bama beats Clemson I'm not so sure the "final four playoff" format is some tough nut Saban can't crack.

That's why I said the BASKETBALL Final 4 is the hardest tournament in Sports. By the way, to your comment......Alabama was in its very FIRST football final four last year....and lost in the semifinals.

 

[cats195]

Basketball can come down to some tough and licky shots. If youre significamtly bigger and badder in football: you're going to win.

 

[Smashcat]

Thats why UK winning 8 titles in 5 different decades is rediculous.
No one else has titles in more than 4 different decades.

Very impressive.

 

[electricdreammachine]

I hear people use this excuse all the time. What "best team" always wins in a sport ever? Did everyone feel Golden State was the best team last year? Does the odds on favorite always win the NFL title? No. In college basketball more often than not ONE OF the best teams cuts down the nets. Not necessarily a 1 seed because those are not always the best teams, but usually one of the top 5-6 teams in the nation usually win. Other than Conneticut In 2014 you have to go all the way back to the 1997 Arizona Wildcats as the last team not ranked in the top 10 to win the title. In almost 20 years there has been 2 teams not considered a top team in the nation to win a title.

That does not back up "the best team(s) don't win the title" argument.

I would argue in the NBA the best team wins the championship most of the time, their playoff format is set up that way. I think it is pretty obvious that of all the major sports, college and pro, college basketball's best team wins the championship less than any other.

 

[Icecoldbrewdoggy]

I would argue in the NBA the best team wins the championship most of the time, their playoff format is set up that way. I think it is pretty obvious that of all the major sports, college and pro, college basketball's best team wins the championship less than any other.

I wish they'd at least re-seed the Final 4. Make the regular season rankings/tournament seedings mean something.

 

[83Cat]

Basketball can come down to some tough and licky shots. If youre significamtly bigger and badder in football: you're going to win.

I agree. Football rarely comes down to a streaky player making a huge difference, whereas a player that is usually a non factor can have a hot shooting hand and take out a favorite or make a huge comeback just by nailing garbage threes out their azz. It's what makes the March Madness, "madness!"... Anything can happen, and people love rooting for the underdog!

 

[Jkwo]

I hear people use this excuse all the time. What "best team" always wins in a sport ever? Did everyone feel Golden State was the best team last year? Does the odds on favorite always win the NFL title? No. In college basketball more often than not ONE OF the best teams cuts down the nets. Not necessarily a 1 seed because those are not always the best teams, but usually one of the top 5-6 teams in the nation usually win. Other than Conneticut In 2014 you have to go all the way back to the 1997 Arizona Wildcats as the last team not ranked in the top 10 to win the title. In almost 20 years there has been 2 teams not considered a top team in the nation to win a title.

That does not back up "the best team(s) don't win the title" argument.

Well, I mean, Golden State is widely regarded as the best team since the '96 Bulls.. so I'd think so.

Also, if he'd said "a crappy team wins it half the time", you'd have a sterling rebuttal on your hands. As it is, you're just going on about the semantics of "best team". I'd agree that the term can be meaningless if there's a big cluster at the top ('08 for example), but I don't think that's usually the case.

Is there always a lock, indisputable number 1 team? No. But it's not rare, either. And his point could even hold by taking a small top tier that has separated itself as a single "best team". But going back, there have been clear, unambiguous best teams for most/all of the season - (winners in bold)

Kentucky in '15 (yes, Duke, Wisc, and healthy VA were elite, but not on the same level)
Florida in '14,
UL or IU in '13
Kentucky (or healthy UNC) in '12,
Ohio State in '11
UK or Kansas in '10,
UNC in '09,
A bunch in '08 (really weird year - 4 1 seeds at the top - I don't think there was a clear "best team", but you could argue Kansas was it? Maybe Memphis?_
Florida in '07
Duke in '06
UNC and Illinois in '05
UCONN in '04
Arizona in '03
Duke in '02

etc

 

[UPSCat4080]

Well, I mean, Golden State is widely regarded as the best team since the '96 Bulls.. so I'd think so.

Last years Warriors were not regarded as what you stated....this year yes, but not last. Heck...even as the #1 seed they were not picked as the favorite by the majority to win the West. LA Clippers and Houston were picked more often than them.

Those teams are in YOUR opinion the best of the year. Being number one doesn't mean squat unless it is far and above like UK 2015 or the UF back to back team's second year. In college basketball the Top 10 is usually a good judgement of the cream of the crop. It is much easier to pick one "best team" out of a group of 16 like in the NBA or 12 in the NFL, but when you have 64 teams and probably 8-10 each year with a realistic chance to win it all then it is 100% an opinion of who the best is.

 

[electricdreammachine]

Well, I mean, Golden State is widely regarded as the best team since the '96 Bulls.. so I'd think so.

Also, if he'd said "a crappy team wins it half the time", you'd have a sterling rebuttal on your hands. As it is, you're just going on about the semantics of "best team". I'd agree that the term can be meaningless if there's a big cluster at the top ('08 for example), but I don't think that's usually the case.

Is there always a lock, indisputable number 1 team? No. But it's not rare, either. And his point could even hold by taking a small top tier that has separated itself as a single "best team". But going back, there have been clear, unambiguous best teams for most/all of the season - (winners in bold)

Kentucky in '15 (yes, Duke, Wisc, and healthy VA were elite, but not on the same level)
Florida in '14,
UL or IU in '13
Kentucky (or healthy UNC) in '12,
Ohio State in '11
UK or Kansas in '10,
UNC in '09,
A bunch in '08 (really weird year - 4 1 seeds at the top - I don't think there was a clear "best team", but you could argue Kansas was it? Maybe Memphis?_
Florida in '07
Duke in '06
UNC and Illinois in '05
UCONN in '04
Arizona in '03
Duke in '02

etc

Ohio State did not win in 2011.

 

[Jkwo]

Ohio State did not win in 2011.

You're right, obviously, since we knocked them out. That was a mistake - and they were excellent (only 2 regular season losses), but the more I think about it, I don't know that I'd put them in the category to make my point.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Last years Warriors were not regarded as what you stated....this year yes, but not last. Heck...even as the #1 seed they were not picked as the favorite by the majority to win the West. LA Clippers and Houston were picked more often than them.

Those teams are in YOUR opinion the best of the year. Being number one doesn't mean squat unless it is far and above like UK 2015 or the UF back to back team's second year. In college basketball the Top 10 is usually a good judgement of the cream of the crop. It is much easier to pick one "best team" out of a group of 16 like in the NBA or 12 in the NFL, but when you have 64 teams and probably 8-10 each year with a realistic chance to win it all then it is 100% an opinion of who the best is.

Agreed. As a Lakers fan I find that OPINION by the other poster laughable. Several Laker title teams of the 2000s I'd take over the 2015 GS Warriors last year.