I think about this every year: watching college basketball since I was 13-14 and grouwing up out of state, I never got the sense that conference titles are all that important in basketball. The main reason is that making the NCAA tournament is such a HUGE (/thedonald) deal. So, do you put a lot of weight on B10 basketball titles? Other conference titles? How does it compare to the B10 football title (the holy grail) and how does it compare to getting into the NCAA tournament?
It matters to me
Yes, they do.
I'm all about hanging some banners.
All in for some manball.
This.
This.
Absolutely. NEED MOAR
Absolutely. NEED MOAR BANNERZ
That said, a football conference title is way more important, especially now that it adds another win against a good opponent in the title game that everyone will watch.
"2nd and 5. Here he goes again!"
"That's 6."
"They're not going to catch him! Touchdown Michigan!"
Motion Carried
Hanging banners is awesome. I love it when women's gymnastics hang a banner. Therefore, a Big 10 basketball conference title absolutely matters to me. It's been over 25 years since we've done it fergodsakes!
"...what do you say, is it the new Bluesmobile or what?"
"Fix the cigarette lighter."
well if you win the
well if you win the conference you're in the tournament. It's honestly been so long since Michigan was a legitmate contender that I don't even know how to qauntify properly how big winning the conference would be; we haven't won since a vacated 98 season it would be one in a long list of things that signals the teams return to relavence
We actually haven't won the
We actually haven't won the regular-season title since 1986 (not because of vacating either), which is unbelievable to think about. I really want a title just so announcers can't bring that up anymore. The '98 title was just the Big Ten Tournament.
'86 - Gary Grant's team
UM
'86 - Gary Grant's team
UM didn't win the Big 10 in 1989 (National Champ), 1990 (Great team that got dumped in 2nd round by Loyola Marymount), 1992 (Champ game), 1993 (Champ game), 1994 (Elite 8), or 1998 (won Big 10 Tourney). And obviously, no where close since then.
Class of '97: 4 Years -- 4 Four-loss seasons
Yes
Because 65 teams make the tournament, 30some at large. There ought to be a higher bar for Michigan basketball than that. And it speaks to a much larget body of work than making, say, the Elite Eight which speaks to winning three straight
"I just hope Tressel doesn't fire me"
-Gordon Gee
68
It's 68 teams now, but I agree with you.
No
and that is why I do not want a playoff for football. The B1G Title will be meaningless like it is in basketball. The NCAA Tournament is what matters in basketball. Point proven, the debate is over. Sorry for the mini-Hijack.
The Title is much less important to recruiting too.
From the Red Cedar Message Board: "God hates us." Yes He does Lil Bro, yes he does. Everyone hates you.
Football hijack?
I agree that the conference championship doesn't matter as much in basketball, but that is exactly why I do want a playoff in football that only allows conference champions to play. There wasn't a football playoff this year, but nobody's conference championship meant anything anyway, since two teams from the same division of the SEC played for the "national champioship."
A playoff with too many teams does dilute the regular season, and render major conference titles meaningless. I have mixed emotions on whether they should only allow conference champions to play in the NCAA Tournament or not.
I think the main problem is that there is now a regular season conference title and a conference tournament. In this setup, we have conferences competing with themselves to dilute their own regular season championships.
Since the NCAA Tournament is possibly the best spectacle in sports right now, I am satisfied with the system. At least everyone who has a remote chance of winning gets a chance to determine a champion on the court.
If you have a playoff in football...
...with only conference champions, then it's not really a fair playoff because conferences are not equal (with respect to academic standards, oversigning, non-conference scheduling, etc).
With a football playoff, why even bother having conferences? Why do conferences even exist if not for awarding championships?
There
could be conference Champions with losing records. Is that what we want? A playoff with teams with losing records?
From the Red Cedar Message Board: "God hates us." Yes He does Lil Bro, yes he does. Everyone hates you.
Meaningless
Not sure how it would be meaningless in football, especially if conference champs got an automatic berth to play in a 4, 6 or 8 team playoff. It would actually mean everything.
It's funny, because you say
It's funny, because you say the title is "meaningless", yet you are the only person on the entire thread that seems to think this.
Could it be that it's only a problem for you?
wolverineliberationarmy.com/blog
See if Alabama thinks Conference championships are a prerequisite to winning a mnc.
The swag is back.
Great point
in a playoff requiring only conference champions get in, 'Bama would not get in.
From the Red Cedar Message Board: "God hates us." Yes He does Lil Bro, yes he does. Everyone hates you.
I fail to see
how a playoff makes the regular season less important than it is now. Unless you've seen a proposal that includes 68 teams?
68 or 6 or 4
pick whatever number you want.
From the Red Cedar Message Board: "God hates us." Yes He does Lil Bro, yes he does. Everyone hates you.
Definitely
I think conference championships and tournament hopes go hand in hand a bit. similar to football, if you win your conference you've primed yourself for serious national title consideration. This probably doesn't translate as much to basketball but if you're winning your conference (both regular season and B1G tourney) you're putting yourself at a higher seed and theoretically an easier road to the final four.
conference championships aren't required for national championships as we've seen in both sports but in both sports we see that your odds greatly improve with one.
if you're a coach/player and you take care of the small steps (getting towards and to your conference championship) then you make the big step a bit easier in winning the big one.
as a fan, I hate to see my team lose so anytime we're not winning a game, a conference, national honors im not happy...in both sports.
was it because Michigan was so down in basketball for so long that it was almost expected they weren't going to win whereas at the same time the football was expected to win?
Hell yea I want conference
Hell yea I want conference titles. They are quantifiable examples of success.
football
big ten championships only matter in football to me.
If at first you don't succeed, skydiving isn't for you.
Yes, they matter...
Yes, they matter. The Big Ten regular season champ is going to get a very high seed in the NCAAA Tournament. That helps to get better draws in the tournament which helps toward the ultimate goal which is to win the whole thing. Yes it's very important.
I've never watched "Rudy" because I can't stand notre dame.
This only
happens in the major conferences. In the lesser conferences there have been many a regular season conference title winner that loses in the conference tourney. Only he conference tourney winner goes to the dance.
From the Red Cedar Message Board: "God hates us." Yes He does Lil Bro, yes he does. Everyone hates you.
Absolutely!
Ever since I watched Cazzie Russell, Oliver Darden and friends win three straight Big 10 titles at Yost.
“When your team is winning, be ready to be tough, because winning can make you soft. On the other hand, when your team is losing, stick by them. Keep believing”
--Bo Schembechler
posted from iPhone
If it means OSU and state didn't win, then yes. Next question.
Yes
You play to win the game. To win championships. If your goal isn't B1G championships, regular or tourney, and national championships, you're doing something wrong.
Practice makes perfect. Unless you're the Buckeyes. Then you have to cheat.
Thanks Herm.
Thanks Herm.
All championships matter
I am not a big basketball fan, but hell yes I want Michigan to win the Big 10 championship. I cheer for Michigan when any team has a chance for the Big 10 championship. Tennis, softball, I even cheer for the beer pong team and the solar car. I am waiting for the year we win everything. Literally everything we do. What a year that will be. I am guessing it wil be the year all four of my kids are there.
All four
kids in college at the same time? I hope you're saving your pennies.
I have a solid plan. Two
I have a solid plan. Two will go on wrestling scholarships, one on an academic, and the last will win some sort of a Brady Bunch talent show type contest and earn enough money. I haven't decided which will do which, but I have some time.
I have a similar plan
But my daughter has no intention of going a couple thousand miles away to college, so all my hopes rest on the boy.
Yes
One and done tournaments are a crapshoot. Rarely does the best team win. Having the best record of 12 teams throughout an 18 game grind is a big deal and an impressive feat. Michigan hasn't pulled that off since 1986 (none of the vacated teams won the regular season), which is ridiculous. I think the regular season title is much more meaningful than the BTT. The BTT is an interesting exhibition, but unless you're on the bubble, it's less meaningful than winning the regular season. I'd compare it to English soccer. Would you rather been Manchester United last year and won the EPL or been Manchester City and won the FA Cup? The full round robin makes soccer more legit, but I still think the season title is most impressive.
Another great point
any team can get lucky in any sport.
From the Red Cedar Message Board: "God hates us." Yes He does Lil Bro, yes he does. Everyone hates you.
Yes!
We haven't won a regular season title since 1986 fergodsakes!
"Better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football" -- John Heisman
I'm sure we'd all take a B1G
I'm sure we'd all take a B1G championship over not getting one. That's an easy choice.
Perhaps the question should be posed as: Would you rather have a Sweet 16 team that won the B1G championship or a Final Four team that didn't?
Although it's tough, I would probably rather Michigan makes the Final Four. That means that, to me, B1G titles don't really matter. (Note that I would take a B1G championship team that lost in the second round of the tourney over a non-championship team that only made the Sweet 16.)
posted from iPhone
Either one gets a banner to hang proudly in Crisler. I'd take more banners, for sure.
Really good way of looking at
Really good way of looking at this question. I don't know what my answer would be, but good way to think about it.
"I just hope Tressel doesn't fire me"
-Gordon Gee
I'd take the Final Four as
I'd take the Final Four as well, but that's not to say that Big Ten titles don't matter. They are just a hair below a FF appearance in my book.
Hit the nail on the head.
It matters. But with the Tournament, it just doesn't matter as much. Partly because of how much hype the tournament has, but also because of the timing. A Big Ten champ that doesn't make the Final Four is a disappointment at the end of the season. A team that doesn't win the title but makes the Final Four had a glorious finish. NCAA Basketball is all about the Tournament. So I'd take a Final Four over a conference championship every time. That's not to say Big Ten titles don't matter. They do. And we want to win one. But they're just devalued by what happens in the Tournament.
"I love him, he's a great coach, he's a great mentor, he's a great friend. He's every single thing you want a college coach to be, and he does it flawlessly." -David Molk
Ask Purdue.
They've won
Ask Purdue.
They've won more B1G Championships in the last 25 years than anyone else, but no Final Four. Think they'd gladly trade a few of those B1G Championships for a Final Four?
M'Dog
Yes
Yes
Mom, MGrad and life long fan living in So Cal
Yes
Yes, they definitetly matter. Any time you can hang a banner it is a good thing.
posted from iPhone
^^^This...
Yes.
That's affirmative.
Yes...'specially regular season
I'm a tradionalist. I am aching for a regular season B1G championship. There is something completely validating about grinding it out through a grueling conference gauntlet and coming out on top that feels so good. And do I need to remind everyone that we haven't won one since the 80's?! Didn't think so. B1G tourney championships are great, too, but when I win championships, I prefer regular season championships (adopt your best Most Intersting Man in the World voice while reading that last sentence).
To me, regular season titles
To me, regular season titles are for shit. The playoff ruins it. As much fun as it is to win a regular season championship, it lasts for about a week because if you lose in the tournament, it's meaningless.
"We've beaten Michigan the last four years. So where's the threat?"
- Mark Dantonio
Blogging the Virginia Cavaliers at http://fromoldvirginia.blogspot.com/<
YES!!!
I love BIG Basketball titties!!!!
Florida Wolverines have dreadlocks...
in the sense that if we won the B1G title it would cement that the program is back. Not as much for the team or the fanbase, but hopefully for the rest of the state and the nation.
Going deep in the tourney would probably achieve the same, but since the B1G is so darn tough it would help.
I piss excellence and poop gold