Latest bracketology has Michigan playing in....Columbus!

Submitted by Moleskyn on

That's news to me! The last time I checked, we were slated to play in Nashville. That's really exciting to me, since I live in Ohio, and I know a lot of people on this board do, too. Here's to hoping that it works out that way!

LINK

gotohail

March 9th, 2012 at 12:52 PM ^

Oh that's interesting! I am in Pataskala so I may be able to catch a game! On the other hand the people here are just pure trash so it may be a bad thing.

Yeoman

March 9th, 2012 at 2:15 PM ^

My understanding of the rule was that, for example, Duke or North Carolina wouldn't be allowed to play at Greensboro if they weren't a top-4 seed, to avoid the possiblity of a higher seed forced to play them in what would essentially be a road game. I'd never heard anyone mention the possiblity that it would be used to keep teams from playing on a rival's court.

jmblue

March 9th, 2012 at 2:26 PM ^

I wouldn't want to play in Columbus.  There'd be some U-M fans there, but the "neutral" locals would certainly not be on our side - and only we would face that problem.

will

March 9th, 2012 at 2:36 PM ^

I don't know if I agree. Columbus is really supportive of Trey... Even playing against OSU in Columbus, fans cheered and clapped when he made good plays.

A game between UM and just about any potential non-Ohio team would probably result in a non-hostile environment.

Well, no more hostile than you would expect. All NCAA crowds tend to favor underdogs..

Volverine

March 9th, 2012 at 1:03 PM ^

Eh, Vandy is usually outnumbered at their own basketball and football games by UT fans anyway. Vandy fans kind of suck at showing up to things.

I would think there would be a strong UM showing, especially if we're a 3-seed. I know I've already made plans with some Vandy kids in my class if indeed Michigan-Vandy play in Nashville. 

So while I think you're right that playing Vandy in Nashville would be harder than playing Notre Dame in Columbus, I don't think it would really be that hard. 

Jivas

March 9th, 2012 at 1:09 PM ^

I'm not sure what the OC (original commenter) is referring to, because clearly Duke would *want* to play as close to their campus as possible.

I will note, however, that there were a *lot* of North Carolina fans in Charlotte last year rooting for Michigan (or rather, against Duke).  I was worried the atmosphere would provide Duke with a significant home-field advantage, but much to my surprise and delight a bunch of UNC fans stuck around (our game was immediately after theirs) in order to root against Duke.

profitgoblue

March 9th, 2012 at 1:20 PM ^

The second-most important thing to Carolina fans is seeing Duke lose.  They are possibly one of the most vindictive fan bases I've ever come into contact with, at least as far as college basketball is concerned.  It actually pretty funny.  Carolina is like the "little brother" of basketball - one that wishes extremely horrible things on their older sibling.

 

Yeoman

March 9th, 2012 at 1:13 PM ^

is that their opponent faces a much more hostile crowd than the couple of hundred Ohio State fans that would show up in Columbus just to boo Michigan.

If the other game of the day were a local team that draws well, like Cincinnati or X or Dayton, I can see why this would be a problem, but the first-day crowds are so small that I'd think the extra Michigan fans driving south would more than offset the effect.

 

kehnonymous

March 9th, 2012 at 3:20 PM ^

(obligatory bemusement at what some people here deem to be 'Trolling')

But, yes - Duke has a HC advantage playing the first rounds in Greensboro-somesuch; that was my point.  Notwithstanding the exception that Jivas brought up about UNC fans cheering for Duke's opponent on general principle, but that was mostly due to them also playing there. 

I can't think of any perennial hoops power arch-rivals who usually get high seeds every year and happen to be only 10 miles away, so I'd imagine this kind of thing is a unique situation.  The hardcore OSU fans are at wherever OSU is playing; the hardcore Michigan fans are (hopefully) at Nationwide which isn't far from SE Michigan; it's not like the most rabid Bucknut is going to spring for tickets expressly to root against us.

jmblue

March 9th, 2012 at 3:36 PM ^

You overestimate the amount of traveling that goes on. Fans don't have enough time to follow their teams en masse in the tourney, especially when some of the games are on weeknights. At any venue, the majority of fans are locals. If Michigan plays a tourney game in Ohio (which we have done before, most recently in 1995), it will face a hostile crowd. The same has been true when OSU has played hockey regionals in Ann Arbor; the crowds were overwhemingly local and cheered against the Buckeyes. The idea that Michigan fans, on four days' notice, will storm into Columbus and take up the bulk of the seats is farfetched to say the least.

denardogasm

March 9th, 2012 at 1:00 PM ^

Do cities always host multiple regions of the bracket? I don't remember ever seeing this before, although I doubt I was paying that much attention to the locations.  And I think that setup would give us a pretty good shot at the sweet 16, and MSU a very good shot at another final four.

Sambojangles

March 9th, 2012 at 2:45 PM ^

From the FAQs: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/page/2012Bracketolog…

 

Will teams allegedly play closer to home again this year? For the 11th time, the NCAA men's basketball committee will not predetermine the regional designation of each of the eight subregional sites (what it calls the "pod" system). This gives the committee increased flexibility to reduce travel for teams and fans, as well as create more local interest at subregional sites that may not be traditional basketball areas. For example, the subregional site in Pittsburgh could send its winners to Phoenix (West Regional) instead of, say, the East Regional in Boston, if the committee thinks it makes more geographic sense for the teams involved.

redwings8831

March 9th, 2012 at 1:13 PM ^

It doesn't matter where the 1st/2nd round sites are with respect to the regionals (east/south/west/midwest). Last year:



East (Newark):

Cleveland

Tampa

Cleveland

Charlotte

West (Anaheim):

Charlotte (our pod: Duke/Hampton, Michigan/Tennessee)

Tulsa

Washington DC

Tucson

Southwest (San Antonio):

Tulsa

Denver

Chicago

Chicago



Southeast (New Orleans):

Washington DC

Tucson

Denver

Tampa

Benoit Balls

March 9th, 2012 at 1:05 PM ^

which were linked to on Deadspin the other day, no 4 seed or higher (1,2,3) can be put in a region where the first two rounds would put it at a home field disadvantage. So I don't think Columbus is happening. Which is a shame, because I'm 10 miles from Columbus and have been hoping/preparing for this scenario since Groundhog Day. When I saw this I was sad kitteh. 

If it turns out to be untrue, we can all tailgate at my house

Benoit Balls

March 9th, 2012 at 1:53 PM ^

wouldn't North Carolina playing in North Carolina be an adavantage? I said they are supposed to avoid creating a disadvantage for any of the 4 highest ranked seeds in the first 2 rounds. Michigan in the home arena of their largest rival = disadvantage

Wolvie3758

March 9th, 2012 at 2:13 PM ^

get to play in Nashville? How does the #3 Michigan have to play the #6 Seed (If thats the bracket) in their Home city...TOTALLY UNFAIR

Tacopants

March 9th, 2012 at 2:31 PM ^

Vandy probably won't play in Nashville, anything beyond a 5 seed can't put the higher seed at a disadvantage, they'll probably be shipped out it they just happened to be the serpentine draw in the Nashville bracket, which is unlikely enough as it is.

Stephen Hawking

March 9th, 2012 at 2:56 PM ^

As far as I understand, those advantages for higher seeds only apply for the first two rounds, with the first round considered the "play in" games (going from 68 teams to 64), and the second round considered everyone else's first game (for example, when UM plays the 14 seed). Playing a 6 seed in the next round would be considered a third round game in which the committee no longer protects the 1-4 seeds.

WingsNWolverines

March 9th, 2012 at 2:36 PM ^

But agree with everyone else I don't see it happening sadly and it sucks cause I live 10 minutes away from Columbus.

707oxford

March 9th, 2012 at 3:32 PM ^

If Lunardi's brackets are correct (they won't be), Columbus would not only have the local anti-M contingent, but sparty would be playing in the same building, so you'd have to factor in their fan base as well.  That's a lot of people rooting against a 3-seed.  Could be interpreted as a disadvantage.