There's clearly increasing anxiety over our chances. I admit Utah State going down didn't make me feel great either. I think there's an unmeasurable item in our favor: The late tip time. The BTT Final tips at 3:30 EST. The Selection Show is at 6:00, or about 30 minutes after the game ends.
While they haven't recently been faced with a team as on the bubble as we are playing in this game in recent years, they have had numerous occasions where they should have shifted seeds based on the outcome. They have amost universally declined to do so, once going so far as to say 'we couldn't factor it in, we had to finish up.' If our resume was a game or two weaker, they'd have no choice. But since we have a very legitimate claim to the spot anyway, I think there will be a huge temptation to simply give us a spot so they can finish up. This committee is made up of administrators. By nature they want time to make sure every T is crossed and every I is dotted. I think they're nightmare is accidently violating one of the unwritten rules and slotting two teams in the same half of the bracket accidently due to a last second change, etc. Thier prior actions speak volumes.
While they haven't recently been faced with a team as on the bubble as we are playing in this game in recent years, they have had numerous occasions where they should have shifted seeds based on the outcome. They have amost universally declined to do so, once going so far as to say 'we couldn't factor it in, we had to finish up.' If our resume was a game or two weaker, they'd have no choice. But since we have a very legitimate claim to the spot anyway, I think there will be a huge temptation to simply give us a spot so they can finish up. This committee is made up of administrators. By nature they want time to make sure every T is crossed and every I is dotted. I think they're nightmare is accidently violating one of the unwritten rules and slotting two teams in the same half of the bracket accidently due to a last second change, etc. Thier prior actions speak volumes.