Anyone else notice how most people are happy to see Butler in the NCAA finals? We all know if it were College Football, most of these same people would not be as supportive if a school like Butler was playing for the BCS Championship (Yes, I know they are a FCS school in football but play along with me here). Why do I know this? Look at just last year. People were ready to nearly right at the thoughts of TCU, Boise State and Cincinnati making it to the championship game. In football, everyone is quick to point how tradition matters most. People became so upset when someone who does not belong to the old boys club comes crashing the party, but not so much in basetball. What do you think is the reason why?

I think the obvious answer is because Butler has earned the right to play in the title game as a small school, because NOT ONLY DID THEY HAVE A GOOD REGULAR SEASON, they also proved it in the tournament.

... and TCU did not have a good regular season?? I would argue their strength of schedule was tougher than Texas's schedule last season.

If TCU beat one of the top 16 teams in the previous three consecutive weeks no one would argue that they shouldn't be in the championship game.

Ummm........ people would be pissed if Butler got in over Kansas or Kentucky without a tournament.

if there was a tournament, and uc, tcu, byu, etc. made it to the title game in football i'd root for them. I just feel that when you beat up on teams like sdsu, wyoming, syracuse, etc. (i.e. not good football schools) you haven't earned the right to play for the national title.

butler has beaten syracuse, kansas state, and michigan state in the tourney. they didn't fall ass backwards into a title shot. in football you're essentially voted to the title game, so its harder to beat teams with better resumes (even if they are only better on paper). i'm rooting for butler because they earned a shot (and because they're not playing my favorite team).

Schedule A
Louisiana Monroe
Wyoming
UTEP
Central Florida
Texas Tech
Missouri
OK State
Oklahoma
Baylor
Kansas
Texas A&M
Nebraska

Schedule B
Virginia
Texas State
Clemson
SMU
Air Force
Colorado State
BUY
UNLV
San Diego State
Utah
Wyoming
New Mexico

Is schedule A that much better than schedule B?? I only see one powerhouse in Schedule A from last season (Nebraska-- a team with a great defense but no offense).

yes, texas' schedule is that much better than TCU's. and it has nothing to do with the convieniently omitted Oklahoma game.

It was an omission on my part, however Oklahoma what I would call a "powerhouse" team last year. If you want to believe they were, that's fine. However, Oklahoma did lose to a team TCU beat (BYU) and to another of the outcasts (Boise State--- who did beat TCU in the Fiesta Bowl).

Little Danny wrote: ... and TCU did not have a good regular season?? I would argue their strength of schedule was tougher than Texas's schedule last season.

I never said that, now did I? I said Butler had a good regular season AND they proved their worth in the playoffs...TCU, Boise, etc. do not get that chance, so no they shouldn't get in the game over teams like Texas.

Like someone else already said, at the beginning of the tourney you put in Butler over Kentucky, Kansas and you got yourself a problem.

stroups wrote: Ummm........ people would be pissed if Butler got in over Kansas or Kentucky without a tournament.

/end thread.

Little Danny wrote: Schedule A
Louisiana Monroe
Wyoming
UTEP
Central Florida
Texas Tech
Missouri
OK State
Oklahoma
Baylor
Kansas
Texas A&M
Nebraska

Schedule B
Virginia
Texas State
Clemson
SMU
Air Force
Colorado State
BUY
UNLV
San Diego State
Utah
Wyoming
New Mexico

Is schedule A that much better than schedule B?? I only see one powerhouse in Schedule A from last season (Nebraska-- a team with a great defense but no offense).

Not that it is all about 1 game, but who is the powerhouse on TCU's schedule to match?

The bigger issue is that you can take the other eight conference teams for TCU and they beat two "major" teams all season AND had a worse overall record as a conference without playing much of a schedule themselves. That result happens year in and year out. The results make it obvious that the level of competition isn't the same.

Texas takes a hit for playing four non-AQ conference schools. Well, TCU played 10 of them. That's a pretty big difference.

It is funny how people hone in on one or two games of the best opponents for the second tier schools and one or two of the worst opponents for the top tier schools and try to pass that off as "equal".

stroups wrote: Ummm........ people would be pissed if Butler got in over Kansas or Kentucky without a tournament.

All that needs to be said.

Schedule has nothing to do with it. That's a dumb argument.

Butler got there in a tournament where everyone got a shot. That's why it was valid.