CVilleBuff
Well-Known Member
Saturday's bubble games. Buff fans can sit back, and watch which bubbles pop, and hopefully some teams competing with us for seeds slip up.
Clemson at Maryland. Terps sit 18-8, 6-7. RPI 68th. Terps looked to be pushing for a tournament bid with the win over Duke last Saturday, but then they went and lost at Boston College on Wednesday. BC is the Utah of the ACC, they play nearly everyone extremely tough. They lost to Miami and Duke each by 1. However, a sub-100 loss was the last thing Maryland could afford. It's officially desperation time for the Terps. A win over Clemson won't do much, but it will keep them alive in the hunt, whereas a loss bursts their bubble.
Southern Miss at Memphis. Memphis is safe, the focus is on Southern Miss. Golden Eagles are 21-6, 10-2. RPI 37th. It's one of these 'No good wins, no bad losses' situations...about as clear cut as you'll ever see it. They desperately need a quality win, and this is their last chance in the regular season.
Alabama at LSU. Crimson Tide are 18-8, 10-3. RPI 58th. 3 terrible losses -- Mercer, Tulane, and Auburn in which they scored 37, make this a long shot, even with the solid conference record. Their 'quality' wins are Villanova and Kentucky. That just doesn't do it. They need to go win in Gainesville on March 2nd or frankly it's hard to see. Any sort of questionable loss and their burble is burst.
Texas Tech at Iowa State. Cyclones are 18-8, 8-5. RPI 44th. Crucial win for ISU at Baylor this week. They're on the right side of things for the time being, but the schedule gets nasty after lowly Texas Tech visits.
VCU at Xavier. VCU is 21-6, 9-3. RPI 36th. They're in pretty good shape, but their remaining schedule is quite difficult. They'll need to be careful. I'm also here to warn you that VCU would be a difficult opponent. Shaka's style eats teams alive who are prone to bad passes and other forms of turning the ball over. They thrive on that. And they're right in that range where we could see them in an 8/9 or 7/10 game.
NC State at North Carolina. Heels are 18-8, 8-5. RPI 26th. Heels are on the right side of things, but it's a remaining schedule that has difficult games and land mines. Carolina has a lack of quality wins, they badly need to beat NCSU. A loss brings them back closer to the danger zone.
Auburn at Ole Miss. Rebs are 19-7, 8-5. RPI 57th. They did exactly what they couldn't afford to do during the week, losing at lowly South Carolina. Like Alabama, they have a severe lack of quality wins. They beat Mizzou in early January. That's about it. They had been successful at avoiding miserable losses, until they went and lost at South Carolina. Now, they're in serious trouble. 5 games remaining, and no opportunity to gain much. A game against Alabama, and then a bunch of garbage like Auburn. Ole Miss just seems to be sliding the wrong way. I'm not feeling it. They seem to be the SEC's best hope of a 3rd bid, but they're right on the line. They have 5 games remaining, and have to win all 5 or they're toast.
Baylor at Oklahoma. Bears are 16-10, 7-6. RPI 60th. That home loss to ISU during the week now has Baylor in serious trouble. They're right on the line, and have a very difficult schedule remaining, not just of games against great teams, but also dangerous road games against opponents that will burst bubbles. A win at Oklahoma would be a massive step in the right direction.
Marquette at Villanova. Nova is 17-10, 8-6. RPI 55th. This is a case of 'how many Big East teams can get in'. In Nova's case, they're right on the line...and probably the wrong side at the moment. They have those excellent home wins over Syracuse and Louisville, yet they also got their doors blown off by Ivy League basement team Columbia at home. Getting swept by Providence wasn't the greatest idea, either. A win over Marquette would be a major boost in their hopes.
Cal at Oregon State. Golden Bears are 17-9, 9-5. RPI 46th. Wow. What was looking like a lower NIT seed is now on the right side of things in the Dance after this impressive 4 game winning streak. They're nowhere near safe enough to take their foot off the gas, though. A loss at Oregon State would put Cal back on the wrong side.
Arkansas at Florida. Razorbacks are 17-9, 8-5. RPI 72nd. Arkansas is a complete long shot, their win over Florida was followed by getting their doors blown off at Vanderbilt. It's just been that type of year. 1 true road win. However, they've got their chance to be a legitimate contender. A sweep over Florida would look mighty nice on the resume...
LA Monroe at Middle Tennessee. Mid Tennessee is 24-4, 16-1. RPI 23rd. 1 bad loss. Best win is Ole Miss. Still, given their gaudy RPI, if they fell in the Sun Belt championship and had a 29-5 record, the Committee would give them a look. Still probably wouldn't be enough, but we've seen stranger choices in the past.
Creighton at St. Mary's. St. Mary's is 23-5, 12-2. RPI 50th. Their biggest bragging point is a sweep of NIT-bound BYU. They have bad losses to Pacific and Georgia Tech. Yet still, the 'bracketologists' have them in for the time being. This is their chance to get a decent win. Creighton should probably be careful, although they're in decent shape. 23-6, 11-5. RPI 47th. Still, they've lost 3/5. 3 games remain, including this and Wichita State.
Missouri at Kentucky. Wildcats are 18-8, 9-4. RPI 48th. Best wins are Maryland and Ole Miss. Now missing Noel, they've been CRUSHED at Tennessee, and had to hold on for dear life to beat lowly Vanderbilt at home. Yet still, they are right on the line. A win over a decent Mizzou team would probably put Kentucky on the right side of things for the time being.
Boise State at Fresno State. Boise is 17-8, 5-6. RPI 43rd. Boise was the winner of a de-facto 'bubble elimination' game against Air Force this week. Their hopes are alive, but they need a really strong finish for it to come to fruition. Suffice to say, a loss at Fresno State would be bubble burst.
Washington at Arizona State. RPI 67th. Scum Devils are 20-7, 9-5. Good luck to Arizona State, as they have one of the weakest OOC SOS in the nation. CU fans know first hand that the Committee loves to snub over that. Losing at home to Washington would be a near pop to their bubble, as they have a nasty 3 game road stretch to end the regular season.
Clemson at Maryland. Terps sit 18-8, 6-7. RPI 68th. Terps looked to be pushing for a tournament bid with the win over Duke last Saturday, but then they went and lost at Boston College on Wednesday. BC is the Utah of the ACC, they play nearly everyone extremely tough. They lost to Miami and Duke each by 1. However, a sub-100 loss was the last thing Maryland could afford. It's officially desperation time for the Terps. A win over Clemson won't do much, but it will keep them alive in the hunt, whereas a loss bursts their bubble.
Southern Miss at Memphis. Memphis is safe, the focus is on Southern Miss. Golden Eagles are 21-6, 10-2. RPI 37th. It's one of these 'No good wins, no bad losses' situations...about as clear cut as you'll ever see it. They desperately need a quality win, and this is their last chance in the regular season.
Alabama at LSU. Crimson Tide are 18-8, 10-3. RPI 58th. 3 terrible losses -- Mercer, Tulane, and Auburn in which they scored 37, make this a long shot, even with the solid conference record. Their 'quality' wins are Villanova and Kentucky. That just doesn't do it. They need to go win in Gainesville on March 2nd or frankly it's hard to see. Any sort of questionable loss and their burble is burst.
Texas Tech at Iowa State. Cyclones are 18-8, 8-5. RPI 44th. Crucial win for ISU at Baylor this week. They're on the right side of things for the time being, but the schedule gets nasty after lowly Texas Tech visits.
VCU at Xavier. VCU is 21-6, 9-3. RPI 36th. They're in pretty good shape, but their remaining schedule is quite difficult. They'll need to be careful. I'm also here to warn you that VCU would be a difficult opponent. Shaka's style eats teams alive who are prone to bad passes and other forms of turning the ball over. They thrive on that. And they're right in that range where we could see them in an 8/9 or 7/10 game.
NC State at North Carolina. Heels are 18-8, 8-5. RPI 26th. Heels are on the right side of things, but it's a remaining schedule that has difficult games and land mines. Carolina has a lack of quality wins, they badly need to beat NCSU. A loss brings them back closer to the danger zone.
Auburn at Ole Miss. Rebs are 19-7, 8-5. RPI 57th. They did exactly what they couldn't afford to do during the week, losing at lowly South Carolina. Like Alabama, they have a severe lack of quality wins. They beat Mizzou in early January. That's about it. They had been successful at avoiding miserable losses, until they went and lost at South Carolina. Now, they're in serious trouble. 5 games remaining, and no opportunity to gain much. A game against Alabama, and then a bunch of garbage like Auburn. Ole Miss just seems to be sliding the wrong way. I'm not feeling it. They seem to be the SEC's best hope of a 3rd bid, but they're right on the line. They have 5 games remaining, and have to win all 5 or they're toast.
Baylor at Oklahoma. Bears are 16-10, 7-6. RPI 60th. That home loss to ISU during the week now has Baylor in serious trouble. They're right on the line, and have a very difficult schedule remaining, not just of games against great teams, but also dangerous road games against opponents that will burst bubbles. A win at Oklahoma would be a massive step in the right direction.
Marquette at Villanova. Nova is 17-10, 8-6. RPI 55th. This is a case of 'how many Big East teams can get in'. In Nova's case, they're right on the line...and probably the wrong side at the moment. They have those excellent home wins over Syracuse and Louisville, yet they also got their doors blown off by Ivy League basement team Columbia at home. Getting swept by Providence wasn't the greatest idea, either. A win over Marquette would be a major boost in their hopes.
Cal at Oregon State. Golden Bears are 17-9, 9-5. RPI 46th. Wow. What was looking like a lower NIT seed is now on the right side of things in the Dance after this impressive 4 game winning streak. They're nowhere near safe enough to take their foot off the gas, though. A loss at Oregon State would put Cal back on the wrong side.
Arkansas at Florida. Razorbacks are 17-9, 8-5. RPI 72nd. Arkansas is a complete long shot, their win over Florida was followed by getting their doors blown off at Vanderbilt. It's just been that type of year. 1 true road win. However, they've got their chance to be a legitimate contender. A sweep over Florida would look mighty nice on the resume...
LA Monroe at Middle Tennessee. Mid Tennessee is 24-4, 16-1. RPI 23rd. 1 bad loss. Best win is Ole Miss. Still, given their gaudy RPI, if they fell in the Sun Belt championship and had a 29-5 record, the Committee would give them a look. Still probably wouldn't be enough, but we've seen stranger choices in the past.
Creighton at St. Mary's. St. Mary's is 23-5, 12-2. RPI 50th. Their biggest bragging point is a sweep of NIT-bound BYU. They have bad losses to Pacific and Georgia Tech. Yet still, the 'bracketologists' have them in for the time being. This is their chance to get a decent win. Creighton should probably be careful, although they're in decent shape. 23-6, 11-5. RPI 47th. Still, they've lost 3/5. 3 games remain, including this and Wichita State.
Missouri at Kentucky. Wildcats are 18-8, 9-4. RPI 48th. Best wins are Maryland and Ole Miss. Now missing Noel, they've been CRUSHED at Tennessee, and had to hold on for dear life to beat lowly Vanderbilt at home. Yet still, they are right on the line. A win over a decent Mizzou team would probably put Kentucky on the right side of things for the time being.
Boise State at Fresno State. Boise is 17-8, 5-6. RPI 43rd. Boise was the winner of a de-facto 'bubble elimination' game against Air Force this week. Their hopes are alive, but they need a really strong finish for it to come to fruition. Suffice to say, a loss at Fresno State would be bubble burst.
Washington at Arizona State. RPI 67th. Scum Devils are 20-7, 9-5. Good luck to Arizona State, as they have one of the weakest OOC SOS in the nation. CU fans know first hand that the Committee loves to snub over that. Losing at home to Washington would be a near pop to their bubble, as they have a nasty 3 game road stretch to end the regular season.
Last edited:
