This sounds like a ridiculously stupid question, doesn’t it? Well, the fate of the Miami of Ohio Redhawks lies in the hands of the selection committee. The team’s 31-1 record in the Mid-American Conference is the best in Division 1 this season. Despite their success, the Redhawks could find themselves outside looking in when it comes to March Madness.
Unfortunately for Miami of Ohio, its undefeated season came to an end in the MAC tournament when its dreams were shattered by the University of Massachusetts. The Minutemen, with a 17-15 regular season record, were able to upset the conference rival to advance. What does this mean for the Redhawks and their hopes for the dance?
Will Miami (OH) Make the Tourney?
In most instances, this is a dumb, no-brainer type of question, but this season offers up the question. The reason for any doubt is the strength of schedule for the Miami of Ohio Redhawks. Out of 365 qualifying schools, Miami (OH) ranks 344th, not helping the cause to be selected into the “Madness.”
Their non-conference schedule ranked even worse. If you think 344 was bad, they dropped to 361st outside of the MAC and zero quad 1 opponents. A quad opponent doesn’t mean taking on rhombuses and trapezoids; instead, it’s one of three scenarios: a home game against a ranked 1-30 opponent, a neutral site game vs a ranked 1-50 team, or a road game against a top 75 team.
So who the hell did this team play? If you go to the Redhawks schedule on ESPN, three of the teams don’t even have a hyperlink to their name. For all we know, it could be three “Bishop Sycamores!” Trinity Christian, Indiana University East, and Milligan could have great biology programs, but when it comes to the hardwood, “Milli” can’t ball!
Should the Redhawks Get a Date for the Dance?
The simple answer is yes. Before you jump down my throat about not winning the conference tournament and the strength of schedule, let me explain. Miami (OH) was undefeated 18-0 in conference play. They were one of three teams in the MAC with more than 20 wins, joining Akron and Kent State.
What sense does it make to have an automatic bid for conference tournament winners and neglect the regular season? With that logic, why have a regular season at all? To have the regular season not matter for smaller conferences eliminates the larger sample size. Why do you think baseball’s season is so long? It takes time to weed out those who don’t belong in the postseason. The same goes for college basketball.
The tournament field is 68, and as much as fans love the unpredictability of March, when it is thought out logically, it is quite a silly way to crown a National Champion. One off night, and the best team is going fishing. So why not see if Cinderella gets her slipper or if the clock strikes midnight?
Final Thoughts
Let’s think about this logically. There are probably about ten teams that actually have a chance to win the National Championship. We don’t often see a team like George Mason make it to the Final Four. Yes, we see upsets regularly, which makes the tournament great, but most of those carriages turn back into pumpkins by the Sweet Sixteen.
What makes Miami of Ohio any different? 31 wins should be enough to get into the dance, even without winning their conference tournament. What difference does it make to add them as a low seed that will most likely get blown out like any other 16-seeded team, just happy to be there? Ben Roethlisberger may not get a say, but his alma mater should be in the field of 68.
Point of Vision 
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