How to Root Tonight (solely from a Mississippi State perspective).
**I am completely aware these don’t mean a damn thing if State doesn’t take care of their own business.
Some of these games are cheering for a team’s bubble bursting, and others to help bolster Mississippi State’s resume.
I’m having fun combing through NET & Bracketologies for this, but I’m sure I’ll miss a few or get a few wrong, and I’m sure you’ll let me know.
I feel like one dynamic I haven’t quite figured out yet is identifying smaller conferences that risk being a two-bid league with a conference tournament upset and rooting for their top team to fall off with some bad losses. For example, College of Charleston (Colonial Athletic Conference) is in Lunardi’s Next Four Out. If they win out but lose in the conference tournament championship, the CAA may turn into a two-bid league.
Tuesday watching guide:
Marquette @ UConn
Marquette [NET 14] neutral site win is solidly Q1 but can’t hurt to pad the stats and perception.
Louisville @ Pitt
Pitt is sitting in a good spot [CBS 8-seed but NET 55], but a Q4 loss to 3-20 Louisville sure would put a damper on them for a potential slide. I wouldn’t put too much hope here.
UNC @ Wake Forest
Like State, Wake Forest is a team with a lot of ground to make up. Root for UNC here to push them further behind the 8 ball.
Auburn @ Texas A&M
Texas A&M is more bubble-vulnerable. Root for them to lose because we aren’t jumping Auburn.
Ole Miss @ Georgia
Beyond general “cheer against Ole Miss”, we want our loss against Georgia [NET 126] to remain a Quad 2 loss. A home loss against a bad Ole Miss team [NET 124] may slide them into the Q3 territory (below 135)
Toledo @ Akron
Right now, Akron is a Q2 win for us [NET 93 | Neutral site Q2=51-100]. Would be nice to keep them in that range
Drake @ Murray State
Exact same reasoning as above except a Q2 neutral-site loss instead of a win. Drake [NET 83] needs to stay above 100
TCU @ Kansas State
TCU [NET 17] is still Q1 and they need to stop losing games and stay above 30. I think with the strength of the Big 12 that’ll be fine, but they need some wins
Maryland @ Michigan State
Michigan State is in as of now but very much a bubble team. I think Maryland is in the better position, so they’re the team to root for.
South Carolina @ Missouri
Root for Mizzou [NET 48] but doesn’t matter that much. Both our current Q2 home win and future Q1 road game require Mizzou to stay over NET 75. Don’t think that’ll be an issue but having our nice, new, shiny win spoiled by a South Carolina loss wouldn’t be fun.
Arkansas @ Kentucky
Don’t think it matters much in the long run. Maybe Kentucky [NET 31] because getting them over NET 30 would make our upcoming home game against them Q1. Arkansas [NET 29] is a road game, so it’ll stay in the Q1 range regardless
Nevada @ New Mexico
Both bubble teams from the Mountain West. I wish they could both lose.
**I am completely aware these don’t mean a damn thing if State doesn’t take care of their own business.
Some of these games are cheering for a team’s bubble bursting, and others to help bolster Mississippi State’s resume.
I’m having fun combing through NET & Bracketologies for this, but I’m sure I’ll miss a few or get a few wrong, and I’m sure you’ll let me know.
I feel like one dynamic I haven’t quite figured out yet is identifying smaller conferences that risk being a two-bid league with a conference tournament upset and rooting for their top team to fall off with some bad losses. For example, College of Charleston (Colonial Athletic Conference) is in Lunardi’s Next Four Out. If they win out but lose in the conference tournament championship, the CAA may turn into a two-bid league.
Tuesday watching guide:
Marquette @ UConn
Marquette [NET 14] neutral site win is solidly Q1 but can’t hurt to pad the stats and perception.
Louisville @ Pitt
Pitt is sitting in a good spot [CBS 8-seed but NET 55], but a Q4 loss to 3-20 Louisville sure would put a damper on them for a potential slide. I wouldn’t put too much hope here.
UNC @ Wake Forest
Like State, Wake Forest is a team with a lot of ground to make up. Root for UNC here to push them further behind the 8 ball.
Auburn @ Texas A&M
Texas A&M is more bubble-vulnerable. Root for them to lose because we aren’t jumping Auburn.
Ole Miss @ Georgia
Beyond general “cheer against Ole Miss”, we want our loss against Georgia [NET 126] to remain a Quad 2 loss. A home loss against a bad Ole Miss team [NET 124] may slide them into the Q3 territory (below 135)
Toledo @ Akron
Right now, Akron is a Q2 win for us [NET 93 | Neutral site Q2=51-100]. Would be nice to keep them in that range
Drake @ Murray State
Exact same reasoning as above except a Q2 neutral-site loss instead of a win. Drake [NET 83] needs to stay above 100
TCU @ Kansas State
TCU [NET 17] is still Q1 and they need to stop losing games and stay above 30. I think with the strength of the Big 12 that’ll be fine, but they need some wins
Maryland @ Michigan State
Michigan State is in as of now but very much a bubble team. I think Maryland is in the better position, so they’re the team to root for.
South Carolina @ Missouri
Root for Mizzou [NET 48] but doesn’t matter that much. Both our current Q2 home win and future Q1 road game require Mizzou to stay over NET 75. Don’t think that’ll be an issue but having our nice, new, shiny win spoiled by a South Carolina loss wouldn’t be fun.
Arkansas @ Kentucky
Don’t think it matters much in the long run. Maybe Kentucky [NET 31] because getting them over NET 30 would make our upcoming home game against them Q1. Arkansas [NET 29] is a road game, so it’ll stay in the Q1 range regardless
Nevada @ New Mexico
Both bubble teams from the Mountain West. I wish they could both lose.
