Q. The economy is a big topic right now. As far as where you place teams, will you factor that in when you do the bracketing?
A. “Well, you know, the bracketing principles are designed, and have been designed for several years, to place teams as geographically close to where they are as possible. We are certainly sensitive to the economic times, and we will certainly think about those issues as we go. But we think that the bracketing principles that are in place deal with that issue. We don’t think we’ll compromise those provisions.”
Q. The SEC is not having one of its strongest years. How might that impact a modest conference RPI and a losing record against ranked teams? How might that impact the number of bids the SEC gets?
A. “I should probably dismiss myself from the call here because I’m not going to be involved in any discussion about the SEC. But the committee is not going to consider conference RPIs. It will not be a factor. It’s not going to be a part of the nitty-gritty. It’s not going to be on the team sheet. It’s not going to be available in the room. I think, again, the emphasis here is on what a team has done or not done to earn a slot as one of the top 34 teams in the country.”
Q. How important is the homestretch for any team — how well they do in the last 10 games or so?
A. “I’m glad you asked that because that’s an important question. The importance of the last 12 games can vary from committee member to committee member. You have to drill down very, very carefully in what the last 12 games represent, particularly when in conference schedules they’re not playing home and home.
“A team could have a terrific record and maybe play a lesser group of teams at the end of the year. Another team could have a poor won-loss record but play the higher-ranked teams at that time of year. So the quality of competition is a point of consideration for us.”
Q. You hear a lot about a good loss. Is there such a thing as a bad win?
A. “If you ask a coach, there’s probably no such thing as a bad win. But a win is a win. I think close losses are something that have been in the lexicon for some time. The committee will look carefully at the circumstances in a close game — you know, whether or not there was anything untoward in terms of a controversial call or something. But by and large, you know, a loss is a loss.”
