Proposal would benefit Patriots

It’s tournament time.
Or, at least, the postseason is what several readers were interested in this week.
Though it’s early in the high school basketball season, sectionals are already a topic of conversation because the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association has proposed a new tournament format. And with conference championship games set for this weekend, the college football national title is also front and center.
Let’s get to the questions and answers.
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If Michigan State beats Ohio State and Missouri beats Auburn, would Missouri jump Alabama and play for the BCS Championship? And do the Buckeyes even deserve to be No. 2 after Auburn’s win over Alabama?
—Nathan Miller,
Wanamaker
What is your opinion of the BCS? Also, should Northern Illinois have a shot at the national championship since it is undefeated? And who do you think will play for the national championship?
—Mikey Armstrong, Pennville

I am not, nor have I ever been, a fan of the BCS. College football needs a playoff, period. (An eight-team bracket would be my preference, but next-year’s four-team tournament is a step in the right direction.)
That being said, Northern Illinois simply can’t be involved in the national championship game even though it is undefeated. A solid win over Iowa and a sweep of the Mid-American Conference just isn’t enough.
Despite not looking all that great against Michigan, Ohio State does deserve to be No. 2 in the current BCS standings. Yes several of the Buckeyes’ wins have been close, but that can be said of any of the top teams.
If Ohio State and Auburn both lose, I do believe Missouri would make the jump to play in the national championship game. The Tigers are close to Alabama in the current BCS standings, and I believe under those circumstances the human polls and computer rankings would move them up enough to make the difference.
Here is how I see this weekend playing out: Florida State rolls over Duke; Missouri beats Auburn by a touchdown or less; Ohio State ekes out a three-point win over Michigan State.
So, it’ll be the Seminoles against the Buckeyes in the national championship game, with Missouri finishing third in the BCS standings.
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What do you think of the new IHSAA basketball tournament format proposed by the IBCA and how it could hurt/help Jay County?
—Aaron Loy, Portland

For those who don’t know, the IBCA has proposed a three-class system with each class divided into two divisions based on enrollment. Sectional tournaments would be played within each of the six divisions, and then divisions in each class would be merged for regional play. Basically the result is more sectional champions (80 compared to the current 64) but fewer state champions.
I don’t like the proposal, mostly because it’s a convoluted solution to a simple problem. (I also don’t like the prospect of a bunch of four-team sectionals. To me, that devalues a sectional title.)
The problem, at least as many see it, is that it’s difficult to impossible for a Class 4A school the size of Jay County (about 1,100 students) to compete against the biggest 32 schools in the state that range from 2,000 to 4,600 students.
The solution is simple, just like it was in football. Take the top 64 schools based on enrollment and put them in their own class (5A). Divide the remaining schools into four equal divisions. That’s it.
Based on projections I’ve seen, the current IBCA proposal would put Jay County somewhere in the upper half of Class 2A’s Division I. The change wouldn’t be that drastic at the sectional level, where the Patriots could be in a group with Marion, New Haven and Norwell, but the regional level would be much more manageable than it currently is in Class 4A.
So while I don’t like the basics of the proposal, it would probably benefit JCHS.[[In-content Ad]]