I will admit, there were a lot of NIT vibes in the Penn State/Wisconsin game Saturday. That said, our choice from last week was a solid one. LSU and UCLA was a classic NIT matchup, especially since it left one fanbase forlorn and the other assuming that this victory over a mediumly good team would lead to victories over goodly good teams in the future. Widely diverging narratives are a hallmark of NIT contests, and it felt great to taste that in September.
This week, there are bountiful choices for our choosing. Iowa State/Iowa has potential, but it’s probably a reach. Those teams aren’t amazing, but they’d be unlikely to land on the right side of the bubble based on what we know right now. Pitt/Tennessee is hilarious, but it isn’t an NIT game. It’s a sad CBI game. Memphis/Arkansas State is intriguing, but it also isn’t an NIT game. It’s a happy CBI game. Washington/Michigan is a Tim Robinson sketch, but it too is not an NIT game. It’s two teams who turned down the CBI and are firing their coaches.
Texas/Arkansas is compelling. I like Texas/Arkansas. But I’m afraid Arkansas, like Big Ten basketball teams, just won’t have enough wins on its schedule to make it an NIT-sized football team this year. So, the choice this week is one you’d salivate at in an NIT Regional Final:
Utah visits BYU.
The Holy War.
Someone get a camera on Larry Krystkowiak. I wanna see some chair-throwing.
Yes I know he stopped coaching there I know that I still mean it I STILL WANT THE CAMERA ON HIM, BRIAN, AND I DO NOT CARE ABOUT LAWS
