I don't ask for much in life. Talk with anyone in my family and they will tell you how hard it is to shop for me for Christmas or my birthday. But with a mere two weeks left in my college career, I am asking in my nicest columnist voice for the Ohio men's basketball team to beat Buffalo tomorrow night in The Convo.
I ask this one favor because, if you believe what people inside college basketball are saying, Buffalo is a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament.
Buffalo?
Yes, Buffalo, the kid brother in the Mid-American Conference. The Bulls have suffered their last wedgie and had their hair mussed one time too many, and now they think they're ready to play with the big boys.
They're 18-7 overall, including 10-6 in the MAC. Their conference record places them in a four-way tie for second in the MAC East Division, behind those jerks from Miami.
I'm sorry. I have to marvel at this again.
Buffalo?
This is the same Bulls squad that regularly dwells underneath the teams at the bottom of the cellar. In fact, let's use this time to have a laugh at their expense.
This year, their basketball team has won 18 games. That's more than they won during 1999-2000, 2000-01, and 2002-03 combined. In those three seasons, they won 14 games. That's cute.
In fact, if you want to give them a little boost in their numbers by, say, adding their total football victories during the last three seasons -a total of four W's -they can finally match that magical number of 18.
How is it possible that this program can be considered an option for the bracket when we here in Athens have waited for a berth since 1994?
It cannot happen.
We have a responsibility past the regular importance of this game. Sure, we have a number of our own important issues to deal with. A win in either of Ohio's last two MAC games could mean a home game for the Bobcats in the first round of the MAC Tournament.
But this game goes beyond the importance of Ohio's season: We have the responsibility to the rest of the MAC to play spoiler. After all, if we can't be happy, why should Buffalo?
Following their 5-23 season in 2002-03, the Bulls surprised everyone last year when they went 17-12. I found this to be unacceptable but thought it was an aberration. Now it appears they're trying to build some sort of a basketball reputation. That's like your little brother taking your girlfriend to the prom.
Noogies must be served all around.
So, without putting too much pressure on Ohio -past demanding a victory for the sake of its honor -I am asking for one simple, tiny little thing from this team: Please ruin Buffalo's season. That would make for a nice graduation present.
-Cottrill is a senior English major who has only one column left in his illustrious college career. If you've been reading all year, he feels now is the time to tell you he's been charging 25 cents per word. Send your credit card number to michael.cottrill@ohiou.edu to pay up.
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Mike Cottrill
