Premium Notebook: The Buzz after the first 2 days of ACC Media Days.
Common sense finally wins, Miami still isn't telling the whole story, and several coaches left Charlotte looking like they believe something special is brewing.
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Jim Phillips finally fixed a problem he helped create
Congratulations.
Seriously.
The ACC finally adopted the only tiebreaker that ever made sense. The best team gets into the championship game. It really wasn’t that difficult.
Conference championship games aren’t what they once were. During the four-team playoff era, simply reaching one was often your ticket into the postseason. Today, with a 12-team field, they’re largely another data point for the selection committee. Important? Sure. But no longer the gatekeeper they once were.
Last year’s tiebreaker created absolute chaos.
Instead of simply selecting the better team, the ACC’s convoluted system sent Duke into the title game over Miami. Duke then beat Virginia to win the conference championship, creating a Selection Sunday mess that never should have existed.
The biggest victim?
Notre Dame.
The Irish believed they were unfairly jumped by Miami, and there’s a strong argument that chain reaction only happened because Duke was placed in the championship game to begin with.
What should have been a routine scheduling partnership between the ACC and Notre Dame suddenly became a political headache for commissioner Jim Phillips.
All because of a bad tiebreaker.
Sometimes common sense deserves applause.
This week, common sense finally won.
Mario Cristobal’s explanation requires a leap of faith
Mario Cristobal continues to insist Miami recruited Darian Mensah exactly like every other transfer portal player. Once Mensah entered the portal, Miami pursued him. That’s the story.
OK.
And I have some oceanfront property in Arizona I’d love to sell you.
