are completely irrelevant in a discussion of the best team. A team has very little control over who they play in a given year. Conference champions should get in. All of them. There is no reason that Troy, if it somehow hits recruiting jackpot with several future NFL stars that were under the radar should be left out simply because they play in a crappy conference. A lot of the magic of the NCAA tourney is the Cinderella teams. We just had a 16 seed win for the first time recently. Middle seeds win a fair number of games as well.

A reasonable size playoff (16 teams) with conference champs would end all debates about irrelevant factors except for any at-large teams. But if you didn't win your conference, you don't have a legitimate gripe about being left out.

Shorten the season if we must but I'm so tired of postseason debates, particularly ones that are impossible to get right. The fact that an undefeated team can be left out is stupid. The fact that a conference winner is left out is stupid. Any discussion about eyeballs or strength of schedule is also stupid. Settle it on the field. Computer rankings are silly with such a small intermingled sample size. They also put too much emphasis on strength of opponent such that teams drop simply for playing an easy game.

It will never happen but it should.