What is this "Big Dance" you speak of?

Congratulations to Mongo’s San Diego St. Aztecs who defeated St. Mary’s in the quarterfinals of the N.I.T. last night, 70-66. They will go on to play Baylor in the semis next Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.

So… it was just the N.I.T. Don’t tell that to the players of either team or to the fans who packed Cox Arena and who were going absolutely bonkers throughout the game.

And maybe, just maybe the most snake-bit athletic program in America beat back some deamons as the Aztecs averted another 2nd half meltdown by playing some tough D and knocking down some clutch free-throws down the stretch.

Intense games like this, even if they are “just the N.I.T.” remind us of why college football playoff detractors are so wrong when they say a playoff would devalue the importance of the regular season. You play to win the game. Herm can’t manage the clock to save his life, but he's spot-on with respect to human competition.

Do you think that Texas-Texas Tech football game we witnessed last fall would have been any less insane if both teams knew that they were going to the playoffs regardless if they won or loss? Of course, not. By and large, athletes at the highest level, when matched against each other, will always compete at the highest level. It's a trait of human nature that doesn't factor-in "playoffs".

Congratulations, again to the Aztecs.