Final Day Of PairWise 2017

Starting last year I've been getting to what virtually is men's college hockey bracketology.  Unlike men's basketball, where a committee decides the at-large teams, in men's college hockey there is a formula to determine the ten at-large bids to the 16-team tournament.

It's called the PairWise, and while I don't have time to break down how it works, let's just say that it's been under fire for being not objective for some time.  However, the upside to it is that there is transparency to the way the PairWise rankings shake out depending on the results of games, such as the conference finals being played today.  You may not like it, but at least you know where your team stands depending on results.

For this year, 2017, I can break down the final spots for the tourney this way:

• Once again, the WCHA (Michigan Tech or Bowling Green) and Atlantic Hockey (Air Force or Robert Morris) will have only one bid, the conference tournament champion.
• There are two teams in the conference tourney final that will not get in as an at-large playing a team that will be in even if they lose.  Boston College plays Massachusetts-Lowell for Hockey East, and Wisconsin takes on Penn St. for the Big Ten title.
• There are two teams whose seasons are over (for now) and are projected to be the Last Two Teams In as of press time: Providence and Ohio St.  And that is in order.
• Therefore, if both the Eagles and Badgers lose, both the Friars and Buckeyes are in.
• If both the Eagles and Badgers win, both the Friars and Buckeyes are out.
• And if either the Eagles or Badgers win, the Friars are in, but the Buckeyes are out.

Really as simple as that.

In the meantime I'm going to rest at home, then try and scalp a ticket to the NCHC tournament final between Minnesota-Duluth and North Dakota.  Last time I checked, a ticket was going for $100.  What the hell?