Worth the replay?

1. #1

   IowaatNebraska

   CBB· TBS/truTVDown to the wireBig comeback

   B

   64/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback14/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 86 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 64

2. #2

   TexasatPurdue

   CBB· CBSDown to the wireBack and forth

   B

   63/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings22/25

   Comeback7/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 84 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 63

3. #3

   IllinoisatHouston

   CBB· TBS/truTV

   D

   30/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension9/30

   Swings20/25

   Comeback6/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 40 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 30

4. #4

   ArkansasatArizona

   CBB· CBSOne-sided

   D

   3/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings4/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 4 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 3

Ranked from each game's win probability as it was played (ESPN's for football and basketball; ours, from the goals, for hockey): how in doubt it was near the end, how far the winner came back from, how late it was decided, how big its momentum swings were and how often a team erased a deficit, with a bonus for overtime. That drama is then weighted by how good a matchup it was going in (its pre-game Watchability score), so a thriller between top teams ranks above an equally wild game between minor ones.