Ohio State, Duke, Syracuse, Kansas, Villanova, and Wichita State all have something in common and it isn’t something to be proud of. They all have been upset thus far in the NCAA tournament — sent home packing much earlier than many people expected. March Madness is known for its crazy shenanigans, but so far this tournament has been the craziest that I can remember. There are still many good teams left in the tournament, but what has transpired thus far is unexplainable.

Despite this picture being from 2009, not even Barack Obama could have predicted what would transpire thus far in the 2014 tournament, Pete Souza [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

#1 Florida vs #4 UCLA

#1 Virginia vs #Michigan State

#3 Iowa State vs #7 Connecticut

#1 Arizona vs #4 San Diego State

#2 Wisconsin vs #6 Baylor

#4 Louisville vs #8 Kentucky

#2 Michigan vs #11 Tennessee

This NCAA Tournament has given us some really good match-ups in the Sweet 16 and it’s looking like more of the same in the this weekend. Now here is my preview for what will transpire in the next few weeks:

Sweet 16:

#1 Florida vs #4 UCLA (Florida),

#10 Stanford vs #11 Dayton (Dayton)

#1 Virginia vs #4 Michigan State (Virginia)

#3 Iowa State vs #7 Connecticut (Connecticut)

#1 Arizona vs #4 San Diego State (Arizona)

#2 Wisconsin vs #6 Baylor (Wisconsin)

#4 Louisville vs #8 Kentucky (Kentucky)

#2 Michigan vs #11 Tennessee (Michigan)

Elite Eight:

#1 Florida vs #11 Dayton (Florida)

#1 Virginia vs #7 Connecticut (Virginia)

#1 Arizona vs #2 Wisconsin (Arizona)

#8 Kentucky vs #2 Michigan (Kentucky)

Final Four:

#1 Florida vs #1 Virginia (Virginia)

#1 Arizona vs #8 Kentucky (Arizona)

NCAA Championship Game:

#1 Virginia vs #1 Arizona

I’ve got Arizona holding up the trophy after its all said and done with the final score being 76-69.

What do you think? Did I even get close? Comment below.

The future looks bright for USC football. By Bobak Ha’Eri (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

After an extremely disappointing season in 2012, not many people projected the USC football to do much of anything in 2013. Starting off the season 3-2 with losses to Washington State in the Coliseum and a blowout loss to Arizona State, USC’s season looked like it was going nowhere. The Trojans struggled mightily with play calling and leadership and it showed on the field. The offense looked pathetic and the defense looked tired from having to bail the offense out so often.

So Pat Haden decided that it was time to cut ties with coach Lane Kiffin, a move that was a long time coming.

The school promoted assistant coach Ed Orgeron to Interim Head Coach and all of a sudden, the entire atmosphere of the program changed. USC went 6-2 over the last eight games, only losing to Notre Dame on the road and UCLA in the final game of the season. USC even knocked off Stanford, which was ranked fourth in the nation at the time. Led by quarterback Cody Kessler and Marqise Lee on offense, the Trojans under showed how good they really could be. It’s clear that getting a new leader into the locker room (Orgeron) was the right move by management.

Prior to the bowl game, it was announced that USC would not be retaining Coach Orgeron and that they had hired Washington coach Steve Sarkisian. Upon hearing that he would not return as head coach, Coach O resigned from his position did not coach in the Las Vegas Bowl. Without Coach O, and with Sarkisian looking-on from a box, USC took on a tough Fresno State team but easily defeated them 45-20 to become the Las Vegas Bowl champions. It may have not been the bowl game they had hoped for but it was a good win nonetheless. After losing Coach Orgeron, the team could have laid down and had nothing to play for but they came out fighting and dominated from the start.

Trojan fans should be encouraged. The future looks bright for the USC program and hopefully they can regain their position as one of the top teams in college football where they belong.

Just about two months ago I, like most other people, was imagining an Alabama-Oregon National Championship game. Auburn and Stanford, though, had other ideas. Stanford upset Oregon for the second straight year and Auburn defeated Alabama very shockingly. As crazy as college football can be at times, how many people can say honestly that when the season began they predicted an Auburn-Florida State National Championship game? I know that I didn’t…

Florida State and Auburn will be battling for this trophy come January 6th 2014 in Pasadena. By User:Nikonmadness from the English Wikipedia, via Wikimedia Commons

Florida State Seminoles: (13-0, 8-0 ACC) Beat Duke in ACC Title game

Ranked #11 to start the season, not many people saw the Seminoles jumping to the #1 ranking by year’s end. Redshirt freshman quarterback Jameis “Famous” Winston is the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy and for good reason. He has posted 38 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and 3,820 passing yards. His explosive offense ranks 14th in passing and 27th in rushing in all of college football. Florida State’s defense also ranks first in college football only allowing 10.7 points per game. People may question the level of competition that Florida State plays being in the ACC but not only does Florida State beat their opponents, they dismantle them. Two examples are a 51-14 beat-down of #3 ranked Clemson at Memorial Stadium in Clemson and a 45-7 win against Duke in the ACC Title game. The Seminoles deserve to be in the National Championship game and they will look to break the SEC streak of seven straight National Championships.

Auburn Tigers: (12-1, 7-1 SEC) Beat Missouri in SEC Title game

After going 3-9 overall (0-8 in the SEC) last season, nobody saw Auburn coming except for maybe Auburn. Being unranked normally doesn’t bode well to make the Championship Game but the last two seasons an unranked team has made it (Notre Dame and Auburn). Coach Gus Malzahn took over the Auburn program after such a disheartening season and has rebuilt them within a year to make them title contenders once again. Led by their top-ranked rushing attack, Auburn is a force to be reckoned with offensively and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Every season there seems to be a team of “destiny” in the national title mix, and Auburn is most certainly it this season.

After an incredible Hail Mary win over Georgia to keep their title hopes alive, nobody thought Auburn could pull out another miraculous win but to the disbelief of college football fans everywhere, they did. Trailing by a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, Auburn tied the game at 28. Alabama then drove the ball down the field only to set up what would be the game winning field goal. The field goal was wide right and was improbably returned for a touchdown by returner Chris Davis to win the game and stun the college football world. They would go on to face Missouri in the SEC Title game, beating them 59-42 to secure their place in the National Championship game. Auburn now has a chance to keep the SEC dominance alive and win the school’s second National Championship in four years.

Cal Poly is unveiling all-black road uniforms this season. By Ray Ambler

Cal Poly’s basketball team will have a new look on the road this season. For the first time ever, their road uniforms will be black, with green trim and black letters outlined in gold.

Alternate uniforms are a concept that Mustangs athletics has embraced recently. Last season, the football team unveiled two new uniforms including an all-white road kit and a gold uniform that they have worn both at home and on the road.

Now the basketball team shucked the traditional green road jerseys in favor of the all-blacks.

I think alternate-style jerseys generally are hit and miss. These ones look pretty good. We at Fansmanship like a green/black or green/gray combination. It would be great if they could do EITHER green or black and have three total jersey types, but the black will look good. In a world where any recruiting edge must be taken advantage of, a good looking black road jersey is super cool.

Random, kind of related thought: In high school, our warm-ups were all-black and there was a swagger that went along with that. Cal Poly only lost one game inside Mott last season and any advantage they can get on the road — mental or otherwise — would be a good thing.

The all-black jerseys look good both indoors or outdoors. By Ray Ambler

Johnny Manziel. Johnny Football. Heisman Winner.

Whatever you want to call him, he is still the reigning freshman Heisman trophy winner and nothing that people say about him is going to ever change that. Recently Manziel has been accused of receiving a large sum of money for his various autographs, which is a direct violation of the NCAA. If found guilty of this, Manziel would have lost his eligibility to play in the 2013-2014 season. But no evidence was found and all Manziel was given was a half game suspension against Rice in Texas A&M’s season opener.

With all the offseason distractions, can Johnny Football lead Texas A&M to a National Title? By Shutterbug459, via Wikimedia Commons

I am totally fine with the rule that the athletes can’t be paid to play like in the professional league but at least let the kids make some money.

College athletes risk injury every time they step onto a field, court, etc… . They, in turn, should be allowed to go out and get some income for themselves. Manziel isn’t the first and sure as hell won’t be the last college athlete to have to deal with the NCCA’s ridiculous rules. Unlike others, though, he escaped them with just a slap on the wrist.

Many people will question how this happened because it seemed almost certain that Manziel was guilty. He doesn’t portray himself as a good standing college athlete unlike most of his other competition. He has been ridiculed for “partying” or just being a college student but that is exactly what he is — a college student.

We tend to forget that these kids that play the college sports we love oh so much are just 18-22 years old. Yes, they are representatives of huge institutions of higher learning and as such are under pressure to portray mature and respectful attitudes. But they are still in college, and we shouldn’t forget that. I doubt the people who are writing about him acted professional while they were in college and while most of those writers were not a “star athlete,” I don’t think it should make a difference.

Manziel is going to make mistakes. He is going to rant about things that don’t make sense on social networking sites, and he is going to be late for things sometimes. It will either affect his draft stock and ability to play in the NFL or not, but either way, people need to get over this overblown “story.” Give the kid a break. He won the Heisman as a freshman and I believe could win it again this season.

Just because he doesn’t fit into society’s expectation of an all-American quarterback from Texas doesn’t mean you have to ridicule him for every little thing he does. And to me, since Manziel has come to college, especially after winning the Heisman, he has basically been flipping the bird to the NCAA.

The bright orange of Syracuse and head coach Jim Boeheim joined Pitt in bolting the Big East for the ACC. By Briles Takes Pictures (Flickr: Scoop and Jim), via Wikimedia Commons

Are you a College Football fan who is excited for the new conference alignment?  Good, I hope you’re satisfied, because this process of realignment virtually destroyed the greatest sports conference that College sports has ever seen.  The creation of the Big East as a basketball conference is one of the most significant events to take place in the history of college sports. Current Big East schools have been to 16 Final Fours. The dissolution of the original Big East that has taken place over the last eight years should be considered one of the most significant travesties American sports have ever seen, and it was all because of the desire to make the most money off athletes who are, first and foremost, considered students.

Student athletes, that’s a dynamic term, isn’t it?  Can anyone actually explain to me how we should accurately classify a student athlete, because it seems as if the individuals in charge of college athletics have forgotten about the student portion of this dynamic term.  When describing why they are leaving the conference, monetary gains are a driving force. So you’re telling me that a school is willing travel farther, subsequently taking a chance on the academic success of their students’ grades, just so that they can make more money?  That sounds absolutely disgusting if you ask me.  I’m one of the biggest College Football fans you will ever meet—I bleed orange for my Beavers—but I start having problems when school officials start sacrificing a student’s grade just so their schedule looks appealing to the voters who decide the weekly rankings.

The Big East’s basketball pedigree rivals the football dominance of the SEC. The Big East had a 16-team basketball super-conference years before the SEC moved to 14 schools.

Since 1979, the Big East has produced six National Champions and 15 of the 16 teams—South Florida being the lone exception—have made it the Final Four — the most of any conference. In 1985, six years after its creation, the Big East sent three schools to the Final Four—Villanova, Georgetown and St. John’s—with ‘Nova beating Georgetown 66-64, in a game that many consider the greatest College Basketball game ever played.  Villanova, as an eight-seed, became the lowest seeded team to ever win the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, a record the stands to this day.  Of course, Wichita State will have a chance at breaking this record when they take on top seeded Louisville—of the Big East—in this year’s Final Four on Saturday.

Fast forward over two decades to 2009 and you can find the historic game between Syracuse and Connecticut in the Big East Tournament which lasted six overtimes.  Syracuse beat Connecticut 127-117 in a game that started at 9:30 PM ET and ended well beyond 1 AM in the morning; Syracuse did not lead in any of the previous overtime periods.  102 of the 244 points came in the overtime periods, in a game that is the longest game in the shot clock era.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3koPRFXzi3o

Unfortunately, the opportunity for fans to watch games of similar pedigree involving the iconic Big East has ceased to exist.  Nevertheless, the Big East name will continue to exist through a new conference created by the “Catholic 7” universities—DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, and Villanova—along with the recently added powerhouses of Butler, Creighton, and Xavier.  Even without schools like Syracuse, Louisville, and Connecticut, the “new” Big East still has potential to bring excitement that may one day match the historic competition that the Big East provided for over the past 30 years.

L-Man says that Assembly Hall will be the home of the defending National Champions next season. By Sean Benham from Chicago, via Wikimedia Commons

For the last few months, college basketball teams have fought and battled out every second, every possession, every drop of sweat. For those lucky enough to make the tournament, their hard work has paid-off. Its bracket time in college basketball, a very exciting time in any player, coach or fan’s life. It’s a time where people make their picks and see how they stack up against others. Even the President normally gets mixed-up in all the fun and excitement, so without further adieu, here are my predictions for the 2013 March Madness bracket, the bolded teams are the predicted winners:

Midwest Region:

1 Louisville, Big East (29-5)
16 North Carolina AT&T, MEAC (19-16)/Liberty, Big South (15-20)

8 Colorado State, MWC (25-8)
9 Missouri, SEC (23-10)

5 Oklahoma State, BIG 12 (24-8)
12 Oregon, PAC-12 (26-8)

4 Saint Louis, A-10 (27-6)
13 New Mexico State, WAC (24-10)

6 Memphis, C-USA (30-4)
11 Middle Tennessee, Sun Belt (28-5)/Saint Mary’s, WCC (27-6)

3 Michigan State, Big Ten (25-8)
14 Valparaiso, Horizon (26-7)

7 Creighton, MVC (27-7)
10 Cincinnati, Big East (22-11)

2 Duke, ACC (27-5)
15 Albany, American East (24-10)

1 Louisville

9 Missouri

5 Oklahoma State

4 Saint Louis

Sweet 16:

1 Louisville

5 Oklahoma State

                                           Elite Eight:

                                             1 Louisville

                                       2 Duke

6 Memphis                                                                                      

3 Michigan State                  

7 Creighton

2 Duke

Sweet 16:

3 Michigan State

2 Duke

West Region:

1 Gonzaga, WCC (31-2)
16 Southern University, SWAC (23-9)

8 Pittsburgh, Big East (24-8)
9 Wichita State, MVC (26-8)

5 Wisconsin, Big Ten (23-11)
12 Ole Miss, SEC (26-8)

4 Kansas State, Big 12 (27-7)
13 Boise State, MWC (21-10)/La Salle, A 10 (21-9)

6 Arizona, PAC 12 (25-7)
11 Belmont, OVC (26-6)

3 New Mexico, MWC (29-5)
14 Harvard, Ivy (19-9)

7 Notre Dame, Big East (25-9)
10 Iowa State, Big 12 (22-11)

2 Ohio State, Big Ten (26-7)
15 Iona, MAAC (20-13)

1 Gonzaga

8 Pittsburgh

12 Ole Miss

4 Kansas State

Sweet 16:

1 Gonzaga

12 Ole Miss

                                     Elite Eight: 

                                       1 Gonzaga

                                             2 Ohio State  

6 Arizona

14 Harvard

7 Notre Dame

2 Ohio State

Sweet 16:

6 Arizona

2 Ohio State

South Region:

1 Kansas, Big 12 (29-5)
16 Western Kentucky, Sun Belt (20-15)

8 North Carolina, ACC (24-10)
9 Villanova, Big East (20-13)

5 VCU, A 10 (26-8)
12 Akron, MAC (26-6)

4 Michigan, Big Ten (26-7)
13 South Dakota State, Summit (25-9)

6 UCLA, PAC 12 (25-9)
11 Minnesota, Big Ten (20-12)

3 Florida, SEC (26-7)
14 North Western State, Southland (23-8)

7 San Diego State, MWC (22-10)
10 Oklahoma, Big 12 (20-11)

2 Georgetown, Big East (25-6)
15 Florida Gulf Coast, A Sun (24-10)

1 Kansas

8 North Carolina                                          

4 Michigan

5 VCU

Sweet 16:

1 Kansas

4 Michigan

                                                 Elite Eight: 

                                                  1 Kansas

                                                         2 Georgetown

11 Minnesota

3 Florida

2 Georgetown

7 San Diego State

Sweet 16:

2 Georgetown

3 Florida

East Region:

1 Indiana, Big Ten (27-6)
16 LIU Brooklyn, NEC (20-13)/James Madison, CAA (20-14)

8 NC State, ACC (24-10)
9 Temple, A 10 (23-9)

5 UNLV, MWC (25-9)
12 California, Pac 12 (20-11)

4 Syracuse, Big East (26-9)
13 Montana, Big Sky (25-6)

6 Butler, A 10 (26-8)
11 Bucknell, Patriot (28-5)

3 Marquette, Big East (23-8)
14 Davidson, Southern (26-7)

7 Illinois, Big Ten (22-12)
10 Colorado, PAC 12 (21-11)

2 Miami, ACC (27-6)
15 Pacific, Big West (22-12)

1 Indiana

8 NC State            

4 Syracuse

12 California

Sweet 16:

1 Indiana

4 Syracuse

                                                     Elite Eight:

                                                      1 Indiana

                                                      2 Miami

6 Butler                                                                   

3 Marquette

2 Miami

10 Colorado

Sweet 16:

2 Miami

6 Butler

Final Four:

1 Kansas

1 Indiana    

                                                            Championship Game:

                                                             1 Indiana

                                                             2 Duke

2 Duke

2 Ohio State

National Champion: Indiana Hoosiers

Paul Brown Stadium would be a great home for Manti Te’o next season. by Derek Jensen, via Wikimedia Commons

Over the last ten years, the Cincinnati Bengals have taken chances on players. Most of the “chances” they’ve taken have been due to questionable character of their draftees. Some examples are Adam “Pacman” Jones and offensive lineman Andre Smith.  For years the franchise was mocked as the “Bungles” instead of Bengals for all the arrests of players on their roster combined with their average-at-best play on the field. But recently the “Bungles” talk has calmed down and the franchise has matured. Former quarterback Carson Palmer helped the Bengals by leading them to the playoffs in 2009, but never made the “next step” into being true contenders. After making the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since the early 1980s, this team is poised to make that true next step toward contention. Despite early playoff exits, both coming against the Houston Texans, the Bengals future looks bright and they can make it even more exciting during the upcoming NFL draft.

The Bengals defense is one of the best and youngest defenses in the NFL and showed signs of what they are capable of last season ranking seventh in allowed passing yards and twelfth in allowed rushing yards. With weak pass coverage from linebackers, many tight ends torched the Bengals for big yards including Owen Daniels of the Texans in the postseason. The middle linebacker position is one place the team should target in the draft. As I said above, the Bengals have had a history on taking chances with players and I think they should look into taking a chance on former Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o. After a great season on the field, Te’o and the Fighting Irish were embarrassed on national TV during the BCS Championship Game by Alabama, where many people questioned Te’o’s true ability. Yet Te’o did finish with ten tackles and you can’t blame the loss on him entirely. The entire Notre Dame team didn’t show up plus they were playing Alabama, who has won three of the last four National Championships. I didn’t think Notre Dame deserved to be in the title game in the first place and they showed exactly why, and thankfully the NCAA has taken measures to start up a playoff system in 2014.

After a great statistical season and finishing second in the Heisman race, Te’o seemed to have high stock in the draft. But after a very strange scandal dealing with his fake girlfriend and him getting catfished, Te’o has seen his likeability and credibility drop. He went from being one of the most loved players in America to being one of the most hated in a matter of mere moments and I feel for the kid. I’m not going to say that I know what happened but I believe he was victim of a terrible prank that went terribly wrong. Being said, I don’t think that Te’o and his football career should take a hit just because he was a little too trusting and let his stupidity get in the way of his emotions. He still is a good football player and his off-the-field issue should be looked at as second rate to his actual skills. The Bengals drafted middle linebacker Rey Maualuga in 2009 out of USC in hopes of him being their linebacker for the future. Maualuga has been decent but decent isn’t enough for the Bengals this year. Both Te’o and Maualuga had similar college careers statistically with Te’o edging Maualuga by a slight margin. The Bengals like the type of player Maualuga is and Te’o is a very similar type player to him, only better. Te’o would not only bring his skills to the Bengals but also his leadership. You don’t lead a team to a National Championship Game without some leadership qualities. Here is a look at the final colligate statistics for both players:

Manti Te’o:

437 total tackles

34.0 tackles for loss

8.5 Sacks

7 Interceptions

Rey Maualuga:

273 total tackles

22.5 tackles for loss

9.0 Sacks

5 Interceptions

1 Interception returns for TD

The Bengals should take a risk and select Manti Te’o with their 21^st overall pick in the upcoming draft, assuming he is available then. He would be a great addition to an already-good defense and I believe he is worth the risk. In the case that he didn’t pan out as a player in the NFL then at least the Bengals took a risk and selected him. The alternative is not good for them. What would happen if they miss out on him and the championship game and the odd scandal were minor bumps in his career and he turns out to be a great player. It’s a higher reward than risk for the Bengals who are used to taking chances. It may not be the “sexy” pick at this time but I believe in a few years if the Bengals were to take him, they wouldn’t regret it. For now all we can do is wait and see if Manti gets his name called in the draft and hopefully for the Bengals sake, they do it before some other team does.

What do you think? Is Manti Te’o even a first rounder in your mind? Give us your thoughts below.

The Big East looks to be the first truly dying conference, with Syracuse and Pittsburgh signing on the dotted line last week to join the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference).  Reports also have come out in the past few days that Connecticut and Rutgers will follow suit.  If this were to happen, it would transform the ACC into the first 16-team super-conference.  The Big East would then be left in shambles, and there is a good chance that TCU, who was slated to join the Big East next season, will be looking to back out of that obligation at some point in the near future.  Look for TCU to jump back to non-BCS league play by most likely joining either the Mountain West Conference or Conference USA.

What was the Pac 10 and now is the Pac 12, has been looking to become the Pac 16 by the end of the year.  Colorado and Utah joined the ranks this season from the Big 12 and the Mountain West Conference respectively.  Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech were looking to join the party and create a new Pac 16.  However, late last night Pac 12 commissioner Larry Scott announced that the Pac 12 would not be expanding any further at this point in time.  That doesn’t mean that the Pac 12 won’t explore the possibility at season’s end.  The reports are that Texas nixed any deal, given the fact that they refused to share any revenue created from their new “Longhorn Network” TV deal.

I believe the eventual destiny of the Pac 12 is to in fact add Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, and when this destiny is eventually fulfilled, the mass exodus from the Big 12 and the conference’s dissolving entirely will commence.  Given the idea that they could lose these four teams, Nebraska has already left the conference this season for the Big 10, and Texas A&M has already made a tentative deal to join the SEC next season, the Big 12 would then be left a rotting carcass. 

The Big 12 would then be left with five schools that would be searching for new homes:  Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Baylor, and Iowa State.  I believe the current 12-team Big 10 would then absorb Big 12 leftovers:  Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri and Iowa State to become the new Big 16, and Baylor will be left on the outside looking in.  It is reasonable to say that the only chance a school like Baylor would have to join the Big 10 is if Missouri joined the SEC (Southeastern Conference), which is also a rumor being floated. 

So where is this high-stakes game of musical chairs going to end up when the music stops?  If the end result is four 16-team super-conferences of and if my math is correct, that adds up to 64 teams.  There are currently 68 teams in the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision), 66 in the 6 “BCS” conferences, and independents Notre Dame and BYU.  So what four teams will be left out?  And what slots would be left if the 16-team ACC and Pac 16 would be created?  And will Notre Dame finally be forced to join a conference?

The SEC currently has 12 teams, divisions of East and West containing six each.  With Texas A&M most likely joining the West division next season, that leaves one more spot open in the West and two spots open in the East.  The obvious suitors for those three spots are:  Missouri from the Big 12, some other remaining Big 12 school (although there has been no formal or informal news the SEC is interested in any other Big 12 schools other than Texas A&M and possibly Missouri at this point), and Big East fall-outs West Virginia, South Florida, Louisville or Cincinnati. 

Even with the current news of the SEC possibly turning their noses up at West Virginia, I believe West Virginia joining the East division and Missouri or Cincinnati joining the West division are the best possible choices for the SEC to be able to expand its footprint.  The final spot in the East would then come down to a tug-of-war between:  a rising Cincinnati team (if Missouri takes the other spot in the West) that won back to back Big East titles in 2008 and 2009 and recieved automatic bids to BCS bowl games, a Louisville program that has underachieved vastly in the past five years, and a rising South Florida Program that has recently had multiple players selected in the early rounds of the NFL draft.  If I was a betting man (and I am) and had to pick them in order of possibility from most to least likely, I would bet on Cincinnati as the engine, South Florida as the passenger car, and Louisville as the kaboose. 

All of this being considered, four of these five programs could be left standing there when the music stops:  Notre Dame, BYU, South Florida, Louisville or Baylor. 

Notre Dame has the largest nation-wide fan base and a lucrative TV deal with NBC.  They have always been independent and I believe even with all this madness, they have no feasible reason to change anything. 

BYU also has a good national following, is enjoying its first season of independence, and worst case scenario could always re-join the Mountain West Conference, where they have flourished in years past. 

South Florida has overachieved in the past decade from where the program’s overall tradition of winning was in years past, but joining Conference USA or even the Sun Belt Conference would not destroy their program.  They would simply become a powerful non-BCS program like TCU or Boise State, who would benefit from a weaker schedule and could find their way into a BCS bowl if they go undefeated in a season.  This would be more than entirely possible given the distinct advantage of their talent versus the rest of that currently performing in Conference USA or the Sun Belt Conference.

Louisville would most likely join Conference USA, as even though it isn’t a BCS conference, it is closely comparable to the Big East talent-wise, as Conference USA has slowly become the best non-BCS conference right next to the Mountain West Conference, and the Big East has without a doubt become the worst BCS conference.  Louisville would be challenged by teams like Houston, East Carolina, Central Florida and Tulsa the same way they were by Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Rutgers. 

Baylor realistically would have the most options if they are left out of the super-conference shuffle, due to Baylor being a private school.  Baylor could go ‘Notre Dame’ and become a completely independent private school as far as football is concerned, or join either the Mountain West Conference or Conference USA.  Of those two conferences, the Mountain West would be more viable, due to less travel distance on a week to week basis because of Baylor’s proximity to the other teams in the conference.

Recent BCS championship contenders TCU and Boise State would also be left out, but if TCU joined the MWC with Baylor, they both would be a good challenge for Boise State in that conference, as the conference would then have 3 schools perpetually in the top 50, something it has never been able to boast.

The bottom line of all these possible scenarios falls back on one key fact  – a permanent landscape that will rule for decades to come most likely won’t be set for at least another two or three seasons.  A high-risk game of chicken (is there any other kind?) will be played over the next few years by conference commissioners that will have to dawn the power-broker hat, as these executives will without a doubt earn their salary and then some.  But once the paint dries on the new conference monstrosities, I believe the most salient advance for the game itself that will result from this re-structure will be the ever-closer advancing towards a playoff system to decide a champion – something the vast majority of college football fans have insatiably craved for decades. 

Four super-conference champions playing out a football final four in pursuit of the crystal ball would be beyond compelling.  And with all the hectic changes that are taking place and will continue to in the near future, it is, by the day, becoming all that much more safe to say that you can’t rule out any possibility. 

13 of 16 picks correct on day one.  I’m pretty stoked about that.  Hopefully tomorrow will be just as fortunate.  O, UCLA won.  Sometimes you have to win dirty in a tournament format.  Quit complaining.  Be happy about the Bruins advancing!  – ADS

Thurs. 3/17 8:32

UCLA makes me freaking crazy sometimes. I would press them ALL GAME if I was the other team. They do so many things that good teams don’t usually do – miss free throws, give up open shots when they shouldn’t, have bad body language and questionable ball handling, etc… As a fan, that’s the kind of crap that makes me crazy.  OM

Thurs. 3/17 8:20

Loco- it will be OK. UCLA is a good defensive team. Bruins look so good at times and at times, especially against the press, they look like they don’t have a plan- especially Nelson. He’s my favorite Bruin I think but he doesn’t need to be handling the ball on the press… If Honeycutt stays and Smith stays, then the Bruins might be Top-10 next season. The good thing about UCLA’s future is that they’re all pretty talented, but not uber-talented enough to go to the show next year. Bruins in 2012. OM

Thurs. 3/17 8:10

Steve Lavin! If a team is outrunning and outgunning you, the last thing a team should do is try and run faster. Slow this game down! St. John’s could be another final four pick of mine who loses today.–Loco

Thurs. 3/17 8:08

Without a doubt Michigan St. is the most underachieving team in recent years. Kalin Lucas can go play in Iceland for all I care. My bracket is donzo. Put me in heels. –Loco

Thurs. 3/17 4:58

Wofford missing a lot of easy shots early. Will hurt them later. Count on it.

Thurs. 3/17 4:57

Key to the Bruins/Michigan State will be turnovers and rebounding. How many shots can UCLA knock down from the outside and how many transition buckets do they give up/ get.

If Nelson, Smith, and Lee get going, then the Bruins will be a tough out. If they are all playing bad, UCLA will struggle to stay in games. For my bracket’s sake, here’s hoping they play well. OM

Thurs. 3/17 4:55pm

OK something’s really bugging me so far today. During every game I watch, they’re calling this the SECOND round and saying that teams are advancing to the THIRD round with wins today. This really sets me off. It is the FIRST ROUND. The past two days, while part of the tournament, are not the first round. The first round stated today, and OH BOY what fun it’s been so far. Morehead State’s win was HUGE… Probably the shot of the first day… OM

Thursday, 3/17 – 4:30pm

Through the barrage of the first 8 games, I have picked 7 of the 8 correct, including 2 of my 3 major first round upsets.  Now Belmont needs to take out Wisky.  I consider a major upset a 12 beating a 5 or worse.  Morehead State and Richmond are moving on, and the winner of that matchup will take on Kansas in the Sweet 16.  This was considered in my bracket when I chose Kansas as the national champion.  The fact that they will face a team of Richmond or Morehead State’s caliber in the Sweet 16 means they basically won’t be challenged or won’t have to give a true 110% effort until the elite 8.  This gives them an advantage in that elite 8 game and in the Final Four.  My prediction is taking flight.  So far, so good.  – ADS

Thurs. 3/17 2:50

Doug Gottlieb=Frodo Baggins.–Loco

Thurs. 3/17 2:48

Memories of the little man Princeton beating the big boy popped. Close but not close enough. No consolation bracket in March. Calipari and co. survived a serious scare, 59-57. –Loco

Thur. 3/17 12:55 PM

There goes my bracket. I had L-Ville losing by four in the tournament championship game to Ohio st. Rick Pitino are you serious? I am all for cross dressing yall’, but can I shave my legs first? Damn it.–Loco

Thur. 3/17 12:37 PM

Quick informal poll for those of you with a smart phone: What is more entertaining – Angry Birds or the first day of the tournament? Keep in mind the “staying power” of Angry Birds…

Thur. 3/17 9:52 AM

I woke up really excited this morning. Today the real tournament starts. How long until someone pulls off a buzz-worthy upset or a play that turns the Internet upside down? UCLA’s not playing until tonight, so at least I won’t miss that. I picked them to beat Florida before I looked at where the game was. The Gators will have a home-court advantage in Tampa… Gotta stand by your picks though. Whose brackets are blown up already? — OM

Thur. 3/17 8:58 AM

One game you wont want to miss today? #2 San Diego st. vs. #15 Northern Colorado. San Diego st. is the most overrated high seed I have seen in recent years. Let me make myself very clear, ff they don’t lose today, they will lose in the 2nd round to Temple. Steve Fisher’s Aztecs like to get up the court and pressure teams with their hectic team defense. But Fisher’s team has faced only a couple of half-court squads during the season (BYU), and are 0-2 against them. Reigning Big Sky Conference champion Northern Colorado, is a slow tempo, low possession team, that can hit the three as good as anybody in the country. Look for Big Sky player of the year, Devon Beitzel to make a name for himself today.–Loco

Thur. 3/17 8:47 AM

Luck of the Irish? Does Mike Brey serve his two seeded Irish team green beer on the sidelines? I say yes. No luck needed today. Irish in a blowout. –Loco

Thur. 3/17 8:37 AM

Twenty three minutes and counting until the best playoff format in the world of sports tips off. Unfortunately we are beginning with a grind-it-out poor shooting affair in WV v Clemson. Bob Huggins is 23-18 all-time in the Madness. Better known for his brooding personality on the sidelines then he is a brilliant coach, Huggins has arguably does his greatest job this season.  Without their two leading scorers from last seasons final four squad, the Mountaineers won eleven games in the stacked Big East and come in as a five seed. Can you say overrated? Don’t think so. This is a low possession v high possession game. Usually in the March tournament, a low possession team wins out. WV 59, Clemson 55.–Loco

Thursday 3/17 12:20am

Couldn’t believe the selection committee selected UAB instead of Colorado when they did it, and the Blazers getting curb-stomped in the field of 4 by 18 only re-affirms it.  How can a team that beat Kansas State three times, and Texas not get a bid?  Ridiculous.  Anyways, visions of buckets about to dance in my head!  It’s almost like Christmas Eve!  Good night!  – ADS

Wed. 3/16 8:13 PM

I wonder, what if Brandon Davies had stayed celibate? If so, things would be different. BYU can Fredette going anywhere in the tournament. –Loco

Wed 3/16 8:04 pm

It looks like my ideas about the Pac-10 surprising the pundits might already be crumbling. VCU is fun to watch though. They look better than USC, but I also think USC might have a lot better chance to pull an upset on Friday. They sure could use Bryce Jones’ athleticism out there. Here’s a fun story about Jones’ high school team, Taft High School from Woodland Hills, CA:

When they came to a tournament in San Luis Obispo (Jones won the slam dunk contest and his team won the tournament), there were more adults on the bench than players. Really. It was like every player had their own personal handler. Timeouts were like Chamber of Commerce Mixers. And the fun didn’t stop there. Taft also brought their public address announcer to announce their lineup at the tournament. He was good, but it was awkward and hard to get excited knowing that he wasn’t introducing both teams. It was quite a spectacle.

When that is the world a young player “grows up” in, it’s no wonder that some adversity causes that player to break down and act in a dysfunctional way. That’s the chance a coach takes by recruiting players like Jones who are high risk and high reward. With VCU’s athleticism and length, I’m sure Kevin O’Neill wouldn’t mind another talented athlete to turn to. The way USC is turning the ball over though, having another freshman on the court (no matter how talented) probably wouldn’t help them much. OM

Wed. 3/16 7:35 pm

Yes, the tournament technically started on Tuesday night, but the brackets catch fire for real on Thursday. Follow us here for continuous updates and analysis from the Fansmanship.com crew.