Monday, March 1, 2010

Bracket Watch - And they want to expand the field to 96?

And now here's a reminder about leaving your telly on ESPN. Leave your telly on ESPN.

Seriously, it appears that nobody wants to make the field of 65 this year(I said this last year too). And yet some people still want to expand to 96 so that their favorite BCS 6 team makes it in(and Northwestern will still miss out). But this year, I could make the case for eliminating the Opening Round game. I can count 27 at-large teams in the newest projection that I could pick without having to throw up. But let's just say that I didn't throw up while making out the newest brackets.

Final Four pairings
Midwest(1) vs. West(4)
South(2) vs. East(3)

Midwest region

@ Oklahoma City
1-Kansas(Big 12) vs. 16-Quinnipiac(Northeast)
8-Texas-El Paso(Conference USA) vs. 9-Nevada-Las Vegas
@ San Jose
4-Butler(Horizon) vs. 13-Kent State(Mid-American)
5-Maryland vs. 12-Connecticut
@ Providence
2-Villanova vs. 15-Coastal Carolina(Big South)
7-Baylor vs. 10-Florida
@ Milwaukee
3-Michigan State vs. 14-Sam Houston State(Southland)
6-Xavier(Atlantic 10) vs. 11-St. Mary's

West region

@ Jacksonville
1-Duke(Atlantic Coast) vs. 16-Lipscomb(Atlantic Sun)
8-Texas vs. 9-Uab
@ Spokane
4-Wisconsin vs. 13-Murray State(Ohio Valley)
5-Temple vs. 12-Notre Dame
@ Oklahoma City
2-Kansas State vs. 15-UC Santa Barbara(Big West)
7-Clemson vs. 10-Louisville
@ San Jose
3-New Mexico(Mountain West) vs. 14-Weber State(Big Sky)
6-Vanderbilt vs. 11-Utah State(Western Athletic)

South region

@ Buffalo
1-Syracuse(Big East) vs. 16-Opening Round winner
Opening Round: Lehigh(Patriot) vs. Jackson State(Southwestern)
8-Northern Iowa(Missouri Valley) vs. 9-Georgia Tech
@ Spokane
4-Gonzaga(West Coast) vs. 13-San Diego State
5-Texas A&M vs. 12-Mississippi State
@ Buffalo
2-Ohio State(Big Ten) vs. 15-Morgan State(Mid-Eastern)
7-Wake Forest vs. 10-Marquette
@ Jacksonville
3-Tennessee vs. 14-Wofford(Southern)
6-Georgetown vs. 11-Cornell(Ivy)

East region

@ New Orleans
1-Kentucky(Southeastern) vs. 16-Stony Brook(America East)
8-Missouri vs. 9-California(Pacific-10)
4-Pittsburgh vs. 13-Siena(Metro Atlantic)
5-Brigham Young vs. 12-Illinois
@ Milwaukee
2-Purdue vs. 15-Troy(Sun Belt)
7-Oklahoma State vs. 10-Florida State
@ Providence
3-West Virginia vs. 14-Oakland(Summit)
6-Richmond vs. 11-Old Dominion(Colonial)

Procedural moves: Clemson(up 1), Cornell(up 1), Connecticut(down 1), Missouri(down 1)
New to the field: Lipscomb, Notre Dame, Quinnipiac, San Diego State, Troy
Out of the field: Jacksonville, North Texas, Rhode Island, Robert Morris, Virginia Tech

Last four in the field: Mississippi State, Illinois, Notre Dame, San Diego State
First four left out: Virginia Tech, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Dayton
Next four left out: Washington, Memphis, Arizona State, Wichita State
Also on board: Miami(FL), Cincinnati, Saint Louis, New Mexico State, South Florida, Mississippi, Texas Tech

Now if you want to complain about expansion, here's the address to complain to:
The Royal Frog Trampling Institiute
16 Rayners Lane
London, W.C. Fields

I'll just repeat that:
Tristam and Isolde Philips
7.30 Covent Garden
Saturday(near Sunday)
and afterwards at the Inigo Jones Fish Emporium

6 comments:

  1. Howard,
    Would Illinois fall out of the bracket with an 0-2 week?

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  2. Is the committee going to reward Virginia Tech for beating up cream puffs in OOC and playing the weak teams in the ACC twice? Virginia Tech's OOC schedule is a complete joke!

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  3. How do you justify having a team #12 in RPI and #12 in the Sagarin ratings as a 7 seed??? If the name preceding those numbers was any Big East/ACC team and not Baylor, i'm sure you would be arguing they are deserving of 2 seed.

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  4. Vandy as a 6 seed?

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  5. Vandy as a 6? Tennessee as a 3? What are you basing this off of? Must be something interesting considering you are 2-3 seeds off compared to nearly every other bracket on the matrix.

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  6. I would like to hear your explanation on VU as a 6th seed as well - I really don't get that one.

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