Bracketeering

This year for March Madness, instead of filling out 10 different brackets on 15 different sites, I'm only going to fill out two brackets on 15 different sites. I feel like the problem that I've had in the past is that because I'm able to fill out so many different brackets, I'm not as focused as I should be. Instead of drilling down to who I think is going to win, I try to cover every possibility, and this is why I haven't won in recent years. At least that is what I'm telling myself.

Of course, there's almost no way to accurately predict what's going to happen, which is why you have to root against other people to make horrible picks. So I hope everyone's bracket goes to hell! Sorry.

Here are my quick and dirty picks.

First Round Upsets
#12 Temple over #5 Michigan State (South)
#11 Baylor over #6 Perdue (West)
#10 Davidson over #7 Gonzaga (Midwest)
#10 St. Mary's over #7 Miami (South)

Sweet Sixteen
North Carolina, Notre Dame, Louisville, Tennessee, Kansas, Clemson, Wisconsin, Davidson, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Texas, UCLA, Connecticut, Xavier, West Virginia

Elite 8
North Carolina, Tennessee, Kansas, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, Texas, UCLA, Xavier

Final Four
North Carolina, Kansas, Texas, UCLA

NCAA Championship
Kansas vs. UCLA

National Champion
Kansas

I feel good about my bracket, even though I went chalk by picking three #1s and a #2 to make the final four, and I'm picking a 33-1 team (Memphis) to go down in the Sweet 16 against Pittsburgh. I'm even holding out the tinest bit of hope that I'll somehow be able to pull off the ever elusive perfect bracket (1 in 7.2 trillion odds according to Vegas Watch).

Of course, by Thursday afternoon my bracket will be busted. By Saturday, my bracket will be shot to hell. And by Monday morning, my bracket will be soaked due to my non-stop crying on Sunday evening.

I'm excited. March Madness is always fun.