Let’s take a tour of the mock bracket crowd as Championship Sunday arrives:
BaselineStats has Utah State, UNLV Minnesota and Virginia Tech are the last four in. Florida, Illinois Mississippi and Seton Hall as the last four out.
Bracketology 101 doesnt have an updated bracket, but thinks the Gophers are in regardless and that Illinois, Florida and Virginia Tech are agruing over 1 spot between them
Joey Brackets says that New Mexico State’s upset of Utah State last night forces Mississipi State out of the field. For now. He says there are two spots for seven teams with Virginia Tech and Minnesota holding the cards now. On Gameday, he just said if both Minnesota and Mississippi State win today, the final at large bid will come down to a debate between Utah State and Virginia Tech. Interesting. I say just play it off on Tuesday. That’s the kind of bracket expansion I’d be down with, yo!
The Bracket Project’s last four at large bids have gone to, from first to worst, Florida, Virginia Tech, Rhode Island and Illinois? But, it doesnt reflect yesterday. Where does Utah State now factor in? What about the Bulldogs and Gophers? He could have a totally different final four when his final bracket is posted after the Big 10 Tournament than he did 24 hours during his last update. It’s been a soft bubble, but one of the more exciting and topsy-turvy final 72 hours in the long time. Good stuff.
Bracketography has the Gophers safely in the field. Mississipi State, Florida and Virginia Tech all out of the field. He says the real bubble is a debate over four bids between seven teams: Utep, Wake, Illinois, Georgia Tech, Florida, Mississippi State and Virginia Tech. If he were running the selection, I would not want to be Georgia Tech if they get woodshedded and MSU wins today. Utep is also his last team in. By far the most differing opinion I’ve seen out there on the pecking order.
Bracketology65 says a Mississippi State win today becomes an even SEC swap with Florida getting kicked to the NIT. Minnesota and Utah State are in his field. Illinois and Virginia Tech are not.
Bracketville has invited Wake, Utep, Utah State, Minnesota and Florida into his neighborhood as the final five teams in. Only voices in the selection room that demand more quality wins will help Illinois.
Personally, I think both Illinois and Minnesota will make it. They deserve it. They have better resumes than most of the teams hovering on the final cutline. Just E-pinion. Want more E-pinion? Here are my picks for today.
Georgia Tech +9 over Duke, 1 Unit………Betting against Duke never goes well for me. But, we’ll give it a stab here. I think with Favors and Ganal, the Jackets pose problems for Duke. I think this ends up a pretty entertaining game, within single digits.
Richmond +4 over Temple, 1 Unit……I am looking forward to this game. I dont have CBS College, so I havent seen too many A10 games. I do get a loot of Xavier coverage, and I thought they were the best team in the league. So, I’m taking the team, with the points, that beat them yesterday. More than anything, I look forward to see two of the better teams in the land that I really havent seen much of this season.
Minnesota +4 over Ohio State, 1 Unit…..why get off the underdogs in this tournament at this point? First half, second half, whole game, if you’ve been betting the puppies during the Big 10 sectional, you’ve been making money. We’ll ride again today.
Illinois has a lot of top 50 wins, but is a combined 6-11 against the top 100 and has three sub-100 losses. Compare that to Utah St., which is 2-1 vs. Top 50, 10-5 vs. top 100, and has two sub-100 losses … and, well, it's still pretty close since some of Illinois's wins are massive road and OOC wins. Plus if this year's Committee is putting any stock in the "eye test"–which they should never, ever do, but whatever–taking Ohio St. to double overtime is a lot more impressive than losing by six to NMSU.
Still: I'd take USU. And Florida, who has three more total top-100 wins and only one bad loss. But it's sooo close. About to work up my own brackets, and I can tell you the last handful of resumes haven't been this hard to parse … well, as long as I've been doing this, anyway.
Illinois has a lot of top 50 wins, but is a combined 6-11 against the top 100 and has three sub-100 losses. Compare that to Utah St., which is 2-1 vs. Top 50, 10-5 vs. top 100, and has two sub-100 losses … and, well, it's still pretty close since some of Illinois's wins are massive road and OOC wins. Plus if this year's Committee is putting any stock in the "eye test"–which they should never, ever do, but whatever–taking Ohio St. to double overtime is a lot more impressive than losing by six to NMSU.
Still: I'd take USU. And Florida, who has three more total top-100 wins and only one bad loss. But it's sooo close. About to work up my own brackets, and I can tell you the last handful of resumes haven't been this hard to parse … well, as long as I've been doing this, anyway.
I'm just curious, JamieMac and those of you who bet regularly, where do you go to do so? I'm interested, but a little paranoid about doing it online since they require you to send a good amt. of personal info.
Thanks!
I'm just curious, JamieMac and those of you who bet regularly, where do you go to do so? I'm interested, but a little paranoid about doing it online since they require you to send a good amt. of personal info.
Thanks!
[...] Bubble News: Last Tour Around The Matrix (With Pick$)He could have a totally different final four when his final bracket is posted after the Big 10 Tournament than he did 24 hours during his last update. It’s been a soft bubble, but… [...]
[...] Bubble News: Last Tour Around The Matrix (With Pick$)He could have a totally different final four when his final bracket is posted after the Big 10 Tournament than he did 24 hours during his last update. It’s been a soft bubble, but… [...]