There’s a reason they call it March Madness.
Before the first round of 64 had even finished, no perfect brackets remained.
No. 12 ranked Yale upset No. 5 Baylor. No. 11 Wichita State upset No. 6 Arizona. No. 12 Little Rock upset No. 5 Purdue.
Twenty percent of the brackets had No. 2 Michigan State going all the way, but No. 15 Middle Tennessee had other plans.
No. 14 Stephen F. Austin upset No. 3 West Virginia, another team many had in their Final Fours. No. 13 Hawaii upset No. 4 California.
For the first time in NCAA tournament history, a 13th, 14th and 15th seed all scored upsets on the same day.
That’s the madness. The mad in madness though, comes from the combined feeling of self-loathing, disbelief and despair as a bracket that was seemingly so masterfully sculpted, carefully designed and logically created falls apart in your hands.
These upsets upon upsets have left the masses wondering, would I do better relying on luck and pure chance than stats and numbers?
Year after year, the madness of March defies all statistics, calculations and rational thinking. So why waste your time with logic and reasoning? Why not beat the bracket at its own game and resort to the luck of the Irish and random chance?
If you were a poor predictor of this year’s games or you are desperate for a long-awaited win in your pool, then maybe try your luck with one of these nine alternate tactics next year...
1. The Classic Coin Flip
Forget “Bracketology,” and try putting the matchups to a 50/50 chance. Then each game will be a true toss-up. Let physics and the Founding Fathers determine the outcome.
2. The School-Color Showdown
Maybe follow your wild side and choose the team with the rarer color, like purple or orange. Or, if you’re a fan of the classic stars and stripes, stick to the conventional blues and reds.
You could also just choose the most aesthetically pleasing combo of jersey colors.
The bright array of green and yellow is too much on that Oregon fellow? Then maybe Duke’s classic white and blue is more pleasing to you. The possibilities are endless when you rely on the color wheel.
3. The Mascot Matchup
This well-known method and personal favorite begs the question, ”Which mascot would win in a fight?”
Some are pretty black and white. Syracuse Orange or a Gonzaga Bulldog? Clearly Zags advance. A Villanova Wildcat or a Miami Hurricane? Sorry Nova, the forces of nature prevail.
But there’s gray area, for instance, when considering Texas A&M and Oklahoma. An Aggie and a Sooner? Who really knows?
4. The Cuter Coach/Players/Cheerleaders Contest
Perhaps the least scientific of all, just choose the most attractive team.
Sure the team may be your rival or your enemy’s alma mater, but if their point guard is dreamy and desirable, then they’ll advance hands down.
You want to keep that boy on your big screen as long as possible. Follow the same advice for that cute coach or charming group of cheerleaders.
5. The Geography Game
Home court advantage? Doesn’t exist! But more rowdy fans in attendance and more home crowd support? Definitely. With this approach, pick the team whose school is closest to the venue.
6. The Top Vacation Destination
Hawaii and Miami would definitely benefit here. But, if the nation followed this method, Kansas would certainly not have a quarter of the votes for National Champions.
7. The Brainiac Bracket
The schools’ team is obviously talented, but do they have the brains to go with it? Consider using the U.S. News and World Reports or other official academic rankings. Carrying the Yales, Notre Dames, Dukes alike may work to your advantage, seeing as this year’s Sweet Sixteen sports five universities in the national top-30 smart slots.
8. The Legacy Logic
Wisdom comes with age. Rely on that experience and choose the older coach in each matchup. Syracuse’s head coach Tom Boeheim would undoubtedly appreciate that tactic.
9. The David and Goliath
Often referred to as the “all-underdog” approach, choose the team with the lower seed to win each matchup.
Classics like Hoosiers, Miracle, Glory Road and Remember the Titans taught you to believe in the smaller, “weaker” and unexpected teams with the biggest hearts.
Though a strong emotional choice, this approach has a few drawbacks. Since 1985, only 16 percent of teams in the Final Four were originally seeded outside the top four.
Despite unappealing odds, you will be going all in, staying true to the believer in you. You are likely picking up some victories when double-digit seeds like Middle Tennessee, Steven F. Austin and Northern Iowa pull off crazy upsets, as they did this year. Maybe next year, follow your heart instead of your head!
Because these approaches lack rationale, hopefully you’ll feel less self-loathing, anger or heartbreak when the Madness strikes again next year.
As you stare at the few remaining shreds of your bracket, consider this: The odds of a perfect bracket are one in 9.2 quintillion, and you would be more likely to win repeat Mega Millions lotteries. So don’t despair!
It ain’t over ‘til it’s over, and your bracket could make a historic comeback in this Sweet Sixteen.
So better luck next year, and remember, the odds will never be in your favor. But until then, embrace the Madness!
