Bracket Buster
Posted March 11, 2007, 10:17 PM ET

It's that time of the year. Everybody and their brother is filling out their illegal office pool brackets, and everybody has an "inside tip" and hunch that will lead them to their office pool title. I'm betting on the secretary that doesn't know the difference between Southern Illinois and Southern Cal.

Don't you love it?

Personally, I thought the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee got it right - at least with the four #1 seeds. How could you argue against Florida, Ohio State, Kansas and North Carolina? They should be the top seeds. But, forget about seedings; let's talk about the four teams that are going to win four games and get to the Final Four in Atlanta.

Everybody loves to talk about who has the "toughest road"....what a joke. This college basketball season has proven that there is no dominant team, and that means it is anybody's guess as to which team will get hot, get the breaks, and the favorable matchups. So, let's get to it....

In the Midwest, the Florida Gators are the defending champs and the #1 seed. We haven't seen a team win back-to-back titles since Duke pulled it off in 1992. The Gators have a great chance to pull it off, and they are getting hot at the right time, as they proved by cruising to another SEC Tournament title.

Wisconsin is the #2 seed; they are without their big man in the middle, and they are hard-pressed to score 50 points against anybody. Oregon is a legitimate threat as the 3-seed, and Maryland limps in as the four seed after being upended by Miami in the ACC Tourney. The Terps get Davidson in the first round, and Bob McKillop's team will be ready for Gary Williams' pressing style. I don't believe that there is a sleeper outside of the top four seeds in the Midwest.....So, I'm picking Florida over Oregon in St.Louis, as the Gators make it to Atlanta. They should have a good feel for the Georgia Dome, too...they just cut down the nets, during the SEC Tourney.

In the West, Kansas is the #1 seed. The Jayhawks rallied from 22 down to knock off Texas in overtime in the Big XII title game. Bill Self has done a nice job with this team, but the Midwest bracket is loaded with dangerous teams. That includes the #2 seeded UCLA Bruins. Ben Howland's squad laid an egg in the Pac-10, but the loss might be a blessing for his team. The Bruins will open in Sacramento, and if they advance, they play in San Jose.

The Pitt Panthers are rough and tough as the 3-seed, and Southern Illinois should be thrilled with a four seed in the West. There are great matchups in this regional....Kentucky-Villanova is a terrific 8/9 matchup, and Duke finds itself as the 6-seed. The Blue Devils open up with Virginia Commonwealth. I think that we'll see more of Coach K on TV commercials during the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 than we will see of him and his team in the Big Dance.

My pick out west is UCLA. I love the way they play defensively and I love their athleticism - plus, I don't trust Bill Self and the Jayhawks in March.

In the South, Ohio State, the champs of the Big Ten are the number one seed. The Buckeyes earned it by beating up an offensively-inept Wisconsin team, and the rest of the lousy teams in their league. But don't let that fool you; these Buckeyes can play and they are a legitimate threat to win it all.

Memphis is the #2 seed, and I still don't believe anybody from CUSA can win it all under any circumstances. John Calipari is a great coach, but they play nobody. To be honest with you, I was surprised that they finished up on the 2-line of the Big Dance.

In my opinion, the biggest threat of the region resides in College Station, Texas. The A&M Aggies play suffocating defense and they were certainly tested in the Big XII. The key is a potential second round game against Rick Pitino and Louisville in Lexington, Kentucky. I sense that there will be plenty of Kentucky fans in the stands that will go just to root against their arch rival and former coach. If the Aggies win two, the regional final is in San Antonio.

When I look throughout the rest of the region, I just don't see a team that can win four straight. Virginia has an incredible backcourt, but are the Cavs a legitimate 4-seed? Tennessee is the 5-seed; they've been great at home, but average everywhere else... and I mentioned Louisville earlier.

My pick in the South is Texas A&M to get by Ohio State in the heart of Texas.

In the East, North Carolina is the #1 seed. The Heels were pushed by Sidney Lowe and the Wolfpack in the ACC Finals, but for the most part, they had their way in the Gulf Coast Conference.

But, don't kid yourself; the East is truly a beast....Georgetown is the #2 seed and playing their best ball of the season. Washington State is a dangerous 3-seed and Rick Barnes' Texas Longhorns are the four-seed. That's nasty.

Tyler Hansbrough needs to ditch the mask...he was certainly bothered by it in Tampa, but the Heels should get some relief by playing their first two games in Winston-Salem. The Triad will also get a chance to see the Hoyas, Marquette, Michigan State, BC and Bobby Knight.....not bad. Consider yourself lucky if you have a ticket.

But, back to the bracket....this looks like a collision course between two heavyweights in East Rutherford, NJ. I'm picking the Georgetown Hoyas to knock off UNC in a physical East final. The Hoyas' backcourt and perimeter shooting can cause problems; plus, they can match up inside with the Heels, too. If Ty Lawson and the Heels' backcourt can withstand the pressure, the Heels get it done...but something tells me that UNC falls short. I have a hard time leaning on a freshman point guard in crunch time.

But here's some good news for UNC....No conference member made it to the Final Four last season, and the last time the ACC went back-to-back years without a Final Four representative was 1980.

So, there are my Final Four picks....Florida, UCLA, Texas A&M and Georgetown. I've got one #1 seed, 2 #2 seeds and a #3 seed in the Final Four. But to be honest with you, if you want some real insight into which teams will make it to Atlanta, sneak a peak at your secretary's bracket. This could be the most unpredictable March Madness of all time.