Are things finally starting to clear up for bracketology?
Just a week ago, I mentioned that the bracket was about as messy as it had been all season—a confusing bubble, hard-to-separate seeds all over the place, even some one-bid conference projected winners blurring the at-large cut line…
But things tend to sort themselves out time. Seven days later, the bracket picture is already looking a lot clearer. The controversy for who should be the #1 overall team has quickly been settled. The scene at the bubble, while still tricky to sort out correctly, looks clearer now.
I like to think that we’re officially in the “downhill slide” now that each team is halfway over with conference play. Everybody is two-thirds of the way done with their schedule, so a reasonable amount of data has been collected to establish which teams are truly in the at-large conversation—the ones we’ll need to keep our eye on as they finish the last third of their season.
Of course, we’ll get the most clarity for our bracket picture in mid-to-late February after the Super Bowl when the selection committee previews its top 16 teams. That day can’t come soon enough…
For now, enjoy a confidently put-together bracket with your Monday morning for Jan. 30—and ask questions if you have them or reach out on errors if you see them!
THE BRACKET
THE TRUE SEED LIST, BUBBLE, AND BIDS BY CONFERENCE
BAUERTOLOGY 