Can Gonzaga be out-Gonzagaed?

Now that I'm no longer bustin' my hump for the man, I've got time to focus on the important things in life. For instance, I've been able to really dig into my NCAA tournament bracket.

I actually still bust my hump, but only part-time, so I've got a bracket in the pool with all the radio stations under the same ownership in DFW. You didn't ask, but let me show you my methodology.

First, as a Fightin' Cardinal, my allegiance lies with Ball State. Freshman year, they were an 11 seed against UCLA. Us young college punks all got together to watch the game.

"This game's a run-away! The upset is in the bag!" we all exclaimed at halftime when Ball State was up 26-22. "Why even play the rest of the game?!"

For some reason, they did play the second half, and UCLA wound up cruising to the victory. Ball State has not been back to the tournament since, so not once have they busted my bracket. If they had been in the tournament, I would have picked them to win, so I appreciate the Cardinals' discretion.

Next, I would usually pick Gonzaga to go deep into the tournament because they always seemed to upset someone. But now they've been to the final and are often a favorite, so Gonzaga can no longer fly under the radar.

I started with that: Gonzaga will beat Texas but then lose to BYU. BYU is a lower seed, so if you're feeling whimsical, you might say I expect Gonzaga to get Gonzagaed.

Here's where it gets complicated.

I liked the idea of two Texas teams invading Oklahoma City and squaring off for the opportunity to return to Texas for the Sweet 16 in Houston.

But Houston must make sure not to overlook Idaho and consider it an automatic win. It's not as though Idaho will start a potato at center (Although Hollywood could make us all feel good with a film where a potato comes out of nowhere to lead his team to the Final Four. As coach, Ed Harris or Paul Giamatti would provide the stern but encouraging guidance they once learned from their own high school coach, Gene Hackman).

I continued thinking critically in the East Region.

By "thinking critically," I mean, "I texted two high school classmates who went to Ohio State and asked what they thought."

I knew TCU had a late winning streak leading to chatter they might be stronger coming in. But I also live in Fort Worth, so I felt the chatter might be borderline biased.

One of the Ohio State associates wrote, "I don't think (Ohio State) will do well. Not a great feeling from me overall."

Another wrote, "TCU players won't even run down court because they're afraid of breaking their monocles (I added that link)." I have several friends here who went to TCU and are lovely people, so maybe this summer, I could lead a barnstorming tour for TCU grads to visit schools in the Midwest and break the ice with some Texas brew.

I spent some time thinking about the Ohio State/TCU game, but the second round was match-up easy. Duke must always lose for we here at the Scaia Betting Consorium still cannot abide Christan Laettner.

Arizona will win the whole thing because the dry weather in Phoenix is good for their sinuses.

As you can see from these tips, it's important to get the emotion out of your bracket, and hopefully, this guidance can help you on your own journey. I finished 42nd in the company pool last year, so I've got a real handle on this.