Who are you rooting for in Sweet 16?
Who are you rooting for to win in the Sweet Sixteen?
For some of you, the question is, who do you hate the most, so you are rooting for one team to lose (more than for the other team to win.)
I am a Big 10 homer. The better the Big 10 does, the better for recruiting across the conference, including Michigan. What this means right now is that I want all four Big 10 teams to win in the next round.
If that happens, then I want Wisconsin to beat Ohio (State) in the Elite Eight.
Speaking of Ohio, (OU Bobcats,) I want them to go as far as possible. This makes our loss to Ohio slightly less painful.
If Ohio and Michigan State make it to the Final Four, I would then want Ohio to win.
I don't like Kentucky, but right now, I don't know who is going to beat them. I guess Indiana did it once, so it is possible again.
March 19th, 2012 at 11:15 AM ^
Ohio U (my Alma Mater, sorry), and Cincinnati for obvious reasons, but I also went to school there for a year and worked at the Shoe while Huggins was coach. I think Gates will make Sullinger cry within the first 5 minutes and Dixon is playing really well. The local CBus ESPN affiliate is already making fun of UC.
March 19th, 2012 at 11:19 AM ^
Like to see the Big Ten do well overall, and if two Big Ten teams play, who cares who wins? I doubt that whether OSU or MSU or Wisconsin or Indiana win or lose has much of an effect on Michigan basketball. I root for Michigan, and I don't feel the need to root against our rivals at OSU or MSU or ND for that matter. Let them all spew their hate and venom about us, and let them remain fixated on Michigan like the TSIO Big Ten brethern in Columbus or the "we are as good as Michigan" geniuses in East Lansing or the "we are God's gift to the sports world" alumni at South Bend.
March 19th, 2012 at 11:26 AM ^
I hear what you're saying about not rooting against our rivals, but I think your last sentence speaks volumes about what may be boiling just beneath the surface. Come to the Dark Side with me. I'm working on my book "Zen and the Art of Ohio Hating".
March 19th, 2012 at 11:54 PM ^
Lived in Ohio for 10 years, surrounded by obnoxious Buckeye fans (not all of them are, but plenty enough), and my daughter is now a student there. (At least I have a picture to show her friends of her in a Michigan cheerleaders uniform at age 5, and it is in state tuition....). All I hear about is how they root against Michigan, and what really drives them nuts is when I ignore TSIO and remind them that it is not my fault they could not get into Michigan!
March 19th, 2012 at 11:53 AM ^
Florida: and they won't make iti to the Final Four, because they are prone to really bad games, and aren't deep enough. Really, though, I'm not rooting all that hard. This is going to be one of those tournaments that I don't watch very much.
March 19th, 2012 at 11:59 AM ^
No one. I hope they all lose miserably.
But in all seriousness, I am a bit bitter since all 3 teams I bet on lost in the first week (Missouri, Michigan and my longshot Creighton). From this point forward, I'm strictly rooting for all underdogs to bust everyone's bracket because misery loves company. That being said, I guess I'm rooting for a Bobcats or NC State vs Xavier championship game.
March 19th, 2012 at 12:03 PM ^
I am going to continue watching the tournament when it gets to the Final Four and hopefully the Buckeyes and Spartans will have lose by then (or lose in the Final Four). As long as both of those teams are eliminated, that's all that matters at this point. I'm not "Root For Big Ten" guy. That's a bunch of crap. Why oh why should we want our two biggest rivals to win championships? That helps tremendously with recruiting on their end and hurts Michigan big time.
March 19th, 2012 at 12:49 PM ^
agreed, you have to root against MSU and OSU...but I am hoping the B1G does well outside of them.
March 19th, 2012 at 12:05 PM ^
Michigan State or Ohio State winning the NC, does not help Michigan in recruiting, IMO. Therefore, I hope Kentucky wins since I want money and thats who I picked.
March 19th, 2012 at 12:05 PM ^
No one! F that SH**, now that Michigan is out I am not paying attention anymore. I am waiting for Michigan Hockey NCAA.
March 19th, 2012 at 12:07 PM ^
March 19th, 2012 at 12:11 PM ^
they're*
March 19th, 2012 at 12:11 PM ^
EXCEPT for ohio (state). I hope the rest of the Big Ten teams just keep winning until they play each other and someone has to lose. But really, the thing I care about most at this juncture is that the buckeyes lose ASAP.
March 19th, 2012 at 12:19 PM ^
At this point, I think that if Ohio (state) goes further, but still loses, that is the most painful to them. If you can argue and explain that a loss immediately would be more painful, I'd go with that. I like the Big 10 to win, with the exception that I don't want Ohio (state) or Michigan State to win the championship. Other than that, I like underdogs to win.
In a perfect world, Ohio (University) would knock off UNC, KU, MSU, and then Kentucky or Ohio (state.) Now that would be a giant killer story for the ages.
March 19th, 2012 at 12:42 PM ^
The midwest champ will play the east champ in the Final Four. So if you're pulling for the Bobcats, they have to beat UNC, Kansas/NC State, then OSU/Syracuse/other before meeting Sparty/others in the Championship.
March 19th, 2012 at 12:21 PM ^
March 19th, 2012 at 12:34 PM ^
Marquette. My fiance's alma mater. Also Milwaukee is a kick-ass city.
I am now a big Golden Eagles* fan. I went *way* out on a limb and picked them to win it all. I like their upper-classmen leadership, and they're fun to watch. Go Golden Eagles*.
*Not Warriors. Not Warriors. Not Warriors.
March 19th, 2012 at 12:39 PM ^
UF grad student saying: "Come on, Gators! Get up and go!"
Just kidding, UF has some of the worst cheers and chants I've experienced. But I'd love to see campus go nuts.
Also, Baylor and NC State. No particular reason why though. My bracket is already in the toilet.
March 19th, 2012 at 12:39 PM ^
Louisville - I don't want MSU to get to another Final Four. We've already got 4 B1G conference teams in the Sweet 16. Our reputation is obviously deserved. Also rooting for Cincinnati. One of the only places in Ohio I like.
March 19th, 2012 at 12:41 PM ^
Wisky and Indy. And any teams playing OSU and MSU.
March 19th, 2012 at 12:44 PM ^
Whoever helps me win my pool at this point
March 19th, 2012 at 12:51 PM ^
the Bobcats, Wolfpack, Wisky, and Indiana. They actually now have a legitimate shot with Marshall going down. Being from Ohio and a Michigan fan its easy to root against TSIO but I always had an affinity for OU. I think it stinks that NC State is in the same regional, I also like them right now. They match up well with everyone cause of their size and defense. Wisky and Indiana would help the B1G show out by knocking off 1 seeds so of course.
March 19th, 2012 at 12:59 PM ^
Didn't basketball season end for everyone on Friday night? Are there still games going on?
Seriously, I haven't watched a minute of basketball since Friday night and have no idea who is still in the tourney. I haven't watched ESPN or gone to any sports sites (except for those in the Michigan blogosphere). I don't listen to sports radio and only catch a glimpse if they happen to show it on the local news or talk about it on the radio. At least Duke also lost...
I take it msu, osu, Kentucky, 'Cuse, Ohio, NCState, Wisco, and Indiana are still in. I'd much rather Wisco or IU win it all than msu or osu. Heck, GO WOLFPACK! (the only school amongst those I listed that I actually almost applied to)
That was my undergrad school. I'd gladly trade all the Kansas victories in the world for another shot at OU, though.
I would be rooting for my bracket to hold up if it wasn't already...problematic.
I have to believe almost no one out there picked brackets that had so many high seeds already out. I wonder what the payout would be for someone who picked the sweet 16 correctly.
If only because I sent $$$ to Madison for my daughter's education there.
My second team is UNC so I hope they win it all. I'm also rooting for Louisville and Cincy.
Marshall is having surgery on his wrist today. He's a huge part of UNC's game. My UNC friends are all predicting doom, not against NTO, necessarily, but for sure in the EE game.
Yeah I'm worried about that too. Marshall is probably the most important player to his team in the country.
Kentucky, MSU, OSU and NC. I was looking good till Purdue choked hard. However the only way the Final Four could get worse for me is if you threw Duke in there in place of NC. So if I'm wrong, it at least means pain for someone I normally wouldn't mind see going down.
only root for michigan.... since michigan is out... i unplugged my tv.
It'll be wiped off the books in a few years anyway. Basically, no one wins.
March 19th, 2012 at 10:01 PM ^
This one made me laugh inside.
My girlfriend is a UNC fan, and almost as seriously as I am a Michigan fan. My life becomes temporarily miserable if they lose, so I am hoping they win now. Secretly, I am kind of hoping OHIO pulls a cinderella, or just any one of the underdogs. My bracket is toasted anyway.
I'll also be rooting for the B1G for the most part. But I'd love it if the Muskies prove everyone wrong and upset Baylor. I believed in the team when we were 8-0 and #8 in the country (pre-brawl) and how they tanked a little mid-season. Go Muskies! (For extra incentive to root for X, our president has a PhD from Michigan.)
First, in the Tremendous bracket pool on Yahoo!, I am in 16th place, so I need fifteen people to have a terrible second weekend to climb back on top. I would have to overcome some 2.5 million people in the ESPN Challenge, and I will simply assume that it is too much to ask the "Team X Hating Gods" to do all that work.
If I am thinking with my wallet and the pools I paid to get into (both of which are holding up well because I made those the "Doomsday Scenario" brackets), however, then I am OK with either Kentucky or North Carolina winning, since I have them going to the Championship game in both of those brackets, and at least for the time being, they are both still alive.
At this point, it's more about salvaging a pittance from March Madness, even if it is just a few bucks.
Anybody but UNC. I will never forgive them for making Webber take that time out.
Bearcats and Wolverines were the two teams I have a rooting interest in...only 1 left, so Go Bearcats.
On a side note...I read a credible RUMOR earlier in the year that Trey Burke wanted to transfer to Cincy midseason...hopefully he sticks it out at Michigan. The future is bright at both Michigan and Cincinnati in basketball, and that transfer would hurt one of my teams so I hope Burke is 100% Blue now.
I mean, who doesn't like to see an underdog do well? I'd also like to see Ohio U go far just because that would mean we lost to one of the best teams in the country down the stretch
Michigan State and Cincinnati.
Xavier, the Gangstas are gonna zip em up!
March 19th, 2012 at 10:26 PM ^
Kansas. They're my champ and my bracket isn't totally shot yet.
March 19th, 2012 at 10:37 PM ^
I have a hard time not going for Izzo, more him than the school. Besides I took a flyer and I still have 7/8 Elite 8 teams !
March 19th, 2012 at 10:44 PM ^
Probably root for one of the two teams on the TV if I happen to catch a game. I'm not interested in basketball again until the NBA playoffs or final, if that.