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Posts Tagged ‘Temple Owls’

November 22nd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Temple Owls @ Miami (OH) Redhawks
Date: Tuesday, November 23rd, 7:00 ET
Location: Yager Stadium, Oxford, OH
Game Line: Temple -6.5
Over/Under OTB

The 7-4 Miami (OH) Redhawks still have a chance to win the MAC East and will look to keep their hopes alive when they host the 8-3 Temple Owls Tuesday night. If the Redhawks can get a win and an Ohio Bobcat loss, they will head to Detroit where they will face Northern Illinois in the MAC Title Game. Last week, the Redhawks scraped out a tough 19-14 win against 0-11 Akron after Zips WR Jeremy LaFrance fumbled inside the Redhawk 20 to preserve a win for Miami of Ohio. QB Austin Boucher started in place of the injured Zac Dysert and performed well in his first start, completing 22 of 32 passes for 213 yards in the win. RB Thomas Merriweather had a big game to assist Boucher, carrying the ball 17 times for 141 yards and a touchdown in the victory. Boucher will get the start against Temple, as Dysert's season very well could be over with, as he has a ruptured spleen. Temple’s MAC Title hopes were eradicated last Tuesday night after they suffered a 31-23 defeat at the hands of the Ohio Bobcats. QB Mike Gerardi looked flummoxed by the Ohio defense all night and his stat line (28-48 311 yards 2 TDs 2 INTs) is inflated due to two touchdowns scored in garbage time. Star RB Bernard Pierce was lost on the very first play of the game for the Owls, injuring his hamstring on a 67-yard run that was called back. In Pierce’s absence, RB Mike Brown was pretty much held in check, only rushing for 72 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.

Free College Football Picks: Temple -6.5
Prediction: Temple 27 Miami (OH) 16

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November 15th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Ohio Bobcats @ Temple Owls
Date: Tuesday, November 16th, 8:00 ET
Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
Game Line: Temple -7.5
Over/Under 44.5

The MAC East title is likely on the line Tuesday night when the 8-2 Temple Owls host the 7-3 Ohio Bobcats. HC Al Golden has brought respect back to a downtrodden program since becoming head coach at Temple. Last season, Temple went to its first bowl game in three decades and is poised to go to a bowl game for just the fourth time in their school’s history. 10 days ago, Temple cruised to a 28-10 win against Kent State thanks to QB Mike Gerardi’s performance. Gerardi started the season as the back-up to Chester Stewart but won the job with his performance against Bowling Green and has started the last three games. Against the Golden Flashes, Gerardi completed 21 of 29 passes for 368 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and was named MAC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. RB Bernard Pierce was somewhat contained on the ground though, carrying the ball 28 times for 84 yards and a touchdown. Two Thursdays ago, the Bobcats dominated Buffalo in all aspects of the game, almost doubling their yardage and doubling their score in a 34-17 win. QB Boo Jackson completed 13 of 19 passes for 175 yards with two touchdowns and an interception while also adding another 26 yards and a touchdown on the ground. WR Terrence McCrae had another nice day, catching four passes for 48 yards and two touchdowns. McCrae now has nine touchdown catches on just 26 receptions this year and is a huge threat anytime the Bobcats get in the red zone. The problem the Bobcats will have in this one is that Jackson is out of the lineup with an eye injury from a bar fight, and he probably will be out for the rest of the season. QB Philip Bates is going to be the man in charge, and he was the starting signal caller at the outset of the season. We still trust the 'Cats to cover, but the Owls will seize control of the conference.

Free College Football Picks: Ohio +7.5
Prediction: Temple 21 Ohio 17

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September 24th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Bowling Green Falcons (+25.5) @ Michigan Wolverines
Saturday, September 25th
12:00 ET, Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI

A week after the Wolverines really struggled with the Massachusetts Minutemen, they have to get right back at it against a relatively potent Bowling Green offense. We all know how good QB Denard Robinson is, and we aren't doubting that he is going to go off for 400+ yards of total offense and five scores in this one, as Bowling Green's defense is flat out terrible. However, the Falcons are a 3-0 ATS team this year for a reason. The oddsmakers still aren't giving them nearly enough respect. Yes, QB Tyler Sheehan and WR Freddie Barnes are both gone, but the combination of QB Aaron Pankratz and WR Kamar Jorden should be enough to beat this number. QB Matt Schilz is out of action in this one, but are we really going to miss a guy who has thrown for just two scores and four picks on the year? We think not. The Falcons will stick around in this game and improve to 8-0-1 ATS in their L/9 overall.

Prediction: Michigan 41 – Bowling Green 24
NC State Wolfpack (+8) @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Saturday, September 25th
12:00 ET, Bobby Dodd Stadium, Atlanta, GA

The Techsters need to be awfully careful in this game. The team with the best rush defense right now in the ACC has been NC State, and this is a team that really can do some damage this year. QB Russell Wilson just doesn't throw interceptions, and this year has been no exception to the rule that he started in his freshman season three years ago. If HC Tom O'Brien's defense can force just a couple turnovers and ground the triple option of Georgia Tech for just a few drives, Wilson and the offense have the skill to do some real damage here. Don't be so sure that the Ramblin' Wreck are rolling to 2-0 in conference play. This NC State team reminds us a lot of the team that O'Brien left a few years ago, as his first season away from Boston College was when the Eagles moved up as high as No. 2 in the land. A college football upset might be in the cards on Saturday.

Prediction: NC State 30 – Georgia Tech 27
Alabama Crimson Tide @ Arkansas Razorbacks (+7)
Saturday, September 25th
3:30 ET, Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, AR

Yesterday, we called for QB Ryan Mallett to lead the Hogs to an upset of the Crimson Tide, and for good reason. He is the only 1,000 yard passer in the nation coming into this week, and he is going to test the newly constructed Alabama defense for the first time all season. This isn't a freshman quarterback coming to Tuscaloosa under the lights like it was a few weeks ago for the Tide against the Penn State Nittany Lions, and though QB Sean Renfree is solid for the Duke Blue Devils, the Razorbacks are certainly several steps up from the ACC cellar dwellers. Alabama is the best team in the nation and we aren't taking anything away from it. However, HC Nick Saban knows that his team has one get out of jail free card under its belt this year, as even an 11-1 (or as the case may have it, 12-1) Crimson Tide team is probably heading to the BCS Championship. The duel with Florida next week might still be first and foremost in the Tide's minds, which could lead for the shocking upset that will shake the nation.

Prediction: Arkansas 35 – Alabama 31
Eastern Michigan Eagles (+44.5) @ Ohio State Buckeyes
Saturday, September 25th
3:30 ET, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH

We aren't exactly calling for an outright upset here, but we have plenty of reason to believe that the Eagles can stick around and at least make this final score look somewhat respectable on Saturday afternoon. First of all, the Buckeyes clearly have bigger fish to fry, as there are plenty of upcoming games against Big Ten foes that are going to be significantly more challenging than this. But the play of Eastern Michigan is improving week by week, and we think that it's only a matter of time until this dreaded losing streak that dates back to 2008 will go by the boards. QB Alex Gillett and RB Dwayne Priest are capable of putting a TD on the board against this defense in garbage time, and if that happens, it's going to take quite the effort from the standpoint of the Buckeyes to beat this hefty spread. We tend to think that OSU is going to leave EMU with a shred of confidence to back to Ypsilanti with.

Prediction: Ohio State 41 – Eastern Michigan 7
UCLA Bruins @ Texas Longhorns (-15.5)
Saturday, September 25th
3:30 ET, Royal Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX

Many are going to be on the bandwagon of HC Rick Neuheisel and company this weekend due to the fact that the Bruins are coming off of a big 31-13 upset of the Houston Cougars from last week. However, we know that without the services of QB Case Keenum (let alone his backup), Houston is nothing more than a mediocre team from a mediocre (at best) conference. This is a totally new challenge. Laying this many points with a Texas offense that has looked shaky in all three of its games is dangerous, but how on earth is UCLA scoring in this one? The Bruins have RB Johnathan Franklin, but the 'Horns have the top rushing 'D' in the land now two years running. Is QB Kevin Prince going to put points on the board? We don't think so. It's going to take a lot more than 45 percent completions to score on the men in burnt orange, and the end result here should be a whitewashing. If the Longhorns find even some sort of an offense, this NCAA football spread will never be in doubt.

Prediction: Texas 31 – UCLA 3
Stanford Cardinal @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+4.5)
Saturday, September 25th
3:30 ET, Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN

Bottom line: The wrong team is favored in this game. Without WR Ryan Whalen in the lineup, the Cardinal are going to be missing a key component in the passing game, and this is going to be the first time their defense is going to run up against a formidable opponent all season long. Irish eyes haven't been smiling on Notre Dame yet this year, but that could all change on Saturday. The Irish are a miserable team in front of their hometown crowd, going just 4-10 ATS in their L/14 overall there, but all of that is going to change on Saturday. The Golden Domers have covered three straight and seven out of nine in this series. Make it four straight and eight out of ten on Saturday with an easy outright upset that makes the oddsmakers cry about the line they set. This one might never be that close either and certainly doesn't qualify as a huge upset in our eyes.

Prediction: Notre Dame 37 – Stanford 20
Temple Owls (+14) @ Penn State Nittany Lions
Saturday, September 25th
3:30 ET, Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA

Last week, the Kent State Golden Flashes were three TD underdogs to the Nittany Lions and came up just short of the cover. Is Temple really only seven points better than Kent State? We tend to believe not. These two teams have a history against each other, and it isn't a good one for the Owls. PSU has absolutely owned them over the last two decades, and don't think for one second that this isn't going to be used as motivation in that Temple locker room. The Owls are solid this year and could legitimately be a Top 25 team by season's end. RB Bernard Pierce and QB Chester Stewart are as good as anything that the Nittany Lions are trotting out there right now. If the running game with RB Evan Royster can't get going, Penn State is going to be on major upset alert. We tend to think that the Nittany Lions are going to escape Happy Valley with another 'W', but this is going to be significantly closer than recent history suggests.

Prediction: Penn State 27 – Temple 21
Wake Forest Demon Deacons @ Florida State Seminoles (-19)
Saturday, September 25th
3:30 ET, Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL

Welcome to our beat down of the week! The Seminoles absolutely have the Demon Deacons outmatched this week, and it should show on the field. QB Christian Ponder has really yet to have a rock solid game this season, and that could change against a Wake Forest defense that has been absolutely mauled all season long. Is Florida State as good as Stanford was last week in a 68-24 win? Nah. But we don't need a 44 point beating. We just need a three TD beating. The Noles are coming off of their best defensive game in years, a 34-10 victory over the BYU Cougars. Keep in mind that the last two trips to Tallahassee for the Deacs have resulted in upset wins of 12-3 and 30-0. That's going to be all that HC Jimbo Fisher is talking about all week and all day leading up to that 3:30 kickoff. The heat will be too much for Wake Forest to take this time around, and as long as the garnet and gold show up with at least a few stops, the offense is going to be able to slam this defense time and time again. The cover won't be in doubt in the fourth quarter at any point.

Prediction: Florida State 51 – Wake Forest 20

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September 14th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor
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College Football Betting

Here at Cappersinfo.com, we are taking a weekly look at the teams that could be ones ripe to pull off some major upsets! Before making your college football picks this week, check out some of these potentially ugly underdogs.  This group of dogs could come up and bite you in the butt in you aren't careful in the third week of college football betting action!

Underdog Pick #1: Nevada Wolfpack (+120 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. California Golden Bears, Friday 10:00 ET: The second Friday night college football affair of this week is going to feature two very high powered offenses. The Wolfpack have a real chance to make a name for themselves and their screwy Pistol offense in the final year for QB Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick has the ability to run for 200 yards and throw for 300 yards in the same game, even against a bunch of Golden Bears that are coming out of the Pac-10. Nevada won't be playing a heck of a lot of defense in this one, but we have to remember that this is a team that is 26-12 in its L/38 home games. Needless to say, MacKay Field really screws up its opponents. Last year, HC Jeff Tedford's team was taken out by the Utah Utes in the Poinsettia Bowl. This year could be a significantly tougher challenge going on the road against a team that could be every bit as good, if not better. Nevada has the NCAA football trends on its side in this one and could pull the outright upset.

Underdog Pick #2: Arizona Wildcats (+110 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Iowa Hawkeyes, Saturday, 10:30 ET: The Hawkeyes did a fantastic job last year of getting off to a good start, and they ultimately nearly ended up winning the Big Ten for it. Last year, one of their signature wins came against these Wildcats, though the game was in Kinnick Stadium. Now, Iowa has to return the favor to Arizona, in what could be the biggest game in the HC Mike Stoops era. Remember last year when the Wildcats nearly trumped the Oregon Ducks at home in what could've sent them to the Rose Bowl? It is fairly clear that this is a team that isn't screwing around this year either. Winning by a combined score of 93-8 this season has been phenomenal for 'Zona, but this is going to be a significantly different challenge. QB Ricky Stanzi isn't easy to beat, as the Hawkeyes went undefeated last year when he finished a game he started. However, Arizona is definitely capable of pulling this upset and should be on your radar.

Underdog Pick #3: Tulsa Golden Hurricane (+250 at Diamond Sportsbook) @ Oklahoma State Cowboys, Saturday, 7:00 ET: Tulsa really could be a 2-0 team right now, and if not for the Hail Mary that connected for the East Carolina Pirates, the perception of this game would be totally different. The Golden Hurricane aren't afraid to go on the road and take it to some big boy opponents. QB GJ Kinne is one of two men in the country that have thrown for at least 350 yards in each of his first two games of the year. Oklahoma State might have wins over Troy and Washington State this year, but neither victory has us jumping for joy. The Trojans nearly pulled the upset here in Stillwater last week in a 41-38 defeat. The truth of the matter is that the Golden Hurricane are significantly better than the Trojans are, and if that holds true, the upset really could be in the cards. Either way, grabbing the seven points really isn't a bad idea for one of the best teams in Conference USA.

Underdog Pick #4: Temple Owls (+220 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Connecticut Huskies, Saturday, 12:00 ET: Though the Owls haven't looked great this season and the Huskies are coming off of one of the biggest wins in terms of margin of victory in school history, we tend to believe that this is going to be a fantastic home pup sitting there for the taking on Saturday afternoon. Temple has all the talent in the world to finish as a Top 25 team this year, and a win against a fellow Top 25 contender in UConn would be huge. The City of Brotherly Love is going to be beaming for this one, as there aren't many more chances for the Owls to impress like this. Temple found a way to beat the Central Michigan Chippewas last week, and they should be up for this challenge as well. If they can slow down RB Jordan Todman, even just a tad, they could be ripe for the pickings.

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September 8th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Temple Owls (-8) vs. Central Michigan Chippewas
Thursday, September 9th
7:00 ET, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA

The Owls were just able to squeak out a 31-24 win last week against a powerful FBS team in Villanova that came close to upsetting them for the second straight year. Temple was down late in the fourth, but K Brandon McManus hit his fourth field goal of the game to put HC Al Golden and the Owls ahead for good with just eight seconds left. QB Chester Stewart managed the game well for the Owls, completing 16 of 27 passes for 200 yards with a touchdown. In their first game without former all-everything QB Dan LeFevour, the Chippewas and new QB Ryan Radcliff cruised to a 33-0 win over lowly FBS Hampton. Radcliff headed a Chippewa offense that racked up 427 total yards of offense on the day and completed 20 of 34 passes for 242 yards and a touchdown while also running for a score. RB Paris Cotton also impressed with 94 yards rushing and a TD on 18 carries. Some love should also be given to the CMU defense for holding Hampton to a paltry 129 total yards of offense on the day.

Prediction: Temple 28 – Central Michigan 17
#20 Auburn Tigers (-1.5) @ Mississippi State Bulldogs
Thursday, September 9th
7:45 ET, Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field, Starkville, MS

The Bulldogs looked extremely impressive in their win against Memphis last week, but face their first real test of the season when #20 Auburn comes into Starkville on Thursday night. HC Dan Mullen has the faithful energized after the team’s dominating performance in their 49-7 thumping of Memphis last week. The Bulldogs offense racked up 569 total yards and dominated Memphis in all facets of the game. QB Tyler Russell was particularly impressive, completing 13 of 16 passes for 256 yards and four touchdowns while he was in the game. However, the Tigers of Auburn are a big step up from the ones out of the Volunteer State. Whereas Memphis may be the worst team in Conference USA this year, Auburn has a legitimate shot at an SEC West title with a talented roster and the offensive of guru Gus Malzahn. Despite two turnovers, the Auburn offense still put up 600+ yards of total offense in a 52-26 romp of Arkansas State. QB Cam Newton was studly in the win, completing nine of 14 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns while also carrying the ball for 171 yards and two scores. Although the Bulldogs are certainly improving under Mullen, look for Auburn to show they are still above them on the SEC West pecking chain.

Prediction: Auburn 30 – Mississippi State 20

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March 14th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

Teams that are already in the NCAA Tournament…

Cornell Big Red (27-4, Ivy League), Winthrop Eagles (19-13, Big South), Murray State Racers (30-4, Ohio Valley), East Tennessee State Buccaneers (20-14, Atlantic Sun), Northern Iowa Panthers (28-4, Missouri Valley), St. Mary's Gaels (26-5, West Coast), Siena Saints (27-6, Metro Atlantic), Old Dominion Monarchs (26-8, Colonial), Wofford Terriers (26-8, Southern), Oakland Golden Grizzlies (26-8, Summit), Butler Bulldogs (28-4, Horizon), North Texas Mean Green (24-8, Sun Belt), Robert Morris Colonials (23-11, Northeast), Montana Grizzlies (22-9, Big Sky), Lehigh Mountain Hawks (22-10, Patriot)

Teams that clinched automatic bids on Saturday…

Houston Cougars (19-15, Conference USA): And the bubble shrinks… The Cougars upset UTEP on Saturday afternoon to take the Conference USA automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. It wasn't a particularly strong game for a lot of players on the #7 seed in the C-USA Tourney, but if guys like G Kelvin Lewis are scoring 28 points, this is going to be a tough team to bounce. One of the best scorers in America, G Aubrey Coleman, won't be held to 4/20 shooting every night. Look for the Cougs to be on the 14 line come Sunday.

Vermont Catamounts (25-9, America East): The Catamounts used a great offensive effort to take care of Boston U and advance to the NCAA Tournament. F Marqus Blakely had one heck of a championship game, scoring 24 points and bringing down 18 rebounds. He's going to probably be in for a heck of a test regardless of who he has to go up against in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. A #15 seed probably awaits Vermont.

Morgan State Bears (27-9, MEAC): The top team in the MEAC all season long earned its way into the dance on Saturday afternoon in the conference championship. Even though leading scorer G Reggie Holmes had his third straight subpar game, three other Bears scored in double digits. This could be a potentially dangerous team if all of the offensive weapons are clicking, but it's only going to leave Morgan State as a #14 at best.

Sam Houston State Bearkats (25-7, Southland): The Bearkats are dancing for the first time since 2003, and they did so by putting together a solid effort to dismiss of Stephen F. Austin. The defense has been hit or miss for this team of late, but it was certainly a hit on Saturday, winning 64-48. Now, SHSU is going to find itself as a #13 seed that is going to need a big effort to take out a #4 in the dance next week.

Kansas Jayhawks (32-2, Big XII): Kansas has certainly earned its way to the #1 seed in the Midwest Region after winning the Big XII over Kansas State on Saturday. Rock Chalk has one of the most talented teams in the country, and it has made a case to be the #1 overall seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. HC Bill Self is going to have one of the hefty favorites to win the whole enchilada.

Ohio Bobcats (21-14, MAC): In a conference where both Kent State and Akron dominated all season long, the Bobcats are the one team dancing from the bunch. No one can say that Ohio didn't deserve its spot in the field, as it took out both the Golden Flashes and the Zips en route to the MAC's automatic bid. The Bobcats may only be destined to be a #15 seed in the field of 65, but at least they're dancing, which is more than anyone else can say in this conference.

San Diego State Aztecs (25-8, Mountain West): San Diego State was a bubble team coming into the Mountain West Tournament, and it seemed like all that was going to be needed to get into the field of 65 was a win over New Mexico in the league semifinals. Instead, the Aztecs removed all doubt by taking the whole tournament, beating not only the Lobos, but also the Rebels on their home court in Sin City to get the job done. Now, a #10 seed awaits the fourth team out of the MWC.

Washington Huskies (24-9, Pac-10): Just like the Aztecs, the Huskies successfully went from a team just barely hanging on to the bubble to a team that was probably just on the right side of the bubble to a team with an automatic ticket to the tournament in a span of three days. Washington used a potent offense and a deep bench to knock off California for the second time this season, both of which are going to need to be out in full force for the Huskies to get out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament as a #11 seed.

Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions (17-15, SWAC): The defense for the Golden Lions came to play in what amounted to be an ugly SWAC Championship on Saturday night. Still, Pine Bluff's 12-point victory isn't going to take away from the fact that its body of work is still pretty miserable, even for a conference championship. That being said, this is certainly going to be a team that has to play its way into the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday.

West Virginia Mountaineers (27-6, Big East): The Mountaineers certainly made their case to grab a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament by knocking off the Hoyas right at the death thanks to F Da'Sean Butler. Now, WVU will play the waiting game. HC Bob Huggins doesn't think that his squad is deserving of a top seed, but if both Duke and Ohio State lose on Sunday, the 'Neers will probably be going West as the top seed up there.

Santa Barbara Gauchos (20-9, Big West): The Gauchos are going to have one of the youngest teams in the NCAA Tournament, but they took care of business in the Big West final on Saturday night against the 49ers. Santa Barbara has taken nine of its L/10 games going into the dance. It was smacked by 20+ points against the two Pac-10 teams that it played this year, so seeing it do any damage as a #15 or #16 seems highly unlikely.

New Mexico State Aggies (22-11, WAC): Was this the straw that broke the camel's back in terms of the bubble? Several bubble teams went to bed on Saturday night thinking that they were going to be okay for the dance that will wake up on Sunday only to find that another bid went down the drain. New Mexico State earned its way into the field by stopping the 17-game winning streak of Utah State on Saturday. The Aggies are going to be an interesting placement, but they'll probably end up as a #13 or so.

 

Teams vying for automatic bids on Sunday…

Kentucky Wildcats (31-2, SEC): If anyone thought that the Wildcats were going to take their foot off of the gas pedal en route to the SEC Championship Game, they were sorely mistaken. Kentucky absolutely obliterated the Volunteers, making amends for its most recent loss. It's hard to cross this team right now, and as has been proven all season long, if G John Wall, F DeMarcus Cousins, and F Patrick Patterson are on their game, this, at least to date, has been an impossible team to defeat.

Mississippi State Bulldogs (23-10, SEC): Most seasons, winning 23 games and reaching the SEC Final would be good enough to easily put any team in the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs are still sweating though, and they'll need to beat Kentucky on Sunday to remove any sense of doubt. It was a huge defensive effort for MSU that put it in this position, as Vanderbilt only shot 34.6%, and F Jarvis Varnado blocked six shots in the 62-52 win.

Temple Owls (28-5, Atlantic 10): All season long, the Owls have been talked about as a team that can make a major difference in the NCAA Tournament. Now, one of the best defenses in the nation has made a case to move up into the Top 4 seeds in the NCAA Tournament after absolutely crushing two A-10 foes in this tournament. Temple has the fourth best defense in college basketball, allowing just 56.3 points per game.

Richmond Spiders (26-7, Atlantic 10): The Spiders weren't on the radar for potential March Madness teams at the outset of the season, but a win over Florida in November really helped set the stage for this team to have a rocket of a rise up the charts in the country. Richmond cracked the Top 25 for awhile this year and may ultimately finish the season there as well, especially if it can find a way to knock off the Owls and capture the A-10 title.

Ohio State Buckeyes (26-7, Big Ten): There are still a host of teams that believe that they can be a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and the Buckeyes are amongst them. It took double overtime to finally get Illinois out of the Big Ten Tournament though, and there's a big question about how much fight OSU will have in it in Sunday's final after a pair of very, very tough games. F Evan Turner turned the ball over ten times on Saturday, but he did have a double-double with 31 points and ten boards.

Minnesota Golden Gophers (21-12, Big Ten): If the Selection Committee is determined to reward teams that do well in their conference tournaments,the Golden Gophers may already be in the NCAA Tournament. Regardless, this is a team that was left for dead just three days ago, and now, Minnesota is on the verge of ditching and bubble doubt. HC Tubby Smith's team absolutely destroyed Purdue on Saturday, which has set up a heck of a finale against OSU on Sunday.

Duke Blue Devils (28-5, ACC): It seems largely accepted that the Dookies, in spite of the fact that they have struggled in the NCAA Tournament, look to be the team that can play its way into the final #1 seed with a win over Georgia Tech on Sunday. Miami and Virginia both gave the Blue Devils a heck of a time, but in the end, Coach K's club did what it does best: It just keeps finding ways to win games.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (22-11, ACC): G-Tech has rumbled its way into the NCAA Tournament without a doubt after taking three games in the ACC Tournament. However, none of these games against UNC, Maryland, or NC State were anything like what the Blue Devils are going to bring on Sunday. HC Paul Hewitt will want to see a far less sloppy game than he saw on Saturday against the Wolfpack to continue to raise his team's confidence level going into the NCAA Tournament.

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