Wow! What a Christmas! Four teams seeded 13 or lower won first round games for the first-time in NCAA tournament history. Let’s now rank the games from best to worst and compare how my pre-tourney intrigue rankings compare to how the games actually played out.
| Pre-Tourney Rank | Difference | ||
| 1 | (2) Ohio State vs. (15) Oral Roberts (3:00)- CBS (5)- historic upset over a team I despise | 28 | 27 |
| 2 | (3) Texas vs. (14) Abilene Christian (9:50)- Tru TV (246)- this was the result that made me the happiest. The icing on the cake to an incredible first round | 10 | 8 |
| 3 | (4) Purdue vs. (13) North Texas (7:25)- TNT (245)- another great over time upset | 17 | 14 |
| 4 | (4) Virginia vs. (13) Ohio (7:15)– Tru TV (246)- Jason Preston’s rise from high school bench wamer is one of the greatest March Madness underdog stories of all-time | 4 | 0 |
| 5 | (7) Clemson vs. (10) Rutgers (9:20)- TBS (247)– an historic win for the State University of New Jersey was earned in dramatic fashion | 22 | 17 |
| 6 | (8) Loyola-Chicago vs. (9) Georgia Tech (4:00)- TBS (247)- Sister Act 2: The Return of Sister Jean | 1 | -5 |
| 7 | (5) Creighton vs. (12) UCSB (3:30)- Tru TV (246)- heartbreaking loss for the underdog but still a great game | 6 | -1 |
| 8 | (7) Florida vs. (10) Virginia Tech (12:15)- CBS (5)- Virginia Tech hit the closest thing to a buzzer beater that we had in the first round, even though it ultimately came in a losing effort | 30 | 22 |
| 9 | (5) Tennessee vs. (12) Oregon State (4:30)- TNT (245)- The way the Beavers dominated this game from start to finish was truly shocking | 9 | 0 |
| 10 | (4) Oklahoma State vs. (13) Liberty (6:25)- TBS (247)- I wish the Flames were able to pull it out but this was a classic game from start to finish | 5 | -5 |
| 11 | (3) Arkansas vs. (14) Colgate (12:45)- TruTV (246)- the first 30 minutes of this game were epic, the last ten not so much | 8 | -3 |
| 12 | (3) Kansas vs. (14) Eastern Wash. (1:15)- TBS (247)– see comment above about Arkansas/Colgate game | 13 | 1 |
| 13 | (2) Alabama vs. (15) Iona (4:00)- TBS (247)- see comment above for games # 11 and 12 on this list | 14 | 1 |
| 14 | (6) San Diego State vs. (11) Syracuse (9:40)- CBS (5)– a truly stunning result even if the game was a blowout | 21 | 7 |
| 15 | (6) BYU vs. (11) UCLA (9:40)- CBS (5)- The Bruins controlled the game throughout but Johnny Juzang’s dominance was a sight to be hold | 19 | 4 |
| 16 | (5) Villanova vs. (12) Winthrop (9:57)- TNT (245)- the underdog here kept it close for most of the game but fell just a little bit short in the end | 3 | -13 |
| 17 | (6) USC vs. (11) Drake (4:30)- TNT (245)– see comment above about Villanova/Winthrop game | 18 | 1 |
| 18 | (4) Florida State vs. (13) UNCG (12:45)- Tru TV (246)– see comment above for games # 16 and 17 on this list | 11 | -7 |
| 19 | (8) Oklahoma vs. (9) Missouri (7:25)- TNT (245)- not the most well-played game in the tournament but still close throughout | 23 | 4 |
| 20 | (3) West Virginia vs. (14) Morehead State (9:50)- Tru TV (246)- the Eagles hung around in this one longer than most thought they would | 15 | -5 |
| 21 | (1) Baylor vs. (16) Hartford (3:30)- TruTV (246)- the one surprisingly close 16/1 game. The Hawks kept this game tight throughout most of the first half | 31 | 10 |
| 22 | (7) UConn vs. (10) Maryland (7:10)- CBS (5)- The Terps controlled this game for the last 25 minutes of regulation | 29 | 7 |
| 23 | (2) Iowa vs. (15) Grand Canyon (6:25)- TBS (247)- not the upset I was hoping for but the Antelopes still covered with impressive second half performance | 2 | -21 |
| 24 | (8) LSU vs. (9) St. Bonaventure (1:45)- TNT (245)- this must hyped first round game ended up being largely a dud | 16 | -8 |
| 25 | (6) Texas Tech vs. (11) Utah State (1:45)- TNT (245)– this game had a lot of pre-tournament intrigue and hype that didn’t pan out. | 20 | -5 |
| 26 | (1) Illinois vs. (16) Drexel (1:15)- TBS (247)- Impressed without how well the Dragons played in the first 10 minutes but after that, the game got away from them in a hurry. | 27 | 1 |
| 27 | (1) Michigan vs. (16) Texas Southern (3:00)- CBS (5)- Shockingly, the Tigers outscored Michigan in the second half after getting blown off the court in the first half. | 32 | 5 |
| 28 | (1) Gonzaga vs. (16) Norfolk State (9:20)- TBS (247)– A game that was close for the first five minutes ended up being the biggest blowout of the first round and likely the whole tournament. | 24 | -4 |
| 29 | (5) Colorado vs. (12) Georgetown (12:15)- CBS (5)- the much hyped Hoyas laid one of the biggest first round eggs you’ll ever see in a blowout loss to the Buffaloes. | 7 | -22 |
| 30 | (2) Houston vs. (15) Cleveland State (9:20)- Tru TV (246)- a game that felt over soon after the jump ball took place | 26 | -4 |
| 31 | (8) North Carolina vs. (9) Wisconsin (7:10)- CBS (5)- By far, the biggest bust of the tournament. It was supposed to be the most appealing game of the first round and instead it ended up being over in the first 5 minutes | 12 | -19 |
| 32 | (7) Oregon vs. (10) VCU (9:57)- TNT (245)- the first NCAA tournament game ever to be decided by forfeit before it was played. Hope we don’t have anymore of these. | 25 | -7 |
Ramblings of the Ultimate Sports Sentimentalist 