Welcome to a very special Super Bowl Sunday edition of Bracketology here at ClutchPoints. I know folks have pigskin on the brain today and that's for very good reason, but don't sleep on the fact that in just one month's time we'll be kicking off Championship Week, watching bubbles being burst and while other teams clinch bids into the 2024 NCAA Tournament field.

But until then, I implore you to enjoy the Super Bowl, and that includes the new commercials, Usher's halftime show, way too many snacks, all of the Taylor Swift cutaways, and each and every time Tony Romo excitedly yells, “Oh, Jim!”

I know I will.

Bracketology Bracket 

NCAA Tournament Bracketology Bracket

 

Bracketology Breakdown

Top Seeds: Purdue Boilermakers (Midwest Region), Connecticut Huskies (East Region), Houston Cougars (South Region), Arizona Wildcats (West Region)

Multi-Bid Leagues: AAC (2), ACC (4), Atlantic 10 (2), Big East (5), Big Ten (6), Big 12 (9), Mountain West (6), Pac-12 (3), SEC (8)

Bracketology Bubble Watch 

Last Four Byes: Utah, Boise State, Butler, Washington State

Last Four In: Mississippi State, Seton Hall, Nevada, Nebraska

First Four Out: Ole Miss, Gonzaga, Wake Forest, St. John’s

Next Four Out: Colorado, Providence, Cincinnati, Memphis

Five Most Intriguing Games of the Week 

Kansas at Texas Tech – Mon. Feb. 12th, 9:00 PM ET, ESPN

South Carolina at Auburn – Wed. Feb. 14th, 8:30 PM ET, SEC Network

New Mexico at San Diego State – Fri. Feb. 16th, 10:00 PM ET, FS1

Texas at Houston – Sat. Feb. 17th, 1:00 PM ET, CBS

Marquette at Connecticut – Sat. Feb. 17th, 3:00 PM ET, FOX

And One! 

Note the date and time of this edition of Bracketology, and you'll see I managed to get this in just hours before kickoff of Super Bowl 58. That was purposeful. I wanted to use this little section, normally reserved for a college basketball prediction for the week ahead, to instead make a prediction on Chiefs vs. 49ers.

I'm not going to be nearly as wordy here as I could be, in part because I'm sure you're either on Super Bowl coverage overload already, or because as you read this, the game has ended. So let me just get right to it… I picked against the Chiefs in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs when they played in Buffalo. I picked against the Chiefs in the AFC Championship when they played in Baltimore. And here we are on Super Bowl Sunday, I've been burned twice, and I would be a fool to allow myself to be fooled by the Kansas City Chiefs again.

Give me the Chiefs over the 49ers in Super Bowl 58. Let the Patrick Mahomes vs. Tom Brady debate begin!

Past And One! Predictions

11/6/23 – Maryland will win the Asheville Championship early season tournament (INCORRECT)

11/13/23 – 50 Point Scorer during the week (INCORRECT)

11/20/23 – I will eat entirely too much food on Thanksgiving (CORRECT)

11/27/23 – SEC will win the ACC/SEC Challenge (TIE)

12/11/23 – Connecticut to beat Gonzaga by 10+ points (CORRECT)

12/18/23 – Oklahoma to defeat North Carolina and FAU to defeat Arizona (INCORRECT)

12/26/23 – Mid-Major Conference Leader pulls upset over Power 5 Opponent (CORRECT)

1/1/24 – James Madison will be the final undefeated team in the country (INCORRECT)

1/8/24 – Washington Huskies to defeat the Michigan Wolverines for the National Championship (INCORRECT)

1/15/24 – Conference Championship Gauntlet — Duke, Connecticut, Purdue, Kansas, Arizona, Auburn to win their conference tournaments (TBD)

1/22/24 – UAB to defeat Memphis (CORRECT)

1/29/24 – Duke at North Carolina decided by 5 or fewer points (INCORRECT)

2/5/24 – High Point will take a 22-game winning streak into NCAA Tournament (INCORRECT)

OVERALL RECORD: 4-7-1 (with the 1/15/24 prediction To Be Determined in March)