Some early views on the brackets...

So, here we go again, field of 68 on the table...

Got a couple little thoughts to start with:

If you're smart, you won't pick Syracuse to win it all.

I think they can get out of the first weekend, but, frankly, I see the same scenario here which happened between LSU and Alabama in the BCS title game: There was enough "smoke", IMHO, that the decision-makers could not allow LSU to win the national title, with the open plausibility that they'd to take it back later. Hence, Alabama rolls in historic fashion.

I think the same thing is going to happen here. Between the fired coach and the drug revelations, I think the NCAA is going to step in and make orange juice out of the Orange before they have to take the title back later on.

The Pac-12 is micro-conference bad this year.

Oh my God, what happened to basketball out west this year? I mean, when a supposed Big Six conference has NO TEAMS locked in or even should be in on the ESPN Bubble Watch as their tournament is going on, that's just sad.

They got two only because the tourney went to 68 -- one of them is playing in the First Four. Pac-12 will go two and out in this tournament, IMHO.

Someone's going to blow up the brackets. It always happens -- it's the main draw this tournament has over most other sports.

In fact, be not surprised if such a team gets a little "help" along the way. It is really about the biggest draw this tournament has over other events on the sports calendar.

More later as I pore through all this...