The Rematch. IBOB II. Call it what you will, but No. 6 Alabama secured the season\u2019s best win by anyone in its true road victory over the No. 1 Auburn Tigers, a team that would have been celebrating its SEC regular season championship but for one little fact: The Tide had other plans. <\/p>\n
Going into IBOB, fan spirits were down, but morale on the team was not necessarily \u2014 rather, they were confused. They had to find answers to the late-season spiral that saw \u2018Bama play seven straight ranked teams, four games inside the Top 10, and half of those on the road. The reeling Tide was trending for a 2-5 finish. But that\u2019s what made Saturday\u2019s win so impressive: the formula the Tide played and won with, though not a masterclass of beautiful basketball, was player-<\/em>generated. The players decided they needed rebound better, get up the floor faster, get downhill and attack the basket more, not settle for jumpers, be the toughest team, and let Mark lead the floor rather than be the hero for 40 minutes. <\/p>\n The heroics then followed. <\/p>\n Check out Field of 68\u2019s podcast here. The first 15 minutes are about IBOBII, with a 5-minute interview from CNO. He\u2019s practically glowing at their buy-in and finding late season leadership.<\/p>\n That win all-but assures \u2018Bama has sewn up at least a two-seed for the NCAA tournament. And a strong SEC tourney run with a title could very well put the Tide on the 1-line, despite conference tournaments being all-but ignored by the committee of late. One gets the feeling some VIP eyeballs will be on Nashville this week, because this tournament will <\/em>matter. <\/p>\n More importantly, did the win get \u2018Bama\u2019s head screwed on right? Does the Tide have its mojo back as it heads into the Second Season? <\/p>\n According to FanDuel Sportsbook<\/a>, Alabama is +420 to win the tourney and claim the SEC\u2019s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. <\/p>\n Related to that, you can potentially win a profit boost on your underdog picks each day during the conference tournament. Check out FanDuel Sportsbook\u2019<\/a>s Dog of the Day promotion<\/strong>:<\/p>\n What is it?<\/strong><\/p>\n How to Play<\/strong><\/p>\n Let\u2019s start by previewing the 2025 SEC Tournament<\/a> (how was that for a nifty segue). <\/p>\n First up, the bracket and schedule. <\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/source><\/picture>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n If the South Carolina<\/strong> game were in Columbia, you\u2019d like their chances better. They just blew the doors off the visiting \u2018Hogs earlier in the week. But road \u2018Cocks are flaccid \u2018Cocks, and the revenge-minded Piggies, just blown out in Columbia, are eyeing a 20-win season and all-but assuredly a season-saving NCAA tourney appearance. Seriously, Cal did an awesome job with this team after Boogie went down and a 1-7 start in conference play. USCe may genuinely the most dangerous 12-19 team I\u2019ve ever seen\u2026in spots. But that\u2019s not enough; time to hit the links, fellas. Arkansas moves on<\/strong>.<\/p>\n For similar reasons, I think Georgia <\/strong>has a bad draw exacerbated their bad road play in their first round matchup. After a ghastly middle portion of the season, the Sooners<\/strong> have mostly played well down the stretch, especially on defense, though not good enough to close-out a few games (oh, god, d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu). But Oklahoma has now won four straight, including two over ranked teams, and are a one-point loss to Kentucky away from reaching 20 wins. Given UGA\u2019s road struggles, and OU\u2019s perimeter shooting, I think the Dirt Burglars get there and sew up an NCAA berth. Oklahoma gets the W. <\/strong>Enjoy the NBA, Mr Newell.<\/p>\n You have to hate the headspace of the Texas Longhorns<\/strong><\/a> too. A senior night home loss to Oklahoma likely puts OU among the Last Four in the NCAA, bounces Texas to the NIT<\/a>, and raises some very tough conversations between the AD and Coach Rodney Terry. Trey Johnson is an absolute beast though, and that has been largely lost in a year that has seen freshman like Dylan Harper, Cooper Flagg, Tahaad Pettiford among others. But, time to pack it in guys. Vandy advances. <\/strong><\/p>\n LSU<\/strong><\/a>. There is nothing positive to say about this Tigers team. They\u2019re playing for pride and going pro in State Farm. Buh-bye, Tigers. Mississippi State smothers the Tigers. <\/strong><\/p>\n (0 votes)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/li>\n (0 votes)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/li>\n (0 votes)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Check out FanDuel<\/a> Sportsbook this week for the Dog of the Day PBT<\/strong>:<\/p>\n What is it?<\/strong><\/p>\n How to Play<\/strong><\/p>\n Ole Miss<\/strong><\/a> earned a bye, and they now get the pleasure of facing one of two teams that will absolutely murder them on the glass. And, if the Rebs draw Arkansas (which they almost certainly will), then OM also meets a team just as chippy and physical as they are, though with far more talent. Besides, are you betting against Cal in the SEC Tournament? I\u2019m not selling on him early. Ole Miss will make the NCAA tournament, but they\u2019re on a bit of a cold streak, and Nashville won\u2019t be kind. Arkansas takes it <\/strong><\/p>\n I don\u2019t like the way Mizzou <\/strong>or Mississippi State<\/strong> finished the season. After the \u2018Bama rout, the Tigers haven\u2019t done much of squat, dropping four of five with a pair of home Ls. But this is the Spider-Man pointing at Spider-Man meme: the Starkville Bulldogs are in a death spiral of their own that has seen them also lose four of five, including two at home after February 18th\u2019s win over A&M. That said, they\u2019re still <\/em>playing better than the Tigers are \u2014 two of those losses were by a single point apiece \u2014 and in this mid-off, I think the \u2018Dawgs probably have a little more defense, the more reliable scoring options, and probably the better team. Tossup, but we\u2019ll say the Bulldogs advance<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Oklahoma\u2019s nice late-season run ends at the hands of the hot \u2018Cats, who are getting healthy at the right time finally. Kentucky <\/strong>has now beaten eight teams ranked in the Top 15, and they\u2019re poised to be a hella\u2019 dangerous 3-seed in the NCAAs. UK moves on<\/strong> to the Quarters. OU retires with 20 wins, buys Porter Moser some breathing room, and makes their NCAA case. <\/p>\n Texas A&M<\/strong><\/a> is in a bit of a pickle. They\u2019re the better team here, but Vanderbilt <\/strong>is playing a de facto <\/em>home game, they get to sleep in their own beds, and go through their regular practice routines, etc. The Aggies have to take a four-hour flight and then play a road contest. I think that stuff matters, as the Commodores swing the upset. The bidding war for Mark Byington is going to be absurd when teams like Miami, NC State<\/a> etc. come sniffing around. Anchor down<\/strong> to the Quarters.<\/p>\n Whoever emerges out of the Mississippi State \/ Missouri pod gets the privilege of facing the red-hot Florida Gators.<\/strong> And they will then have a 0.00% chance of winning that game, not the way both of those teams get murdered in the post, and not with Florida looking to secure a 1-seed. Gators advance. <\/strong><\/p>\n Is it even an SEC Tournament if the Alabama<\/strong> doesn\u2019t play Kentucky<\/strong>? Two of the three winningest SEC programs meet regularly in this event \u2014 one which the Wildcats previously dominated, but that the Tide have owned of late. If it\u2019s hard to beat a team twice in one season, especially one as talented as the Wildcats, imagine how hard it is to do it three <\/em>times. But, that\u2019s what we\u2019re predicting here: Alabama edges UK in another close one. <\/strong><\/p>\n Very fitting that Tennessee <\/strong>returns to the scene of the crime, Nashville, a city that saw them drop their first game and against an opponent who has been a routine thorn in their side. This time, though, the Vols get the revenge against their in-state rival. It\u2019s relatively meaningless, so Rick Barnes won\u2019t coach like a dummy against Vanderbilt<\/strong> this time. UT moves on to the semis.<\/strong><\/p>\n All year, I\u2019ve said that Auburn<\/strong> is the best team in the country, but they are mortal. The bench is fairly thin beyond Pettiford. They play really suspect road \u2018ball. The Tigers surrender far too many offensive rebounds. And for their ballyhooed defensive prowess, they can get hung up in traffic by teams that run downhill. Running downhill to the rim is the entire M.O. of the Calipari offense, though. We even wrote about it at length<\/a>. That\u2019s just a bad matchup for the \u2018Barn, if <\/em>Arkansas plays competently away from Fayetteville. We\u2019ll call for the upset here by a Tigers team that already thinks it\u2019s won everything and can focus on March. Arkansas joins the SEC Final Four. <\/strong><\/p>\n (0 votes)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/li>\n \n
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\nFirst Round Flameouts:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Poll<\/span><\/h3>\n
Most likely first round upset?<\/h4>\n
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USCe over Arkansas<\/h6>\n
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Texas over Vandy<\/h6>\n
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Oklahoma over Georgia<\/h6>\n
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\nSecond Round<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Poll<\/span><\/h3>\n
Biggest Bye-Game Fraud?<\/h4>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n
\nQuarterfinals<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Poll<\/span><\/h3>\n
Which double-bye team is most likely to drop a bad game?<\/h4>\n
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0%<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/p>\n
More than one of these<\/h6>\n
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