Teams to cheer for instead of Ohio State during March Madness

Finally the most magical time of the year is upon us. The time of year when people franticly search to see if their cable provider offers truTV. The time of the year when the person who knows the least about basketball ends up winning the office pool. And the time of the year when every college basketball fan is sick and tired of the same old catch phrases that have been coming out of Dick Vitale’s mouth since November.

However, this year will not be as magical for Ohio State basketball fans as the Buckeyes will miss the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008. So unless you enjoy watching the NIT (Even though Ohio State won the NIT in 2008) then you will certainly need a team to cheer for during the 2016 NCAA Tournament. Here are the teams that any Buckeye fan can hop on the bandwagon for.

The Cinderella Teams

Florida Gulf Coast University

They’re back! Everyone’s favorite Cinderella will look to recreate the magic that captivated the nation in 2013 after becoming the first #15 seed to make it to the sweet sixteen.

Check out the defensive play that sent FGCU back into the dance:

Holy Cross

Holy Cross got hot at the right time and was able to win the Patriot League in order to save their season. At 14-19 this team has the third most losses ever prior to playing in the NCAA tournament. They will be a #16 seed and will have to play an extra game before they have a shot at doing the impossible, defeating #1 seed Oregon.

Here are two fun facts about this potential Cinderella:

• In 1947 Holy Cross won the NCAA Tournament
• The two teams that had more losses prior to playing in the tournament ended up winning at least one game (Cal Poly in 2014, and Bradley University in 1955)

Any team playing Michigan State

After beating the Buckeyes in the Big Ten tournament 81-54, and twice during the regular season, it is safe to say Buckeye fans everywhere are sick and tired of losing to Michigan State. I know they got robbed of being a #1 seed, but don’t be that fan that cheers for our rival because you care about the success of the Big Ten.

Watch as Daniel Giddens perfectly sums up Buckeyes fans feelings toward Michigan State this year:

The Ohio State Women’s basketball team

Led by Kelsey Mitchell the fourth leading scorer in the country at 25.9 points per game, the 24-7 Buckeyes are expected to be a high seed in the women’s tournament and have a shot at winning it all. Senior Cait Craft, the sister of former Ohio State legend Aaron Craft will look to finish her college basketball career in style.

Xavier University

We all know that one die-hard Xavier fan that believes that this year is their year. Well it may actually be the case this year because Xavier is the best college basketball team in the state of Ohio and they are the #2 seed in the East region. The 27-5 Musketeers have a chance to make it to the first final four in school history if they play to their potential.

University of Oklahoma

Buddy Hield is one of the most exciting players to watch in all of college basketball averaging 25 points per game. Hield alone makes the Sooners worth cheering for. The Sooners will be the #2 seed in the West Region, but are arguably better than the #1 seed Oregon. Even though this shot did not count because time had expired, shots like this show why Hield is the most exciting player in college basketball.

Until next year, Buckeyes.