Hands down, this was the most exciting Day 1 in the history of the NCAA Tournament. Consider that it started with a double overtime loss by Florida to Brigham Young 99-92. Upsets, overtimes and even four big losses for the Big East spelled an unpredictable tango to Indianapolis next month.
Let’s take a look at the upsets.
Midwest Region
97-83 - No. 14 Ohio beats No. 3 Georgetown
Buzz: ESPN Mike and Mike in the morning radio host Mike Greenberg said 97 percent of brackets ESPN surveyed had Georgetown winning this game. This single-handedly was the biggest shocker of the day considering Georgetown’s loss marks the biggest defeat margin (14 points) by a No. 3 seed in round 64 of the NCAA Tournament history.
69-66 – No. 9 Northern Iowa beats No. 8 UNLV
Buzz: Love, love, love that the Panthers are continuing to represent the Missouri Valley Conference well even after coach Greg McDermott moved on to the Big 12 at Iowa State. Senior guard Ali Farokhmanesh hit a decisive 3-pointers with 4.9 seconds left in the game.
Final Four pick favorite: Northern Iowa’s big win earned them a contest against No. 1 team in the country Kansas. Consider the excitement short lived as the Jayhawks will undoubtedly win this region.
West Region
66-65 – No. 13 Murray State beats No. 4 Vanderbilt
Buzz: Easily the second most shocking win of the day. Murray State’s Danero Thomas knocked in a 15-foot buzzer shot for the exciting finish.
Final Four pick: This region has potential to be a real surprise. I’m putting my money Syracuse.
East Region
81-80 – No. 9 Wake Forest beats No. 8 Texas
Buzz: Boo! Can we even call this an upset considering the flakiness of Texas this season? I guess the seedings are what they are, but Wake closed the coffin on Texas with a overtime win.
80-78 – No. 11 Washington beats No. 6 Marquette
Buzz: Big East, shmig east. Marquette flamed to the Pac-10 after Quincy Pondexter sealed the game with an offensive board and drove a short bank shot with 1.7 seconds left to seal the win.
Final Four pick favorite: University of Kentucky should have this in the bag.
South Region
51-50 – No. 11 Old Dominion beats No. 6 Notre Dame
Buzz: The Monarchs had the first upset of the tournament this season after a three-pointer from ND popped out. The 6-foot-8 Notre Dame senior Luke Harangody had been coming off the bench since he hurt his knee Feb. 11.
81-70 – No. 10 Saint Mary’s beats No. 7 Richmond
Buzz: This marked the Gaels first tournament win since 1959. That was also the same year Walt Disney released the cartoon classic “Sleeping Beauty.” How many saw this sleeper?
Final Four pick favorite: No. 3 seed Baylor has gotten quite a few nods over No. 2 Villanova. This will be the Bears’ season.
TV
WKMG-6 will air four games today. CBS will also broadcast five additional games on Bright House Channel 1061, but you’ll need the cable company’s digital package the view those:
12:25 p.m.: Minnesota vs. Xavier, WKMG-6
12:30: Cornell vs. Temple, BH 1061
2:35: Missouri vs. Clemson, WKMG-6
2:50: Wofford vs. Wisconsin, BH 1061
4:45: Utah State vs. Texas A&M, BH 1061, CBS College
7:10: FSU vs. Gonzaga, WKMG-6
7:25: Arkansas Pine Bluff vs. Duke, BH 1061
9:30: Vermont vs. Syracuse, WKMG-6
9:45: Louisville vs. California, BH 1061
Online
Get tournament updates at OrlandoSentinel.com/marchmadness. You also can watch games live at CBS’ video stream site, http://www.marchmadnessondemand.com/ (complete with the “Boss Button” for office viewing.)
Blogs
Seminoles extras at OrlandoSentinel.com/choppingblock
Follow @osseminoles, @osaadelson and @twstephens for tournament updates and conversation.