Bracketology, or something

 Reggie Miller thinks they'll choke, supposedly.

The coach of 16th-seed Fairleigh Dickinson, who won the right to play them tomorrow, says the more he watches them, the more he thinks he can beat them.

And former President of the United States Barack Obama, confirmed basketball junkie, doesn't think they'll get out of the coming weekend.

Oh, these Purdue Boilermakers. First in seeding, first in West Lafayette, last in the esteem of hoopheads everywhere.

Most of the country, it seems, thinks the Purdues are a paper 1-seed, nothing but a big 7-4 galoot and a bunch of guys Matt Painter scrounged from the downtown Y. Can't handle a press, can't shoot, can't, can't, can't. Oh, and everyone knows no team with freshman guards ever does a thing in Da Tournament.

It's like everyone forgot they ran away with the Big Ten title and then won the tournament besides, even if they struggled to put away the 13-seed and the 10-seed in the last two rounds.

What does the Blob think?

The Blob thinks it's Fairly Ridiculous to think Fairleigh Dickinson can beat Purdue. (Sorry, couldn't resist the standard quip). The Blob also thinks a few other things, all of them suitable for defaming, as the Madness descends on us in a few short hours.

To wit:

* Indiana has all the tools to get to the Sweet Sixteen or even beyond. It might also get beat by Kent State right out of the box tomorrow night. The Hoosiers have exhibited that sort of manic-depressive behavior all season, and there's no reason to think they'll stop now.

Prediction: Hoosiers look great in knocking off Kent State, then lose to either Miami or Drake on Sunday.

* Keep an eye on Duke (I know, it hurts me to say that, too). The Blue Devils are only a 5-seed, but they're 13-1 since getting healthy and they blew through the ACC tournament, beating top-seeded Miami by seven in the semis and 2-seed Virginia by 10 in the championship game. The latter avenged their only loss since January 23.

Prediction: The Blue Devils make a run to the Elite Eight.

* This year's obligatory 12-5 upset: College of Charleston over San Diego State.

* This year's Crater Rating for the Big Ten: Five. As in, "Five of its eight teams will be gone by Sunday night."

* Small team the Blob likes just because: Florida Atlantic.

* Small emergency backup team the Blob likes: Vermont.

* Official Pete Carril Nostalgia Pick Which Probably Won't Happen: Princeton over Arizona.

* Guru sexy Purdue pick: Memphis (or Florida Atlantic) over the Boilers on Sunday.

* Blob's un-sexy Purdue pick: Boilers reach the Sweet Sixteen, where they lose to ... Duke.

And last but not least ...

* Blobophiles' reaction to all this: "You're full of s***."

Yeah, well. Probably.