If you look at a map of the United States today, you might notice that the state of Ohio is just a little bigger than normal.
That's because it is swelling with pride over the performance of its college basketball teams in the NCAA Tournament.
Four teams from the Buckeye State -Ohio State, Ohio, Xavier and Cincinnati -were included in the initial field of 68 and all four have qualified for the Sweet 16.
That's a first for the NCAA Tournament, which has been around for so long it's hard to do something no one else ever has accomplished.
Although Ohio teams went 8-0 last week, that won't happen this week. That's because Ohio State and Cincinnati play each other at 9:45 p.m. on Thursday.
You can bet there will be a lot of people calling off "sick'' on Friday or showing up to work bleary-eyed.
The best story of the quartet is the Athens-based Bobcats.
First, they knocked off John Beilein's Michigan team that lives and dies by the jump shot, then they eliminated defensive-minded and offensively challenged South Florida, who would love to beat you, 35-34.
The impressive thing is the Cats beat both teams at their own games.
If you think Ohio is going to be cannon fodder for North Carolina, you might want to look at that matchup again.
Ohio and Xavier are the only remaining double-digit seeds as the Bobcats went in as a No. 13 and Xavier as a No. 10.
It's amazing that two teams from the Cincinnati -rivals Cincinnati and Xavier -are in the Sweet 16.
Maybe they will call a truce for a week -not!
By the way, half of the Sweet 16 is represented by two conferences.
In addition to Ohio State, Big Ten teams still alive are Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan State. Big East teams who are still in the field include Syracuse, Marquette, Cincinnati and Louisville.
Two of the No. 1 seeds -Syracuse and North Carolina -have injuries to key players they must overcome, although both teams have the talent to win without them.
All season long, Syracuse has been described as the deepest team in college basketball.
Now, the Orange can prove whether or not that is true.
The most stunning upset took place in the opening round when No. 15 Norfolk State knocked out No. 2 Missouri.
Las Vegas sports books were offering 35-to-1 odds on the Spartans to win the game.
Those odds were much longer than was available on Lehigh, a No. 15 seed that stunned No. 2 Duke.
While there weren't as many first-round upsets as often occurs, the ones that did take place were quite stunning.
What to expect this week?
More of the same, of course.
After all, it still is March Madness.
