AUSTIN (KXAN) — March Madness is off and running with 68 men’s and women’s college basketball teams battling their way through the bracket to decide this year’s national champion.
It’s the best time of year for hardcore and even casual college basketball fans. Millions of brackets have been submitted for pools with family, friends, co-workers and (sometimes) random strangers. The winner of these pools will undoubtedly claim themselves a college basketball expert amongst their inner circle.
Over 20 million brackets were submitted through ESPN’s bracket challenge. ESPN also offered stats on which teams America picked to make it to each round.
While Houston and Alabama are the two favorites to cut down the nets, the Texas Longhorns aren’t too far behind, according to ESPN brackets. 6.2% of ESPN brackets picked Texas to win the national title.
Texas Longhorns
The University of Alabama and Houston are the two favorites to win the national championship. The Crimson Tide is the most popular pick with nearly 20% of brackets expecting Alabama to win the national title.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Houston Cougars
Houston is right behind with 16% of brackets predicting the Cougars will win the championship.
Baylor Bears
More than half of the brackets are predicting that the 2021 national champion Baylor Bears will make it in the second weekend of the tournament, but only 1.% of brackets have the Bears winning the national championship.
TCU Horned Frogs
A majority of brackets have TCU losing in the second round. The sixth-seeded Horned Frogs were picked to win the national championship in 0.3% of brackets
Brackets picking Texas A&M to go far in the tournament are likely already busted. The Aggies lost to Penn State in the first round Thursday night, stopping a potential Texas vs. Texas A&M meeting in Saturday’s second round.