"The best time of year"

You can argue with me all you want. In fact, I'd love to hear some counter points of view. But nothing will change my stance that this is the best time of the year for sports.

Period.

Why? Well, mostly because of 10 days filled with 63 men's college basketball games. The fifth day was Thursday. And if you missed it, you better have TiVo. If you weren’t in a chair, on a couch, standing up, lying down or in some other posture watching the four games Thursday, you're not a sports fan. Three of them were decided by a combined five points. The two games in San Antonio were decided by a point.

Both games came down to a player taking a shot at the last possible second. The only thing missing was the player making the shot. But, no worries. I have a feeling we'll see a buzzer-beater before the weekend is through.

While people all over the country love the first weekend of the NCAA tournament - and I'm no exception - the second weekend is the best. That's because almost every single game is made up of two quality teams. And both teams are good enough that if one of them falls way behind, it has the guns to get back into the game.

Yes, I'm talking about Ohio State.

It's funny how fans love to rule their team out way, way before the game is over (not sure if it’s some superstitious thing, but, hey, if it works, go for it). After speeding back from work Thursday night, I entered the front door of my fraternity house only to hear our lone Ohio State fan lamenting that the Buckeyes were done. And it was the first half! Sure, they had a lot of work to do, considering they were behind by 17 points, but as far as I saw it, the game wasn't close to over.

Sure enough, the Buckeyes cut a 17-point halftime deficit down to one in the first nine minutes of the second half, and from there it was on. To its credit, Tennessee never folded, getting big shots from its go-to guy, Chris Lofton, but Ohio State's versatility on offense was too much.

One of the great things about this greatest time of year is that players who received relatively little recognition during the regular season make a name for themselves. It always happens, and this year has been no exception. Ohio State senior Ron Lewis has come to play. He saved the Buckeyes against Xavier with a last-second bomb to send the second-round game to overtime. And he was a big part of the comeback Thursday night, scoring 25 points - including 18 in the second half - on 9-for-17 shooting.

What's amazing about Ohio State's run to the Elite Eight is that it's accomplished this, basically, without the services of Greg Oden. The big man was ineffective against the Vols, hampered by foul trouble all night that limited him to 18 minutes. He scored nine points and had more fouls (4) than rebounds (3). But he also had four blocks, and his final one on Tennessee's Ramar Smith sealed the Buckeyes' victory.

Ask just about anyone before the tournament if OSU could reach the Elite Eight without getting much from Oden, and the typical response would have been, "Nope. No way." Another great thing about this time of year: it's unpredictable.

For instance, there was no way Acie Law IV was going to miss that layup in the final minute against Memphis, which would have given the Aggies a three-point lead. He did. And there was no way Memphis would get four shots to win the game in the final seconds when it had gotten only seven offensive rebounds all night and was being outrebounded 30-24. It did, and Antonio Anderson hit two big free throws with 3.1 seconds remaining to give Memphis the win.

All season long, Law was the most clutch player in the nation. Late in close games he was cash money. But on Thursday Law scored just five of his 13 points in the second half, and his last two shots - a 3-point attempt and that layup - didn't fall. Another thing about March. A team can't always rely on one player to make all the plays. These are, after all, just college kids. No older than 22. They’re gonna have bad nights.

But, man, did the Salukis from Southern Illinois play like pros Thursday night. Just like any smart betting man, they played the odds. They knew they wouldn't stand a chance against mighty No. 1 seed Kansas if they tried to run with the Jayhawks. Kansas was way too athletic for them. It wouldn't have been a contest. So they slowed the game down, played great defense - forcing Kansas into an uncharacteristic 19 turnovers - executed their halfcourt offense and got a big game from senior guard Jamal Tatum, who led them with 19 points.

It nearly worked. If games were 35 minutes long, the Salukis might still be dancing. And copy editors across the country could rejoice at the thought of using the word "Salukis" in headlines for a couple more days. But, alas, the Jayhawks decided they were done with underachieving in the tournament (they were knocked out as a No. 3 and No. 4 seed in the first round the past two years).

One of the knocks against Kansas all year has been that it lacks a go-to player, someone who wants the ball in the final seconds. Well, nothing has been inked, but Brandon Rush had a fine, fine audition Thursday. The sophomore made all six of his field goal attempts for 12 points, and none was more important than his runner in the lane to give Kansas a three-point lead in the final minute.

If Kansas goes on to make the Final Four (which should be a very difficult task, considering UCLA awaits) and win the national title, Rush will likely never forget that shot. Even if he ends up a star in the NBA, it is something that will stay with him forever. Just as Buckeyes fans - if OSU continues its run - will point to the Xavier and Tennessee games 20 years from now and say, "We had to do a little surviving."

It's a time of year that breeds many great memories, plays that will be shown in highlight packages for years to come. It's the only single-elimination tournament among the major sports (college or pro), and that's the main reason it's the best.

Yes, October is great. Watching two college football games and a World Series game on Saturday and two NFL games and another World Series game on Sunday doesn’t make for a bad weekend. But this takes the cake.

Ten days.

Sixty-three games.

Unrelenting madness.