Bracketology: Bubble teams will be sweating these 5 conference tourneys

SPOKANE, WA - FEBRUARY 23: Gonzaga forward Brandon Clarke (15) works against BYU forward Yoeli Childs (23) before scoring during the game between the BYU Cougars and the Gonzaga Bulldogs played on February 23, 2019 in Spokane, Washington at the McCarthey Athletic Center. (Photo by Robert Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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BOWLING GREEN, OH – FEBRUARY 01: Buffalo Bulls guard Dontay Caruthers (22) shoots over Bowling Green Falcons guard Antwon Lillard (11) during a regular season Mid-American Conference game between the Buffalo Bulls (18) and the Bowling Green Falcons on February 1, 2019, at the Stroh Center in Bowling Green, Ohio. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

3. Mid-American Conference

Dates: March 11, 14-16

Location: Campus sites, then Cleveland, OH

Favorite: Buffalo

Things can get crazy with #MACtion, and this year’s MAC tournament is no exception. The league’s best team is Nate Oats’ Buffalo Bulls, which built off the momentum of last year’s first round upset of Arizona to cruise to the top of the MAC

The Bulls picked up a nice win over Syracuse in the non-conference schedule and raced out to a 13-2 mark in its first 15 conference games, but they have had some weird losses as well. Bowling Green defeated Buffalo back on Feb. 1, which is forgivable since the Falcons are a decent squad, but a loss to a middling Northern Illinois team isn’t.

The Bulls have dominated at home, building a 23-game winning streak in Buffalo entering Senior Night against Bowling Green, but they have had a tougher time on the road. The MAC tournament being in Cleveland doesn’t help the Bulls much either, giving talented Ohio based squads like Bowling Green, Kent State, and Toledo more of a home court advantage on a “neutral” floor.

The Bulls have likely done enough to secure an at-large bid even if they lose in the MAC tournament, so bubblers definitely want to see Buffalo earn their ticket to the dance the old fashioned way. If someone else claims the MAC title, Buffalo could pop someone else’s bubble.