It's safe to say that the SEC is not off to an ideal start in the NCAA Tournament. The SEC had a whopping 14 teams make the cut, but half of those squads have already been eliminated and the second round of the tournament just started.
The Auburn Tigers looked like a team that was extremely close to bringing that SEC loss total to eight, but for a second straight game, willed themselves to victory thanks to a strong second half.
The Tigers were given the No. 1 seed in the South Region, but their first round game against No. 16 Alabama State was too close for comfort. The same could be said about Saturday's Round of 32 performance against No. 9 Creighton.
In fact, the Tigers trailed by two points at the end of the first half. They dominated down the stretch and won the game by double figures, but how far can they realistically go in this tournament if they're going to sleepwalk their way through the beginning of games?
The answer might not be very pleasant for Auburn fans when considering who their Sweet 16 opponent is.
Nightmare Sweet 16 matchup could end Auburn's dream season
The Tigers did enough to advance to the tournament's second weekend, but waiting for them in Atlanta are the No. 5-seeded Michigan Wolverines. They might not be a top seed, but considering how they — and their conference — have fared in the NCAA Tournament, this could be a disaster for Auburn.
The Wolverines were able to fight off a furious comeback attempt from No. 12 UC San Diego in their first game and used a dominant second half to defeat No. 4 Texas A&M in the second round on Saturday. That win improved the Big Ten's conference record to 10-0.
Michigan went 14-6 in conference play during the regular season and won their conference tournament. That same conference is now unbeaten in 10 tries in the NCAA Tournament. Given those facts, Tigers fans should be very nervous, especially when considering how they've played in the first two rounds. Auburn won, but hasn't been playing its best.
Auburn is the more talented team, but talent alone doesn't win you an NCAA Tournament. Sometimes, it's about one team getting hot at the right time. The Wolverines seem to be peaking at the perfect time, and they certainly have a team capable of giving Auburn a scare, if they don't pull off the upset altogether.