Is there a science to bracketology?

Is there a science to bracketology?

To some people, the month of March means the beginning of spring. To others, it's time to party for St. Patrick's Day. But for college basketball fans, March means only one thing: March Madness. And inevitably with March Madness comes office pools, ­gambling and bookies. Before you place any bets, though, you need to fill out your bracket.

So how do you do that and gu­arantee success? Analysts, sportscasters, networks and amateurs have all tried to nail down the perfect technique for picking teams using bracketology, or the study of the brackets. And they've all hit the same conclusion: There isn't an exact science to guarantee a win. However, there are things to consider that can give you a leg up on your competition.

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Bracketology is the process of predicting the field of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, named as such because it is commonly used to fill in tournament brackets for the postseason. It incorporates some method of predicting what the NCAA Selection Committee will use as its Ratings Percentage Index in order to determine at-large (non-conference winning) teams to complete the field of 65 teams, and, to seed the field by ranking all teams from first through sixty-fifth. ESPN's Joe Lunardi is the inventor of the term "bracketology", starting first as the owner and editor of the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and ending up with a gig as the resident bracketologist on ESPN.