CBS NCAA Bracket 2012: Most Ridiculous March Madness Picks by CBS Sports Experts

With the vast amount of media outlets that exist today, there seems to be a countless number of "experts" for everything. That is especially true when it comes to the NCAA tournament, as every sports writer and their mother is termed an expert.

That is true of the prognosticators at CBS Sports, several of whom filled out brackets for all to see. While you have to give them credit for leaving themselves wide open for ridicule, there were certainly a few head-scratching decisions that seem incredibly unlikely to come to fruition.

Don't forget to fill out your own bracket ahead of Thursday's "second-round" games and continue reading to see three things that you shouldn't do under any circumstances.

Creighton to Final Four - Dennis Dodd

There's nothing wrong with making some bold picks in your bracket, but there's a fine line between boldness and stupidity, and Dennis Dodd crossed it. For whatever reason, Dodd thought it was a good idea to advance the eighth-seeded Creighton Bluejays all the way to the Final Four.

Butler made it all the way to the title game last season as a No. 8 seed, but it's a rare occurrence and the Bulldogs were already battle-tested from the previous year.

Creighton has a very nice team that went 28-5 this season and enters the tourney on a seven-game winning streak, but it's very tough to see the Jays getting past North Carolina. If they were somehow able to beat the Tar Heels, then Dodd's scenario wouldn't be far-fetched since he has other low seeds advancing far, but it's a terrible risk to take.

Perhaps Dodd is hoping to catch lightning in a bottle and ultimately look like a genius, but that seems unlikely.

Long Beach State to Elite Eight - Dennis Dodd

Suffice it to say that I don't see Mr. Dodd doing too well in his office pool. Dodd made another strange choice by advancing the unheralded Long Beach State 49ers to the Elite Eight.

Let me preface this by saying that I really like LBSU this season and put them in the Sweet 16 as a sleeper in my bracket, but advancing them to the Elite Eight is a bit too much. For one, Dodd has the 49ers beating No. 1-seeded Michigan State, which is hard to envision.

Also, it is quite rare for a No. 12 seed to get further than the Sweet 16. VCU managed to do it last year, of course, but that was likely an aberration. Long Beach State played some top teams tough this season, including North Carolina and Kansas, but it's important not to get overzealous.

The 49ers should do some damage, but not as much as Dodd expects.

Vanderbilt to Final Four - Gregg Doyel and Jeff Goodman

Fresh off the heels of their shocking victory over Kentucky in the SEC title game, the Vanderbilt Commodores are a No. 5 seed in an East Region that features a vulnerable No. 1 seed in Syracuse since center Fab Melo is ineligible for the tournament.

With that in mind, Vandy is becoming a hot pick to go a long way. I admit that I have jumped on the Commodore wagon as well and put them firmly in my Elite Eight.

There are a couple of CBS Sports experts who went a little too far, though, as both Gregg Doyel and Jeff Goodman put Vandy in their respective Final Fours. Hot teams can make a lot of noise in the big dance—as UConn proved last season by winning it all after winning the Big East tournament—but Vanderbilt is being a bit overrated at this point.

The Commodores were only 24-10 on the season and lost to teams like Arkansas, Indiana State and Cleveland State. It's easy to point out bad losses, but in terms of matchups, both Doyel and Goodman have Vandy beating Ohio State.

If Vanderbilt's hot shooting continues, then anything is possible, but I doubt the Commodores will have an answer inside for Jared Sullinger.