Elite 8 Bracket: Power Ranking Must-See Matchups of the Weekend

The madness of March's 2012 NCAA Tournament continues this weekend with the Elite Eight, which will provide four can't-miss matchups for college basketball fans and bracket-doers everywhere.

A handful of past champions and storied programs will face off on Saturday and Sunday, all with hopes of punching their ticket to the Final Four in New Orleans.

So which game is the most must-see of them all? Join Bleacher Report as we power-rank the four Elite Eight matchups.

No. 4. No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Syracuse—East Region Final, Saturday, 7:05 PM ET, CBS

The Big Ten and Big East aren't exactly known for their high-scoring affairs, and that should translate into a rather slow and boring meeting between the Buckeyes and Orange on Saturday night in Boston.

Neither team allowed more than 61 points per game during the regular season, and the pace and scoring drops off even more as the Big Dance wears on and gains intensity.

Although Syracuse would like to run, the Orange will struggle to do so as they have for most of the tournament, making this matchup a grind-it-out war of attrition.

No. 3. No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 1 Kentucky—South Region Final, Sunday, 2:20 PM ET, CBS

The Wildcats and Bears would make for a much more watchable game if Kentucky wasn't so overwhelmingly talented and fast in the open court. John Calipari's club scored 102 points on Indiana in the Sweet 16 and made it look easy.

Meanwhile, Baylor has lacked consistent production from Perry Jones III, who scored 14 on Friday against Xavier in his best outing thus far in the tourney. He had a combined nine points coming into the Sweet 16.

Any time Kentucky is playing, there is the potential of a blowout, and that decreases the significance of Sunday's South Region final. 

No. 2. No. 7 Florida vs. No. 4 Louisville—West Region Final, Saturday, 4:30 PM ET, CBS

This improbable West Region final is absolutely must-see television if for no other reason than it pits good buddies Billy Donovan and Rick Pitino against each other for just the seventh time and the first with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

Florida freshman Bradley Beal is the real deal. He is projected to go early in June's 2012 NBA Draft (if he decides to leave school early and declare). Beal is leading the Gators in scoring and rebounding in the tourney, and poured in 21 points on Thursday to keep Florida dancing.

Pitino and Louisville will rely on Gorgui Dieng to block shots and intimidate in the paint. Dieng has 12 blocks in three tournament games and made Michigan State look ill-prepared on Thursday night in the Cardinals' 57-44 win.

Donovan's crew can stroke the three, however, and that will be the difference in this matchup, whether they hit or miss.

No. 1. No. 2 Kansas vs. No. 1 North Carolina—Midwest Region Final, Sunday, 5:05 PM ET, CBS

Two very recent tournament champions and storied basketball programs will meet for a spot in the Final Four on Sunday evening in what is without a doubt the must-witness game of the weekend. 

Top seeds North Carolina and Kansas will play in St. Louis in the Midwest Region final, capping off the Elite Eight and the first two weeks of the 2012 NCAA Tournament. 

The Tar Heels were the best rebounding team in the nation during the regular season and the second-highest scoring team in the country. But the loss of point guard Kendall Marshall to a broken wrist in the third round has them struggling to find a transition game.

On the other side, Kansas is led by junior forward Thomas Robinson, a Player of the Year candidate averaging an impressive double-double in the Big Dance. Robinson and Jeff Withey will anchor the Jayhawks inside game. Together, they will try to negate UNC's John Henson and Tyler Zeller.

The awesome matchups available to fans all across the court in this game make it a must-see television event.