Final Four 2012: Power Ranking Prospective Championship Game Matchups

The 2011-2012 college basketball season is nearly over. All that's left is the Final Four on Saturday, and then the championship game on Monday.

Right now, all eyes are on the Final Four matchups: No. 4 Louisville versus No. 1 Kentucky and No. 2 Ohio State versus No. 2 Kansas. It's an outstanding set of matchups, and the games themselves should be tons of fun.

But I want to look ahead to Monday's championship game. Whatever it is, the matchup for that game will be pretty awesome in its own right. We know this for a fact because all four prospective matchups are awesome.

As for which one would be the best, here's how I rank 'em.

4. Louisville vs. Ohio State

This is what we'll get if Louisville pulls off a shocking upset over Kentucky and Ohio State takes care of business against Kansas.

Louisville might actually be the favorite in this game if it comes to fruition, as surely beating a team like Kentucky is worth a little extra credit. 

But Ohio State is a team that would be just as tough to beat as Kentucky. The Buckeyes are loaded with talent, especially in their frontcourt. Both Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas have been playing outstanding basketball since the start of the tournament, and they would create serious matchup problems for the Cardinals. We also know that Ohio State can handle a top-notch defense after watching the Buckeyes knock off Syracuse.

Rick Pitino is not be underestimated, though, and neither is this Cardinals team in general. If there's a way to upset Ohio State's rhythm and force it into playing the kind of sloppy game Louisville specializes in winning, Pitino would sniff it out and use it against Ohio State.

3. Louisville vs. Kansas

Why rank this matchup ahead of Louisville versus Ohio State?

Because the Cardinals and Jayhawks strike me as being more evenly matched than the Cardinals and Buckeyes. The Cardinals could give the Buckeyes a challenge, but it would be hard to doubt Ohio State given the amount of talent Thad Matta has at his disposal.

The Jayhawks, on the other hand, are a team that thrives on two key players: Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor. Beyond them, the Jayhawks are pretty average, meaning Louisville would have a better chance of matching up with them.

You get the sense this game would be a scrappy, hard-fought affair, just the kind of game that both Louisville and Kansas prefer to play. Kansas has successfully bullied each team it's played so far in the NCAA tournament, but that wouldn't scare Louisville. Indeed, the Cardinals have been bulling teams too.

This wouldn't be a pretty, highlight reel kind of game. That does not, however, mean it wouldn't be fun.

2. Kentucky versus Kansas

I want to see this game simply because it would afford us the opportunity to see a rematch between two of the best big men in the country in Robinson and Anthony Davis.

Robinson played well against Davis and the Wildcats all the way back in November, scoring 11 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. Davis had 14 points and six rebounds, and a ridiculous seven blocks.

The scary part is that neither Robinson nor Davis had really come into his own at that point. Both of them got better as the season went along, as did their respective teams.

So it would be a lot of fun to see which of them would be the better player in the national title game. I'll take Davis any day of the week, but Robinson is a guy who you can't underestimate no matter who he's going up against.

Contrary to Louisville versus Kansas, Kentucky versus Kansas likely would be a highlight reel sort of game. Fine by me.

1. Kentucky vs. Ohio State

Ah yes, now this would be a fun game.

I'd rather see the Buckeyes take on the Wildcats because the Buckeyes have two frontcourt players who could give the Wildcats trouble. Sullinger would put Davis to the test with his array of post moves, and Thomas could cause problems as well.

Though they're nowhere near as flashy as Kentucky is, there's no denying that Ohio State is balanced enough on offense and defense to compete with Kentucky on both ends of the floor. The Buckeyes play great man-to-man defense, and they can be deadly on offense when William Buford is knocking down shots in support of Sullinger and Thomas.

None of this is to say that Ohio State would be a lock to beat Kentucky, of course. But of the three other teams still standing in the tournament, the Buckeyes are the one most capable of taking out the Wildcats once and for all.

One way or the other, there's no way this game would be a laugher. It would go down to the wire.