March Madness 2015: Schedule and Bracket Predictions for Bubble Teams

The Super Bowl is awesome. The Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao fight will also be quite the spectacle. Still, no sporting event is quite like the NCAA tournament. On March 15, we'll find out what teams will be included in the Big Dance.

Per ESPN.com, here's a look at the schedule.

Selection Sunday

March 15

First Round

March 17-18

• UD Arena (Dayton, Ohio) 

Second and Third Rounds

March 19 and 21

• Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena (Jacksonville, Florida)
• KFC Yum! Center (Louisville, Kentucky)
• Consol Energy Center (Pittsburgh)
• Rose Garden (Portland, Oregon) 

March 20 and 22

• Time Warner Cable Arena (Charlotte, N.C.)
• Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio)
• CenturyLink Center (Omaha, Nebraska)
• KeyArena (Seattle)

Midwest Regional

March 26 and 28

• Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland, Ohio)

West Regional

March 26 and 28

• Staples Center (Los Angeles)

South Regional

March 27 and 29

• NRG Stadium (Houston)

East Regional

March 27 and 29

• Carrier Dome (Syracuse, New York)

National Semifinals

April 4

• Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)

Championship Game

April 6

• Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)

The teams that are currently ranked know they will be in the tournament field no matter what happens in their respective conference tournaments. However, there are, of course, teams on the bubble. These teams need to finish their regular seasons strong and have respectable showings in their conference tournaments to get over the hump.

According to ESPN's bracket expert Eamonn Brennan, the following teams are on the bubble. The teams that appear in bold are the ones we believe will b-Big Dance.

• Tulsa Golden Hurricane
• Temple Owls
• Cincinnati Bearcats
• Dayton Flyers
• Davidson Wildcats
• Rhode Island Rams
• North Carolina State Wolfpack
• Miami, Fl. Hurricanes
• Texas Longhorns
• Oklahoma State Cowboys
• St. John's Red Storm
• Xavier Musketeers
• Michigan State Spartans
• Ohio State Buckeyes
• Iowa Hawkeyes
• Indiana Hoosiers
• Purdue Boilermakers
• Illinois Fighting Illini
• San Diego State Aztecs
• Colorado State Rams
• Boise State Broncos
• Oregon Ducks
• UCLA Bruins
• Stanford Cardinal
• Georgia Bulldogs
• Ole Miss Rebels
• Texas A&M Aggies
• BYU Cougars
• Old Dominion Monarchs

If Friday were Selection Sunday, each of these teams could make a case for inclusion. On the flip side, there's enough to criticize about their resumes to send them to the National Invitational Tournament as a consolation.

When the smoke from the conference tournaments clears, the teams spotlighted below will make the most definitive case to play in the NCAA tourney.

Ohio State Buckeyes

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

The No. 23 Buckeyes have their share of doubters. A quick exit in their conference tournament could spell doom for their NCAA tournament hopes.

While the margin for error is slim, Ohio State has an asset that will allow it to finish strong. It's been said before: Guard play is extremely important in the NCAA tournament. Few, if any, have a playmaker like D'Angelo Russell in their backcourt.

The Buckeyes guard has proven to be one of the nation's best players all season. The 6'5" freshman is averaging 19.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. He's one of only two players in the nation (A.J. English of Iona is the other) averaging at least 19 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Russell gives the Buckeyes the type of go-to player that is rare on the collegiate level. As he preps for what will likely be the last collegiate games in his basketball career, Russell looks primed to make a statement.

Per Bill Landis of Cleveland.com, Russell embraces the leadership role and the spotlight. Russell said:

"

I just got that "It" about me, I can't really explain it. It just comes. I can't really explain it. I know when my team needs me, and I know when Coach puts me in that position to take over. He runs a specific play that I know means "get a bucket for us." I just take advantage of it.

"

The Bucks have won three straight games, and Russell has led the way. During the run, he is averaging 22.3 points per game. Ohio State is also allowing just 61.6 points per contest during that time.

With its leader hitting on all cylinders and the defense playing great, Ohio State should roar into the NCAA tournament on a high note. It should be considered legitimate threats to win the Big 10 tournament.

Texas Longhorns

The Texas Longhorns won't win the Big 12 tournament, but it will make enough noise to keep its bubble from bursting.

The team has had two separate four-game losing streaks, but it also has three wins over ranked opponents. The most recent was a 61-59 overtime win over the No. 14 Baylor Bears. 

There's still work for the Longhorns to get done. The losing streaks left a stain on the team's 2014-15 record, but it can be blotted out with a win on Saturday at home against the Kansas State Wildcats and a couple wins in the Big 12 tournament.

The Longhorns have already beaten the Wildcats once this season. On Feb. 7 Texas knocked off Kansas State in Manhattan, 61-57.

Saturday's clash will be in Texas, thus the win could be a little easier for the home team. From there, the task will likely be tougher.

Texas has proved capable of competing against the best in the conference. The team lost to the conference's presumed No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks by an average of nine points in two meetings.

Anyone who saw both of those games knows that they were even closer than the scores indicated. With everything on the line, Texas looked focused and desperate against Baylor. Expect to see a similar effort the rest of the way. 

Michigan State Spartans

Robin Scholz/Associated Press

For the last 17 years, the Michigan State Spartans have been a part of the NCAA tournament field. While this hasn't been one of head coach Tom Izzo's best seasons, I wouldn't bet on the streak ending.

The team just secured its 20th win of the season, and it is primed for the Big 10 tournament. The Spartans still need a win or two in the conference tournament and a win in the regular-season finale against the Indiana Hoosiers.

With just one win over a ranked opponent, it's easy to dissect the Spartans' resume. That said, the team is 11-6 in one of the nation's power conferences. The winning record in its league sets the foundation for a case to make the tournament. Still, Michigan State will need to make sure its latest impression is the most indelible one to the tournament committee.