March Madness First Four Sets Viewership Records, How Many Fans Watched Miami (OH), More?

People really wanted to see if Miami (OH) could prove the haters wrong.

The RedHawks helped set a number of viewership records during the First Four at the NCAA men's tournament earlier this week:

Miami (OH) became a major lightning rod before the tournament, with certain high-profile analysts arguing that schools like Auburn from more prestigious conferences like the SEC were more deserving of at-large bids.

Auburn was 18-16 this season and was eliminated in the second round of the SEC tournament.

Miami (OH), meanwhile, didn't pick up its first loss until the quarterfinals of the MAC tournament, losing 87-83 against UMass. That meant it could only reach the NCAA tournament as an at-large bid, though the committee snubbing the 31-1 RedHawks would have caused a massive backlash.

Miami (OH) proved the committee right in the First Four, beating SMU 89-79. The magic appeared to run out in the first round of the NCAA tournament, however, with the school trailing Tennessee by a massive margin at the time of publication.

No matter—it was a heck of a story while it lasted. For at least the First Four, the RedHawks were America's darlings.