NCAA Tournament Bracket: Do's and Don'ts

(CBS) - The Madness is upon us. We're just a handful of hours away from possibly the greatest, purest sporting event in America. Wait, you haven't finished your NCAA Tournament bracket yet? Well, here are a few helpful "Do's" and Don'ts" for all your bracketology needs.

DO

- Pay attention to your picks. Yes, we've all heard the "pick-the-mascot-not-the-team" theory (bad news for the Ohio St. nuts,) but a deeper look is crucial for coming out ahead of your officemates in the bracket pool. No. 3 BYU looks like a tempting pick, right? Refresh your memory on the Brandon Davies saga and give the Cougars a second look without their star player. Think North Carolina can't make it past Ohio State? Remember those are the regular-season ACC Champions you're talking about, whose only two losses since January 16 came at the hands of Duke. The more you know, the better you pick.

- Take every game seriously. The beauty of the NCAA Tournament is its one-game elimination format. Even top seeds will get bounced quickly if they have a down night. Remember that every team in this tournament is there for a reason, and every team is beatable.

- Look to the big teams. There's a reason some schools always find themselves in the hunt late in March. Established programs are able to recruit athletes at a level smaller schools can't match. Elite athletes can help make up for other weak-spots when facing off against smaller teams. If you're looking at a game that feels like a coin-toss, pick the team with the taller center.

DON'T

- Fall in love with upsets and bracket-busters. Everyone wants their bracket to be unique, but there's a reason top seeds are top seeds. Once the first few rounds shake out, expect the tournament to go roughly how the experts predict.

- Fall in love with the Pac-10. It's just not their year.

- Pick Ohio State to win it all. They're in the toughest bracket, will probably face North Carolina (if the Buckeyes make it by a red-hot Kentucky team first,) and they're everyone else's pick. Kansas, Pitt, Duke, and Texas are all worthy candidates for winning it all.

- Take my word for it. CBSSports.com senior writer Gary Parrish knows all, check out his picks here.