Michigan and the woodshed

One of two things has to be true. Either the Red Raiders of Texas Tech were underrated all year -- or the Michigan Wolverines were vastly overrated -- again.

Because the latter got taken to the proverbial woodshed by the former in a Sweet Sixteen game.

Michigan could only manage a paltry 16 points in the entire first half? And 44 total? That's more like a high school score, not a so-called "elite" program.

This was men against boys from the opening tip-off. Straight to the woodshed went the "proud" -- and they're always chock full of pride -- Wolverines.

Yeah, I know. Michigan made it all the way to the championship game last before getting drubbed by a vastly superior Villanova squad.

And many moons ago, the "Fab Five" was supposed to be all that. But they never won squat, always choking on the big stage. A bunch of hype and precious few results. All talk and no walk.

Just this year, Michigan was blistered by their in-state rival Michigan State, not once, not twice, but three times. Ouch. And the Spartans of MSU just kicked LSU to the curb in convincing fashion.

And now along come Texas Tech, a lower seed, and trashes them by 20 points or so.

Did I mention woodshed?

On related notes, a #1 seed finally went down. Few would have foreseen Auburn clobbering mighty North Carolna -- but they did.

Yours truly is surprised Virginia's still around. The Cavaliers have a long history of being great regular season teams but chokers once the tournament starts, dating all the way back to the Ralph Sampson days.

Who's going to win it all?

Not a clue, but I've been a closet Gonzaga fan for as long as I can remember. How can you root against a tiny private school tucked away in the far northwest corner of the country, when they have to go up against so many behemoths at this time every year?

Go Zags.

Yep, it's going to be a long flight back to Ann Arbor for Michigan.

And a while before they heal up from the thrashing they got in the woodshed. Hope they've got extra-soft pillows on the plane for them to sit on.

Man, that's gotta smart.