Let's hear it for the Bobcats!

As a graduate of Miami University, I'm legally obligated to have mixed feelings about the Ohio Bobcats' mauling of Georgetown in what is undoubtedly the biggest upset of the NCAA Tournament so far. But the Miami-Ohio rivalry is far from Ohio State-Michigan, and any time a Mid-American Conference school pulls off a March Madness victory, it's good for the whole league. So I say, go get 'em, 'Cats.

The boys from Athens had already turned in one of the more improbable March runs I've seen in a long time, just by winning the MAC Tournament at the Gund Arena last weekend. They were just 17-14 going into the conference tourney, including a 7-9 record within the MAC, making them the 9-seed for the little dance. They needed overtime just to get past Ball State in the first round. Then they upset top-seeded Kent State, followed by my alma mater, before beating Akron in overtime to win the conference title. That alone was unlikely enough.

But to beat 3-seed Georgetown by 14 points in the NCAAs? Who could possibly have predicted that? The Hoyas came in at 23-10, playing in the much-tougher Big East, having lost their conference championship by just two points to West Virginia. How could they lose to a 21-14 team from the lowly MAC? ... That, my friends, is why we love March Madness so much.

The state's other two schools open play today. Xavier plays Minnesota at 12:25, and Ohio State faces California-Santa Barbara at about 9:35. The Buckeyes are a decent bet to go a long way in this tournament — but of course, that's what they said about Georgetown.