The Bracket Project
Ranking the Bracketologists

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Track the bracketologists this year at The Bracket Matrix.

What's this all about?
Using the final results from the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 matrices, each site was graded based on a scoring system made by Paymon at PHSports.  This rubric awards 3 points for each team correctly picked, 2 points for each team correctly seeded, and 1 point for each team correctly seeded within one seed line.  With 68 teams, a perfect score is 408.  The variance section of the data table below lists the absolute deviation between each score and the mean for that particular year.  Thus, a 10 point variance means that site's bracket scored 10 points higher than the average bracket that year.

Please remember that these are in essence the final exam grades.  The true value of a good bracketologist lies in how much preparation he or she does leading up to the final exam including watching games, making mock brackets, looking at computer rankings, comparing blind resumes, taking questions from ESPN personalities (okay, that's just Lunardi), interacting with the fans to incite debate, and in the end, figuring out how the committee will put together the official bracket.  Of course, in most courses, final exams count the most, so with that being said, here are the results.  Bracketologists have been split into two groups: one group contains sites that have participated for at least 3 years.  The second group shows everybody else.  All bracketologists must have submitted a bracket in 2011 to be on this list.

PAYMON SCORE   VARIANCE   AVERAGE YEARS IN
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011   2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011   MATRIX
284.4 285.9 309.1 303.6 303.5 311.4                    
BRACKET VETERANS - 3 YEARS or MORE                                
1 Bracketville BV       316 322 313         12.4 18.5 1.6   10.8 3
2 College Hoops Net - Shawn Siegel CHN     328 302 321 319       18.9 -1.6 17.5 7.6   10.6 4
3 The Bracket Project BP 291 311 313 311 307 326   6.6 25.1 3.9 7.4 3.5 14.6   10.17 6
4 Beer's Bracket Beer       305 319 325         1.4 15.5 13.6   10.16 3
5 Busting the Bracket BtBr 295 287 333 312 313 318   10.6 1.1 23.9 8.4 9.5 6.6   10.0 6
6 D1scourse - Patrick Stevens D1     319 301 321 326       9.9 -2.6 17.5 14.6   9.9 4
7 Bracketology 101 B101 298 295 332 315 305 307   13.6 9.1 22.9 11.4 1.5 -4.4   9.0 6
8 Bracket Facts (Bracketology 65) Facts       310 305 330         6.4 1.5 18.6   8.8 3
9 Lobofan2003's Bracketology Lobo       307 315 321         3.4 11.5 9.6   8.2 3
10 Baseline Stats Base       317 305 317         13.4 1.5 5.6   6.8 3
11 Bracket WAG WAG   293 326 310 290 323     7.1 16.9 6.4 -13.5 11.6   5.7 5
12 Online Sports Fanatic - Blake Hofstad OSF-H       314 307 313         10.4 3.5 1.6   5.2 3
13 The Bracket Board TBB 289 286 318 315 312 306   4.6 0.1 8.9 11.4 8.5 -5.4   4.7 6
14 Blogging the Bracket BtB     323 307 296 320       13.9 3.4 -7.5 8.6   4.6 4
15 VTS Bracketmaker VTS       309 306 316         5.4 2.5 4.6   4.2 3
16 CBS Sports - Gary Parrish CBS-GP   296 313 311 298 311     10.1 3.9 7.4 -5.5 -0.4   3.1 5
17 The Columbus Dispatch CD       304 303 320         0.4 -0.5 8.6   2.8 3
18 Bracketography Graph 293 277 318 325 284 314   8.6 -8.9 8.9 21.4 -19.5 2.6   2.2 6
19 Coolpohle's Bracketology CP     322 295 297 321       12.9 -8.6 -6.5 9.6   1.9 4
19 Yahoo Sports - Brad Evans Yahoo     318 293 308 316       8.9 -10.6 4.5 4.6   1.9 4
21 FOX Sports - Jordan Schwartz FOX       284 309 331         -19.6 5.5 19.6   1.8 3
22 Rivals - Mike Huguenin Rivals     311 318 304 301       1.9 14.4 0.5 -10.4   1.6 4
23 Sports Illustrated - Andy Glockner SI       298 302 323         -5.6 -1.5 11.6   1.5 3
23 Busting Bracketologists - CJ CJ       313 299 311         9.4 -4.5 -0.4   1.5 3
25 MAG MAG 293 286 314 293 305 313   8.6 0.1 4.9 -10.6 1.5 1.6   1.0 6
26 CBS Sports - Jerry Palm CBS 277   310 315 312 301   -7.4   0.9 11.4 8.5 -10.4   0.6 5
27 Bracket Predictions BrP 289 280 317 298 301 310   4.6 -5.9 7.9 -5.6 -2.5 -1.4   -0.5 6
27 ESPN Bracketology - Joe Lunardi ESPN 296 275 307 307 300 310   11.6 -10.9 -2.1 3.4 -3.5 -1.4   -0.5 6
29 Schmolik 64 S64 291 284 303 310 291 313   6.6 -1.9 -6.1 6.4 -12.5 1.6   -1.0 6
30 Warren Nolan WN 297 281 304 307 303 298   12.6 -4.9 -5.1 3.4 -0.5 -13.4   -1.3 6
31 Rock M Nation Rock       300 301 313         -3.6 -2.5 1.6   -1.5 3
31 Bluejay Banter Bracketology BBB       304 299 311         0.4 -4.5 -0.4   -1.5 3
33 PH Sports PHSports   292 303 305 311 293     6.1 -6.1 1.4 7.5 -18.4   -1.9 5
34 Crashing the Dance CtD   273 296 306 309 319     -12.9 -13.1 2.4 5.5 7.6   -2.1 5
35 Rainmaker's Bracketology Rain       307 310 295         3.4 6.5 -16.4   -2.2 3
36 March Madness '11 MM11   272 295 309 305 320     -13.9 -14.1 5.4 1.5 8.6   -2.5 5
37 Rush the Court Rush       304 303 303         0.4 -0.5 -8.4   -2.8 3
38 Basketball Predictions BaP   287 297 296 306 306     1.1 -12.1 -7.6 2.5 -5.4   -4.3 5
39 Bracket Watch - Howard Salwasser BW 272 291 300 303 303 297   -12.4 5.1 -9.1 -0.6 -0.5 -14.4   -5.3 6
40 Busting Bracketologists - Bryce Bryce     297 296 297 308       -12.1 -7.6 -6.5 -3.4   -7.4 4
41 The Sporting News - Ryan Fagan SN       298 303 294         -5.6 -0.5 -17.4   -7.8 3
42 Brack Attack BA       287 298 304         -16.6 -5.5 -7.4   -9.8 3
43 The Hoops Report THR     297 290 307 293       -12.1 -13.6 3.5 -18.4   -10.1 4
44 RPI Forecast RPI     270   271 278       -39.1   -32.5 -33.4   -35.0 3
                                   
BRACKET NEWBIES - 2 YEARS or LESS                                  
1 68&16 College Sportscast 68&16           329             17.6   17.6 1
2 Ivar's Blog Ivar           325             13.6   13.6 1
3 The Washington Post - Eric Prisbell WP         322 320           18.5 8.6   13.5 2
4 RFS Bracket Science RFS           323             11.6   11.6 1
4 Ryan's Bracketology Ryan           323             11.6   11.6 1
6 Bulldog Brackets BB           321             9.6   9.6 1
6 Countdown to March CM           321             9.6   9.6 1
8 Brackonomics Brack         315 319           11.5 7.6   9.5 2
9 Brad-ketology Brad         310 323           6.5 11.6   9.0 2
9 Bracket Madness MAD         322 311           18.5 -0.4   9.0 2
11 Primetime Bracketology - HTTV PTB-H         307 325           3.5 13.6   8.5 2
12 Jabesblog Jabe         303 327           -0.5 15.6   7.5 2
13 5 Borough Sports 5B           318             6.6   6.6 1
13 SportsRatings SR           318             6.6   6.6 1
15 Bucky's Bracket Bucky         310 316           6.5 4.6   5.5 2
16 Bracket Mensa BM         312 313           8.5 1.6   5.0 2
17 LAOJoe's Bracketology Joe         318 307           14.5 -4.4   5.0 2
18 Bracketological Excellence BE           316             4.6   4.6 1
18 Steve's Bracket Steve           316             4.6   4.6 1
20 Quantitative Prognosticator QP           314             2.6   2.6 1
21 The Sports Bank TSB         301 318           -2.5 6.6   2.0 2
22 March 24/7 M24 7           312             0.6   0.6 1
23 ASN College Bracketology ASN         299 317           -4.5 5.6   0.5 2
23 Chop Culture Chop         303 313           -0.5 1.6   0.5 2
23 Primetime Bracketology - Buckeye PTB-B         309 307           5.5 -4.4   0.5 2
26 Bracketville USA BUSA         308 307           4.5 -4.4   0.0 2
27 D World Society DW         315 298           11.5 -13.4   -1.0 2
28 Kentucky Sports Online KSO           310             -1.4   -1.4 1
29 2011 March Madness MM         294 318           -9.5 6.6   -1.5 2
30 Whiskatology Whisk           309             -2.4   -2.4 1
31 San Antonio Express News SA         298 312           -5.5 0.6   -2.5 2
32 Brendan Cox Bracketology BC           308             -3.4   -3.4 1
33 Daily Bracket DB         306 302           2.5 -9.4   -3.5 2
34 Diabetic's Bracketology Dia           307             -4.4   -4.4 1
35 Jeremy Kent's Bracketology Kent           306             -5.4   -5.4 1
35 NCAA Bubble Trouble NBT           306             -5.4   -5.4 1
37 Hoopville Hoop           305             -6.4   -6.4 1
37 Jeff D Lowe's Bracketology JDL           305             -6.4   -6.4 1
39 Bleacher Report - Jesse Kramer BR-JK         294 307           -9.5 -4.4   -7.0 2
40 CollegeSportsFans CSF       314   283         10.4   -28.4   -9.0 2
41 DBSpot DBS           301             -10.4   -10.4 1
41 Kerrance James' Bracketology KJ           301             -10.4   -10.4 1
41 Kurt's Bracket Kurt           301             -10.4   -10.4 1
44 Oak Creek's March Madness Oak         286 305           -17.5 -6.4   -12.0 2
44 Real Time RPI Real         295 296           -8.5 -15.4   -12.0 2
46 Seed Madness Seed         291 295           -12.5 -16.4   -14.5 2
47 BEISketbol BEIS         279 300           -24.5 -11.4   -18.0 2
Questions, comments, or mistakes should be mailed to bracketproject@gmail.com