ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi picks BYU and Drake to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Screen Grab: ESPN on YouTube

Joe Lunardi, the Godather of bracketology, has a knack for predicting who will make the NCAA Tournament. But once the field is set, it’s anyone’s guess, just like for the rest of us with our brackets.

Despite his expertise in predicting the field, you might think Lunardi would have an edge in picking winners. However, it seems even his knowledge might not be much better than picking names out of a hat in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Lunardi took to Twitter/X after the Round of 64 to establish that he was second-to-last in his family bracket group. And in last place? The family dog, Sam, picked the Samford Bulldogs to win it all. Talk about rubbing salt in the wound. Good grief.

“Barely ahead of the family dog. Again. What a country,” read Lunardi’s post.

The “again” part of that post seems to insinuate that this isn’t the first time. And let’s assume that the family dog picks are being made to favor teams with dog names. So, perhaps it might be time for Lunardi to go back to the drawing board.

If it’s any consolation, this is the worst bracket I’ve ever put together and my only saving grace, along with Lunardi. As of the writing of this article, I’m in the 11.1 percentile with three Final Four picks, and my national champion is still intact. And I know, I know, nobody cares about my bracket, but let me empathize with ESPN’s resident bracketologist for a second here.

Perhaps we’d all be better off picking blindfolded for next year’s tournament. But this is what makes the chaos of March great— unless you have money on it, of course.

[Joe Lunardi on Twitter/X]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.