This has been, by far, the craziest NCAA tournament I can ever remember. Every single game so far has increased my blood pressure, spiked my heart rate and probably shaved a few years off my life. If your bracket has survived the madness, props to you; I’m already down a two Final Four teams (I guess that’s what you get for ever having faith in a team from Pittsburgh or Notre Dame). Woof.

After a much needed break to get our heart rates back to normal, the next round of the tournament, the Sweet 16, kicks off this Thursday. Here’s a rundown of everything you need to know before you grab that bucket of wings/anti-anxiety medication and park yourself in front of the TV.

Some of the biggest upsets so far:

Butler over Pitt – I usually wouldn’t give a rat’s *** about anything that came out of Pittsburgh, but when an eight-seeded Butler team knocks out the first number one seed of the tournament, it’s a BFD. Especially since I probably lost a couple hundred dollars thanks to those fools. This was probably one of the weirdest game endings, ever. It came down to foul shots.

VCU over Purdue – I had never even HEARD of VCU before this tournament. The Virginia Commonwealth Rams may be the 2011 Cinderella Story. One of their own players (Jamie Skeen) even said if he was a regular person, he probably wouldn’t have picked VCU to make it to the Sweet 16.

Marquette over ‘Cuse – If you saw Marquette’s reaction at the final buzz, you’d agree with me on this one… I don’t think anyone has ever been more excited to find out they are going to New Jersey.

Games to watch:

Butler/ Wisconsin – Butler is a very, very strong 8-seed. I wouldn’t be surprised if they upset Wisconsin and made it to the Elite 8.

Florida / BYU – The Jimmer isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Going to be a great fast-paced game that you won’t want to miss.

March Madness has nothing to do with the preparations for spring break, daylong drinking holidays like Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day, or studying for midterms. It is about the best three weeks of any sport — the NCAA Tournament. The best of college basketball. Even if you’ve never watched a single minute of any game all season, you can still enjoy the Big Dance. It may be the only thing your friends are talking about the next few weeks so it may be a good idea to learn some important terms.

• Sweet 16/ Elite 8 / Final Four – These are the names of different rounds of the tournament. Throw out these phrases and you may be able to impress some of the testosterone-driven so much they may remove themselves from their TV screens. It’s a long shot, but it couldn’t hurt.

• Bracket – Bracket, bracket, bracket. You’ve definitely heard this word A LOT this week. March Madness is a huge gambling event. People pick their choices to win every game. There is absolutely no science behind this. (I know people who make their picks based on school name, mascot and the uniform colors.) It may be too late to input an official bracket, but you can print one at ESPN or Yahoo Sports and make your own picks for the rest of the games.

• Bracket Buster – The upset game that ruins everyone’s brackets and their chances at a large pool of money. This may mean nothing to you now but Morehead State beating Louisville made a lot of people really, really angry. Think about it as the higher number seed (the worse team) beating the better team (the lower seed). After a really big upset you can say that your bracket is “busted.”

• Kemba Walker – One of the star players on the UConn team and sometimes referred to as King Kemba. Think, Michael Jordan. He is gorgeous to watch on the court as he blows up the boards (scores lots of points) and not bad too look at during his post-game interviews. Mmm.

• Buzzer Beater – The shot taken right before the clock runs out, when the buzzer would sound. It literally beats the buzzer. This mostly refers to the baskets that win or tie a game.

• Cinderella Story – The underdog team that should have lost in the early rounds of the tournament but managed to beat a big name team to advance. And just like Cinderella (and every other Disney princess), you can’t help but root for them.

• Buckeye – As a Penn Stater, I am ingrained to hate everything Ohio State. Ohio State received the overall number 1 seed for the tournament and many think they are favored to win the whole thing. The Buckeye is their mascot… and it’s a nut. SMH.

• The Ship – No, this is not a reference to that large cruise ship you just got off of. The Ship, or the Championship Game, will be held on April 4.

You can check out any of the games on TruTV, CBS, TNT and TBS. This is the first year that every single game is being televised so grab some popcorn, open up a cold beer, and make yourself comfortable on your couch. Or take your new-found knowledge to the bar to impress some sports fans! Either way… let the madness begin.

It might be 2010, but here at CollegeCandy we’re still stuck in the ’90s. All you have to do is say Chumbawhumba and we’re off and running on a ’90s nostalgia debate that lasts the entire day. We know we’re not the only people out there that still rock out to N’Sync and still remember the desperation you felt when you lost your favorite Pogs slammer. So instead of constantly arguing amongst the CollegeCandy team, we decided to throw the question out to our readers and choose, once and for all, what is the best thing to come from the ’90s (besides our many devoted readers, of course).

So, in the fashion of every guy’s wet dream, March Madness, we’ve created an “I Love the ’90s” bracket. We’ve narrowed down the best of the best of our favorite decade for the past few weeks and now that we’re at the final four, it is starting to get pretty crazy. Like Are You Afraid of the Dark plot line CRAZY. Cory and Topanaga are somehow beating all the odds and climbing their way to the top. The Spice Girls are going against one of the greatest scientific advances of our time…THE TAMAGOTCHI. It’s absolute madness in the CollegeCandy offices as we try to figure out how the gel pen got so far in the game/draw butterflies on each other’s hands with the milky pink one.

But that’s the whole reason we’re doing this and we’re excited to narrow it down even further today. We’re focused on the Final Four, baby. Who’s gonna make it to the LAST ROUND? Anything’s possible (clearly, based on the Cory and Topanga bizness) and we’re just waiting on your vote to see what happens. So vote now and then come back Monday to see who made it to the final round.

See the whole shebang right here.

Ready to vote? Pick your favorite from each match-up below. We’ll tally the scores and let you know who won when we gear up for the next round of votes on Thursday! And don’t forget to take a trip down memory lane and sound off in the comments!

But who’s gonna take it?

Gerard Butler is naughty!

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Bethenny Frankel’s a married lady. Mazel!

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God, college basketball is exciting.

What a strange, strange day.

And it was awesome. There were hot basketball fans all over the city and despite the $200 I lost playing blackjack at the Detroit casino (I was sitting next to a really cute UNC fan and didn’t want to get up….) the entire evening was really quite fun.

And now it is the moment of reckoning (for college basketball…not T.I.): the NCAA basketball final is here. Tonight the top two basketball teams in the country will face off for the ultimate title. Which team will come out on top: Barack Obama’s pick, UNC, or the Michigan State Spartans? And, the bigger question, will this game be over in time for the season premiere of The Hills?

We can only hope.
Who are you rooting for tonight?

Once you get past the fact that the NCAA Selection Committee made the mistake of not including some of the best teams that could have been this year’s Cinderella (Arizona State instead of St. Mary’s? come on), the board actually came up with a pretty good draw. And for the next 2 weeks, I will be fully immersing myself in the insanity and awesomeness that is the most exciting sporting event of the year: March Madness.

The best conference in the country (and maybe in history) is hands-down the Big East. 3 out of the 4 number 1 seeds are from the Big East: UConn, Louisville, and Pitt. Even Barack Obama believes in the dominance of this conference, since his bracket that he filled out on Wednesday (live on ESPN! what a cool prez) shows it filling half of his Elite Eight. Although Obama didn’t have our lovely school in his Final Four, Coach K isn’t worried.

And he shouldn’t be worried either. Thursday was the big first day of the NCAA tournament, and the big seeds shined just like they were predicted to. During lunch I heard the big news of #1-seeded UNC ripping Radford to shreds in the South, winning 101-58 (42 points too many, in my opinion). The other #1-seeded UConn also came out with a deafening roar, with the Huskies winning 103-47 against Chattanooga. #2 Memphis (who I have going to the Final Four) won as well, and of course the almighty Blue Devils beat Binghamton (ha, no chance at all).

The upsets were few, but pretty significant. Both the #10′s beat both the #7′s: Maryland showed they earned their spot in the draw by crushing California, while Michigan just got by Clemson (serves them right for beating Duke once in a fluke). Editor’s Note: GO BLUE!

#12 Western Kentucky beat #5 Illinois in a shocker, which definitely messed some of my friend’s brackets up and led to some name-calling on FB statuses (but with a “hilltopper” as mascot, they’re kinda asking for it). #9 Texas A&M beat #8 Brigham Young, which was expected, but the one non-upset that got me most upset (because it ruined my otherwise perfect bracket) was #6 UCLA squeezing by #11 VA Commonwealth! The score was 65-64, in a real nail-biter of a game (seriously, you should see my nails).

Oh well, 15 out of 16 – that ain’t bad. Watching the madness ensue on our flat-screen tv in the common room – that ain’t bad. Having Super G on our team – that’s the total opposite of bad. Now, if only Ty Lawson from UNC never comes back from sitting-out due to his injury…well, that’ll just be the icing on the cake.

1) Red Cross Month

Obama’s Presidential Proclamation last Friday marked the 66th time March has been declared Red Cross Month, and in honor of it, the American Red Cross will launch the first national Change A Life contest, running from March 2-16 (so enter now!) Just go to RedCross.org and share your story of how the Red Cross has changed your life or someone else’s life, and you could win a trip for two to Washington D.C. to join Keith Urban on his Escape Together world tour concert!

2) Rebounding

In celebration of Red Cross Month, I’m going to introduce you to a new form of the rebound – not just for sex, basketball, or even the emotional one anymore. I’m talking about the heart-healthy, original pure form of the rebound: on a trampoline. It’s quoted by NASA as “the most efficient and effective exercise yet devised by man,” and you can do it at home whilst watching TV! Unlike jogging, which for many people can cause stress on the joints, rebounding is a zero-impact exercise and is suitable for all ages and abilities.

3) New Funny Men

Ok, maybe not so new. But after Paul Harvey, one of America’s most beloved broadcasters in television history, sadly passed away over the weekend, don’t you want to hang onto the familiar? And while Conan O’Brien may be leaving Late Night, he’ll be sticking his late-night gig out on the Tonight Show, which is currently still hosted by Jay Leno. After Leno ends his contract in May, he will then be placed in the 10 o’clock comedy spot, an hour before his former show at 11. The totally new guy coming in will be Jimmy Fallon, an SNL alumnus, who will start hosting Conan’s Late Night tonight! It’s kinda confusing, but the main message is that you’ll still be able to watch your favorite late-night funny-men, just at different times. And if you’re in the mood for something new, tune in to see if Fallon can fill Conan’s (rather big) shoes or not.

4) Levers

No explanation needed. Just click here and play. (*Warning: may be as addicting as Jetman.)

5) The Couch Dress

Obviously the name isn’t as cool as the Snuggie (which is still at the top of my shopping list), but The Couch Dress is aptly named because it fits directly over you and onto your couch, so you can always blend in with your favorite piece of furniture! (Which is… awesome?)

6) Watchmen Hits Theaters March 6th

For all the comic book geeks out there (and the rest of us who simply like men in tights) director Zach Snyder has transformed this graphic novel into a big screen production. Not only does it have an 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (a pretty good critic rating), but even the director says it’s “a weird movie.” Now I HAVE to go see it. Plus, it’s a great alternative to seeing that Jonas Brothers 3-D bullsh*t that is also sweeping theaters this month.

7) MARCH MADNESS IS HERE!!!

Duke basketball is going all the way. Need I say more?

A big birthday Shout-Out to Dr. Suess, one of my favorite authors ever! Now go make some green eggs and ham and have a merry March.

We said goodbye to two contestants last night, and I have to say, I’m a little sad. I was never a Phil fan— there was something about him that really skeeved me out—but the boy could sing. If I closed my eyes while he performed, I actually kind of liked him. His eyes are just so big, and his head is just so… shiny.

Even sadder is seeing Chris go. He may not have been the most talented one up there, but there was just something about him (perhaps it was the mega watt smile) that made him one of my favorites. In the immortal words of Randy, I think he had the “Yo Factor.” I’m surprised because, while Blake’s rendition of You Give Love a Bad Name may have been innovative, I’m in the group of people who hated it—leave a good song alone. And I’m over the fact that you can beat box. I get it.

At least Phil has more time to spend with his wife and baby, and Chris can canoodle ‘til all hours of the night with Miss LC. I’m sure we’ll be hearing more from both of them.

The beginning of the show was the best part for me—they introduce Randy and he throws up his hand like he always does. They introduce Paula, and she attempts to throw up some sort of sign that ends up in an “L” shape, which she then puts up against her forehead. Is that not the international sign for loser? Oh, Paula… my week would be so boring without more of your drunken antics. I also found it amusing that Simon was hysterical when they called his relationship with his lady “very serious.” I wonder if they had a fight about that? I would have been slightly hurt…

Jon Bon Jovi remains one of the best looking musicians ever (I really do love him and his tight pants), and while I wished the song they played had rocked a little harder, they still sound great. I guess all their songs can’t be as classic as Livin’ on a Prayer, and Dead or Alive.

The show being an hour was a little over the top for me. I watch Ryan acting befuddled on E! far too frequently. And Robin Thicke’s performance was… mediocre. He has a nice enough voice, but I think he would have been voted off if he was a contestant. And most of the time, I like him. Apparently, he’s a studio kind of guy.

It was nice to the camaraderie among the contestants—all the girls crying, and the big groups hugs. I was touched. Seriously. I really want them all to win.

And now there are four. I’m glad that Jordin gets another week to show off her talent, and I honestly never get tired of hearing Melinda sing. As for LaKisha—girl, you redeemed yourself this week, and owned that Bon Jovi song. Keep it up, and I bet Blake gets voted off next.

Who is next?