An absurd Auburn March Madness matchup would induce a total Bruce Pearl fever dream

Let's give the people what they want! With conference tournaments underway on the hardwood, it is all about getting one of 68 bids into the tournament. For a team like the Auburn Tigers who are clawing and scratching their way in and around the bubble, they will take what they can get. As for a team like the Miami RedHawks who will not win the MAC, an at-large bid will have to do for them now...

Fate would have it Auburn could potentially face Miami (OH) in the First Four in Dayton on Tuesday.

Jeff Goodman brought it to our attention, while Andy Staples did his part to speak this into existence.

So how would this total Bruce Pearl fever dream come into existence? Well, in the latest machinations of Bracketology, Auburn is still the last team into the tournament. Because Miami is no longer going to get the automatic qualifier out of the MAC by losing to UMass on Thursday, the RedHawks should be good enough to make the field as an at-large team. They are 31-1, whereas as Auburn is 17-15 now...

We might have to prepare ourselves to live in a world where Auburn and Miami (OH) will duke it out.

Auburn vs. Miami (OH) in Dayton would change the First Four forever

For as chaotic as the bubble has been, Miami (OH) is not going to fall that far from its previously projected No. 11 seed. It may have occupied an AQ spot up until now, but the RedHawks seem to be in a similar bucket of another mid-major like the Santa Clara Broncos who should be good enough to get in as an at-large. All things equal, it would be a shame to keep Travis Steele's Miami team out of it.

As far as Auburn is concerned, the Tigers picking up their 17th win on the season over Mississippi State in the first round of the SEC Tournament has them in fairly decent position to make the field of 68. It may have only been a Quad 3 win over Mississippi State on a neutral site, but Auburn's NET rating of 38 should have them just above the cut line for the time being. Again, others have fallen...

With other bubble teams like Indiana and Stanford having already been eliminated from their conference tournaments, we can safely cross off those two teams among the first four out. As long as Auburn plays halfway decently in Thursday afternoon's second-round game vs. No. 5 Tennessee, they might be in good enough shape to make the field. This is a Quad 1 game in a neutral floor, too.

So while Pearl has gone back and forth over how he feels about Miami's place in the NCAA Tournament bracket, it would only be fitting if his son Steven Pearl's Auburn squad were to take on Miami (OH) in the first round, first four, what have you. This is all about driving up narratives and fan engagement. Auburn vs. Miami (OH) in the First Four would be tremendous for the tournament, too.

Unfortuately, we live in this world, which will probably prevent this matchup from ever happening...