Will the clock strike midnight?

The Sweet 16 is usually when we say goodbye to the plucky little teams that pulled off an upset or two (and ruined plenty of brackets in the process). We listen to their stories. We smile at their silly traditions. We watch their bleary-eyed coaches take every single TV or radio appearance from New York to L.A. But now the clock strikes midnight, the glass slipper turns into a pumpkin, or whatever mixed cliche you want to use.

Then came George Mason. And now, well, we almost expect a repeat. We see the promise and ignore the reality. The Final Four, as George Mason discovered in its ugly national semifinal game against Florida, is no place for the spunky underdog. But we root for them to get there, anyway. Can it happen?

I would handicap the chances of the three double-digit seeds remaining like this ...

No. 12 Western Kentucky -- Nil.

UCLA will take out Western Kentucky in the next round. I know, I could jinx the sun rising by predicting it, but this should be one of those over-before-it-starts mismatches we so often see in the Sweet 16. The Hilltoppers, remember, haven't exactly blistered the big boys to get here -- nobody will mistake Drake and San Diego for North Carolina and Duke (okay, bad example). UCLA had a scare against Texas A&M in the second round and is too good to let that happen again. This one should be a blowout.

No. 12 Villanova -- Very slim.

I'm not ruling it out. Look, Nova is no Cinderella. They're also an imperfect team. There's a reason they finished in the middle of the pack in the Big East. They also played Siena in the second round. Kansas has a history of choking in the tournament, but this team looks very poised, and nobody can argue with the talent. I see a double-digit victory for the Jayhawks. Chalk rocks.

No. 10 Davidson -- Slim. BUT ...

Maybe it's because I want Davidson to win. I thought Georgetown would completely lockdown Stephen Curry -- and the Hoyas did, in the first half. Wisconsin is even better defensively. But there is something special about this kid. I think this is a very close game, and if the Wildcats survive to the Elite Eight ... Kansas probably wins nine out of the 10 times the two teams play, right? But it only takes one time. George Mason taught us that.

And that's why we watch, isn't it?