And now it begins.

Forget what you already know about the sport of college basketball.

Seriously, if you want to have any success when it comes to watching this March Madness over the next three weekends, you might as well just sit back and enjoy the ride.

MANY FANS will spend either Sunday or Monday filling out brackets, because let's face it - people like to fill out brackets when it comes to the NCAA tournament.

I'm no different either, as I will probably wind up in at least two, if not three, pools with some friends.

I've won the pool once before, when North Carolina beat Michigan State three years ago, but my chances of winning again are just like everyone else - 1 in 68.

Often times, I'm just lucky enough to make it through my selections before one gets eliminated.

But that is what is great about the next three weeks - no matter how much you've watched a team like North Carolina, Duke or Gonzaga this season, you really believe that they're not going to lose again.

At least two of them will.

Whether on a buzzer beater or getting flat-out ran past by a better team, that's what will happen.

Nobody thought Butler, a little school from Indianapolis, could make a run to the title game once, let alone getting there again last season.

And for as bad as a few of the teams in the Pac-12 Conference were this season, the Washington Huskies, who won the conference title, were beaten in the conference tournament by Oregon State on Thursday.

Depending on who you listen to, the Huskies could either make the tournament or find themselves preparing for a date in the NIT.

A regular season champion out of the big dance - now that might be complete madness.

THE MADNESS may not be related to just basketball over the next month either.

Whether or not it actually happens, Peyton Manning’s decision may be the second most important one that he’ll make this year.

It might make for some great ratings — put Manning in his old high school gym, maybe the night before the start of the NCAA tournament and have some network pay an obscene amount of money to let him tell the world his next move on national television.

Seemed to work out well for LeBron James — didn’t it?

Wherever Manning winds up, some think that team will become an instant contender for the Super Bowl.

For right now, I’ll remain content in just sitting back and watching it all happen.

From the upsets to The Decision — Part 2, it’s going to get interesting very soon.

Let the madness begin — I’m ready for it.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com