The coming of March means a lot of things to a lot of different people, but for a vast majority of Americans it means that the college basketball regular season has come to an end. But do not fret — March also brings the promise of Cinderella story victories, historic buzzer beater wins, and the "Big Dance." If none of that made any sense to you, welcome to your first glimpse into one of my personal favorite times of the year, March Madness. With the first rounds of the NCAA tournament underway this past weekend, it only seemed right to play along with the millions of other people filling out brackets, hoping by some miracle they figured out the key combination to end up with the coveted perfect bracket. Everyone has their own strategy of how to fill out a bracket, some people go based on seeding while others take a more risky route and go off who they think their team has the best chances of beating in the championship game. Oh, and then there's the people who pick teams based off of mascots. Though it isn't my typical method of formulating my own brackets I thought for once I'd give it a try. So here you go, my Elite Eight predictions based off team mascots.

1. Arizona

The Arizona wildcats had a pretty impressive season (with a record of 27-7) which ultimately earned them a number four seed in the tournament. After last year's unlikely lose to number 11 seeded Xavier during the Sweet 16, Arizona is back, and on the backs of Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat (their mascots) this team is coming back with a vengeance.

2. Tennessee

Any team knows that they are only as good as their mascot, and this year Tennessee showed that in a really big way. The Vols come into the NCAA tournament as a three seed and a record of 25-8 thus far this season. With their trusted mascot Smokey by their side I can easily see them sliding into the Elite Eight with no problem.

3. South Dakota State

Everyone loves a good underdog story, especially when it comes to March and the month of unlikely Cinderella stories. Well, that's exactly what South Dakota State is hoping for as this number 12 seeded teams heads into March Madness. They may not make it far, or they may but if it's up to me they're making it to the Elite Eight merely because of the cuteness of Jackrabbit, their adorable mascot.

4. Texas A&M

The Aggies lovable and loyal Shetland Sheepdog, Reveille, is by far one of the cutest mascots out there, and this number seven seeded (20-12) team knows it. They're not the strongest team in the dance nor are they the weakest. At the end of the day, though, they know what it takes to get the job done and will bring pride to the Aggies loyal just as Reveille brings pride to all Aggie fans past, present, and future.

5. Alabama

Big Al may not be the most intimidating of mascots out there, but along with the ninth-seeded Alabama basketball team they're ready to roll (Tide) over the competition. This team's record thus far in the year may not be stellar at 19-15, but just as Big Al they're intelligent and know what it takes at the end of the day to get the job done.

6. Butler

English Bulldogs are known for their fighting nature, and that's exactly what this number 10 seeded team and Butler Blue are bringing to March Madness. Go ahead and underestimate them now, but don't worry they'll bring the fight to you when the time comes. For that reason, and the mere fact that Butler Blue could easily distract anyone on the sidelines, is why I see Butler making it to the Elite Eight.

7. Charleston

While the Charleston Cougars may be a 13 seed and they may not have a cool name for their mascot, they do bring something to the table; a cute cougar. Yes, they may have nothing to do with the team itself, but as I said before a good team is only as good as their mascot; therefore, on that logic the Cougars could win the whole tournament. Sometimes you gotta go back to basics in order to win in the mightiest of ways.

8. URI

Rhody the Ram and the number seven seeded Rhode Island Rams are ready for the Big Dance and all that March Madness entails. With Rhody at the helm this team is going to be looking to batter their way through the competition and on to San Antonio to go for the gold. They may not be the strongest team that's in this fight, but they're not going home without first giving it all they've got, and that's a lot

Well, there ya have it folks. This is my dream team Elite Eight, at least when it comes to mascots. Yes, I'm aware that at this point in the tournament a few of these teams may have already missed the mark and been eliminated during one of the first two rounds. Also, if anyone is concerned, don't worry, this is by no means how I went about picking me three other brackets. To anyone who does form his or her bracket this way, go you — because honestly, this is more fun anyway.