"Yep. March Madness," you permitted, nodding grimly to a coworker as you pretended to find joy in filling out a bracket. A bracket, you dryly note, uninterestedly filling in the blanks, that is filled with teams that are playing games that matter. As opposed to playing games that don't matter, or not playing any games at all.
It's demoralizing enough for your favorite (?) college basketball team to not make any sort of post-season play, but an NCAA tournament bracket is a tangible, constant reminder that Ohio State isn't in that or any other bracket. If you filled one out, you'd be forgiven for succumbing to the hollow feeling in your gut and just putting Northwestern in the title game and winning by ten thousand points.