This year's NCAA tournament bracket seems more even than any I can remember, perhaps because there are no true outstanding teams outside of Ohio State.

With more teams (the field moved from 64 to 68 this year) and new names (the first weekend is now the second and third rounds, completely confusing fans) there are more chances for a blown up bracket than ever.

Of course, that’s part of the fun. Here’s a quick guide that might land you in the top 10 of your office pool. But don’t place blame if you end up last, either.

While you're making your picks, don't forget to sign up for the AnnArbor.com bracket challenge, too.

East Region The NCAA tournament committee placed the top overall seed, those Buckeyes, into the hardest region in the tournament.

Consider: Eight of the coaches in the East region have made the Final Four. Two of those teams — Syracuse and North Carolina — have won national titles in the past 10 years and the No. 8 seed, George Mason, might be one of the strongest teams in the entire field.

Despite all of that, I like Ohio State to come out of the East Region. The Buckeyes are too strong, too balanced and have shown they can win close games and blowouts.

First round upset pick: No. 11 Marquette over No. 6 Xavier. Second round upset pick: No. 7 Washington over No. 2 North Carolina. Regional Final: No. 1 Ohio State over No. 3 Syracuse.

West Region Duke snagged the final No. 1 seed, presumably over San Diego State and Notre Dame, but the NCAA shipped the Blue Devils out to Anaheim for the second weekend of the tournament.

Duke should get through the first weekend — for those wondering, Michigan will beat Tennessee before losing to the Blue Devils — but it gets more difficult after that.

San Diego State and Arizona have the advantage in this region because their travel will be minimized. Heck, the Aztecs only have to cross one state border to reach the Final Four.

The toughest pick in this region is No. 4 Texas vs. No. 13 Oakland in the second round. Went with the Longhorns after flip-flopping the pick multiple times.

First round upset pick: No. 11 Missouri over No. 6 Cincinnati. Second round upset: No. 5 Arizona over No. 4 Texas (in Tulsa, Okla.). Regional Final: No. 2 San Diego State over No. 1 Duke.

Southwest Region This region sets up fairly well for the top two seeds the first weekend. No. 2 Notre Dame essentially plays home games in Chicago and top-seeded Kansas plays Tulsa.

The rest of this region is unimpressive, which means there are chances for mid-range upsets. Don’t expect it to happen.

Georgetown, the No. 6 seed, is questionable because of the health of point guard Chris Wright. That they are playing a play-in/first-round game opponent in either VCU or USC helps the Hoyas, though.

Purdue, the No. 3 seed, has gone flat in the past week but has the talent to recover. It’ll be interesting.

First round upset pick: No. 12 Richmond over No. 5 Vanderbilt. Second round upset pick: None. Regional Final: No. 2 Notre Dame over No. 4 Louisville.

Southeast Region: This is, by far, the easiest region in the entire bracket.

Pittsburgh is a good, but not elite, team. Florida has shown the capability to be really strong, but are rated too high at a No. 2 seed. Third-seeded BYU lost one of its best players in Brandon Davies due to an honor code violation.

The lower seeds are the ones to watch out for. Each year, one bracket goes completely bonkers.

Welcome to your Southeast. This is also the region I have the least confidence in. Because of all the upsets, a flawed team that might not escape the first weekend is in the Final Four.

First round upset pick(s): No. 12 Utah State over No. 5 Kansas State; No. 13 Belmont over No. 4 Wisconsin; No. 11 Gonzaga over No. 6 St. John’s. Second round upset pick (s): No. 13 Belmont over No. 12 Utah State; No. 9 Old Dominion over No. 1 Pittsburgh; No. 11 Gonzaga over No. 3 BYU. Regional final: No. 2 Florida over No. 9 Old Dominion.

Final Four: This will not be a pretty Final Four.

None of the schools are repeaters and while only one coach is a Final Four newbie, Notre Dame’s Mike Brey, the rest haven’t been there in a long time.

Steve Fisher hasn’t been to the Final Four since the Fab Five. Thad Matta last reached the final weekend with the Thad Five and Florida coach Billy Donovan won back-to-back national championships with guys named Noah and Horford, who are now NBA All-Stars.

The best team in this Houston bracket is Ohio State. It’s not close.

The Buckeyes will easily handle a San Diego State team that has talent but isn’t as strong in the starting lineup as Ohio State. None of the Aztecs can handle Jared Sullinger inside.

Notre Dame uses its senior leadership in Ben Hansbrough and Tim Abromaitis to knock off flawed-but-in-the-Final-Four Florida to reach the national championship game.

The Irish have no answers for Ohio State in the title game, though, as Sullinger fouls out Notre Dame forward Tyrone Nash in 20 minutes. The Buckeyes take a big lead in the final before Notre Dame tries to shoot its way back into it.

But it isn’t enough.

National semifinals: Ohio State over San Diego State; Notre Dame over Florida National championship game: Ohio State 75, Notre Dame 69

Michael Rothstein covers Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.