The 2020-2021 basketball season for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish was a disappointment on many different levels. The way the Irish ended their ACC Tournament “run” for example, felt more like a deserved punishment for the sins of poor defensive play — and this is where we are. Another NCAA Tournament without the Irish playing in it, which is the fourth one in a row.

If there is just one silver lining... it’s that the Louisville Cardinals have exactly the same seed in this tourney as the Irish.

Of course though, we will still be glued to the television throughout the tournament to see how this all shakes out. So... we might as well have a good old-fashioned bracket competition.

FOLLOW THIS LINK TO JOIN THE OFD BRACKET CHALLENGE

Lawyers are probably needed, but I’ll just go ahead and say I’ll send the winner his/her choice of one t-shirt from our South Bend Collection by Breaking T.

Official Rules: 2021 Bracket Challenge Rules (ESPN).docx.pdf

Here’s a PRINTABLE BRACKET for you to have fun with.

Here’s SB Nation’s FULL PREVIEW for you to get learned.