Xavier fan's guide to the bubble action: March 5

Another day, another batch of bubble games. March is just the best! Last night's action treated us to Texas Christian, Texas (Presumably Heathen), and Syracuse all losing. Tonight is loaded with action. Let's jump in.

Xavier @ Butler, 6pm, FS1

Probably be good if Butler lost this one.

Nebraska @ Michigan State, 7pm, ESPN2

Nebraska is 15-14 and probably already dead and buried, but (you may have heard) the bubble isn't chock full of teams with robust resumes right now. Winning this one might yet breathe life into their cause; dropping it would surely be a death knell.

Western Michigan @ Toledo, 7pm, ESPN+

Toledo is 23-6 right now, but their best win is against UC Irvine and they can't afford to add bad losses to their resume. Unfortunately, their conference is rife with landmine games, including this one. If they want any hope for at-large consideration, they can't drop this game.

Virginia Commonwealth @ George Mason, 7:30pm, no TV

VCU is probably fairly comfortable, but the A10 is tracking as a one-bid league. They have to take care of business down the stretch. Dropping this one would put plenty of hearts in stomachs for the next couple of weeks.

Purdue @ Minnesota, 8pm, Big Ten Network

Minnesota has gone from 16-5 to 18-11, and their resume is crying out for another big win for them to feel safe on Selection Sunday. They have the opportunity here and another in their season finale when they travel to Maryland. A loss here isn't a dealbreaker so much as a missed opportunity, but you can't assume they'd love their position if they hit the conference tournament at 18-13.

Utah State @ Colorado State, 9pm, AT&T Sports Net

Remember when Utah was good? They're not anymore, and this isn't about them. It is about Utah State, a team whose 24-6 record is light on quality wins or even quality games. A whopping 19 of their wins come in quads 3 and 4. This would be a bad loss for them, and it's not clear they can afford it.

Kentucky @ Mississippi, 9pm, ESPN

Kansas @ Oklahoma, 9pm, ESPN2

Both Mississippi and Oklahoma are fairly strongly positioned. They each have 11 losses and good computer numbers thanks to playing in tough conferences. Neither is likely sweating too much right now, but both could put the icing on top of solid resumes with wins tonight. These are big opportunities on the board for them.

Auburn @ Alabama, 9pm, ESPNU

Alabama is 17-12 and clinging to the bubble. They desperately need good wins to shore things up, and this is an opportunity for them to get one. Like so many other high-major at-large hopefuls, their record isn't superficially impressive. Heading into the SEC tournament with 20 wins within reach would be a monstrous victory for them.