Bracketology 2024: Drake, Grand Canyon among mid-majors under at-large consideration

Samford Bulldogs - 17-3, 6-1 in the Southern Conference

Next is the team who in my opinion has the longest odds of any team in this list. Things would have to go perfectly for them right up until the conference title game to be in the conversation. Nevertheless, the Samford Bulldogs are on this list because they are 17-3 and a 6-1 record in the Southern Conference.

Not only is Bucky McMillan's team here because of the record, but they also had the nation's longest winning streak at 17 before losing to Furman on the road on Wednesday. A team that averages nearly 89 points per game, but without a real signature win is going to need to be perfect till the end of the year.

When we look at Samford’s resume some things stick out such as their 282nd strength of schedule and nine quad 4 wins, but there are some good things as well. The Bulldogs have a metrics average of 84 and rank 65th in strength of record. They also have a 1-3 record in the first two quads with a chance that some of their upcoming league games will fall in that range. As I mentioned, the Bulldogs have the longest odds of anyone on this list, but if Samford falls in the SoCon title game to let’s say the No. 2 seed, a 29-3 team with a NET ranking in the 70s would make an interesting case.