We're back for another fun day of bubble watching. Things are certainly getting interesting.

First, I'd like to thank Reginald "Bubbles" Cousins (pictured) of The Wire for being today's Bubble Watch representative. If anybody knows the feeling of being an outcast who longs to be on the inside, it's poor Bubs.

I've moved this post back above the running LIVE blog of the Tennessee-Auburn game that just finished up. Give it a read anyway. It's interesting to back through a game just to see how the momentum shifts.

In the meantime, Joe Lunardi, who I am basing all of this off of, has revised bracket once again. Lunardi is projecting that there are SEVEN teams competing for THREE remaining at-large spots.

Here again are probably more numbers than you would ever want to know, but the figures in parentheses after the team name are the following (record against Division I opponents, RPI, strength of schedule, record vs. RPI top 50, record vs. RPI top 100, record in last 12 games)

Here's how things look right now (and remember, this is just a projection):

(UPDATE 12:42 p.m.) One bullet dodged. Tulsa got hammered by Memphis, keeping the Conference USA's automatic bid in safe hands. That probably also ends the Golden Hurricane's chances at making the Big Dance.

(UPDATE 2:05 p.m.) This is an interesting development. Mississippi State just took it to No. 1-seeded LSU in the SEC tournament to reach the championship game. The Bulldogs are not an at-large candidate for the NCAA tournament, but if they win tomorrow, that means they would get an automatic berth. If you're an Auburn fan, you can look at this two ways. 1) the path to get an automatic bid by winning the tournament just got a little easier. Obviously you'd rather want to play a team you've been handily twice than one that you split with during the regular season. But 2) this is another team that could potentially steal one of the four remaining berths out there. Auburn could very well play itself into an at-large bid by winning today, but still have to beat Mississippi State because the Bulldogs could end up taking away a berth at the last second. Just when you think you have this tournament bubble thing figured out, something like this happens.

(UPDATE 4:39 p.m.) I wrote this in the Auburn-Tennessee LIVE blog post, but I'll paste it here as well. What does the loss mean NCAA tournament-wise for Auburn? Well, it's not good. Basically, the Tigers have to hope the selection committee looks specifically at how they played down the stretch and hope that is more impressive than what Penn State or Creighton or Saint Mary's has accomplished for a full season. They also have to hope nobody else steals a bid. That means Mississippi State, Baylor, USC, Maryland, Duquesne and San Diego State ALL HAVE TO LOSE. You can't do anything if a team wins its conference tournament. If it is still an at-large candidate, then Auburn is at least in the picture. I'm still not liking the Tigers' chances, though.

(UPDATE 4:45 p.m.) Lunardi posted another update at 5 p.m. EST, before Auburn's loss. Tulsa, Florida, UNLV and New Mexico are off the board, leaving eight teams competing for four spots.

(UPDATE 5 p.m.) This is not bubble related, but it is hilarious. Here are the mascots involved, Big Blue and Pistol Pete. Just picture it in your head. Honestly, that's $100 well spent if that is indeed what happened.

(UPDATE 5:13 p.m) Maryland just lost to Duke, keeping them firmly in the bubble area. You've still got to like the Terps' chances, with wins against North Carolina, Michigan State and Wake Forest this year. They've also lost to Morgan State and a Virginia team that Auburn beat. Bottom line, though, a win against Duke would have locked up a bid for the Terps. Now they have to sweat it out.

(UPDATE 6:50 p.m.) Temple is in the tournament with an A-10 championship victory against Duquesne. Not a real blow here. One of these teams was going to get in regardless, and the Owls had a better at-large resume, so it's better for Auburn that they won.

(UPDATE 7:14 p.m.) Devastating news for Auburn. Southern California just knocked off Arizona State to win the Pac-10 and get an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament. That knocks down the number of at-large bids to three, so competition is tight. This might be the game that officially knocks the Tigers out of contention.

(UPDATE 7:18 p.m) Mizzou holds on to eliminate upstart Baylor. San Diego State can still grab an auto bid. So can Mississippi State tomorrow.

(UPDATE 8:04 p.m.) San Diego State came up just short against Utah in the MWC final, meaning the Aztecs are still in the at-large pool. According to Lunardi, they're now on the outside looking in, after the expert said on TV just now that he would swap the Aztecs with Saint Mary's if they didn't win today's game. This is pretty much the last significant bubble game tonight, so Auburn fans came go to sleep tonight with hopes of Tennessee handling Mississippi State in the SEC championship tomorrow and for the selection committee to probably pull a shocker and put the Tigers. It's not looking good, but the committee has surprised people in the past. Heck, even Lunardi gets them wrong every now and then. He even missed Auburn making the field in 2003. So there's a glimmer of hope out there.

AUTO BIDS

• Southern California (20-12, 52, 23, 4-8, 8-10, 7-5)
  

LUNARDI'S LAST THREE IN

• Creighton (26-7, 42, 110, 2-2, 9-5, 11-1)
  
• Maryland (19-13, 62, 30, 3-8, 7-11, 6-6)
• Saint Mary's (23-6, 48, 152, 2-3, 3-4, 7-5)

NEXT TEAMS OUT

• Penn State (22-10, 67, 120, 6-10, 7-11, 7-5)
  
• Arizona (19-13, 59, 31, 5-9, 8-12, 7-5)
• San Diego State (20-9, 37, 48, 1-6, 6-9, 9-3)
• Auburn (20-11, 65, 65, 2-6, 5-10, 9-3)
  

THE NIT WILL BE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU

• New Mexico (21-11, 66, 82, 3-4, 7-8, 9-3)
  
• UNLV (21-10, 63, 87, 4-5, 9-8, 6-6)
  
• Florida (23-9, 46, 94, 2-6, 8-8, 6-6)
  
• Tulsa (22-10, 64, 126, 2-7, 5-7, 9-3)