.png)
I'm going to be honest; before last night, I thought today's recap of how my housemates' brackets performed in the Elite Eight was going to be the finale. Going into this round, it looked like Julia was going to be declared winner before the weekend. However, following UCLA's upset over Michigan last night, this competition has been blown wide open, meaning we won't see a final Uber Eats order until after this upcoming weekend.
I would have had these interviews in earlier today, but everyone in my house usually goes to bed at 9:30.
Standings
Before I get into the scenarios of how three housemates can still win, let's take a look at where everyone stands following the Elite Eight.
Julia (3/4 Correct Picks)(77 Pts.)
Grace (1/4 Correct Picks)(58 Pts.)
Erin (2/4 Correct Picks)(53 Pts.)
Bailey (1/4 Correct Picks)(38 Pts.)
How Erin Can Win
There are eight possible outcomes to the Final Four this weekend, with Erin and Julia each coming out on top in three of them. Despite sharing an equal amount of winning outcomes, Erin's are far more likely. Erin will win IF:
Baylor beats Houston, Gonzaga beats UCLA, and Gonzaga beats Baylor
OR
Baylor beats Houston, Gonzaga beats UCLA, and Baylor Beats Gonzaga
OR
Houston beats Baylor, Gonzaga beats UCLA, and Gonzaga beats Houston
Considering that she's mainly riding on the two best teams in the country to win, Erin was feeling pretty good about her chances Wednesday morning. At the beginning of this competition, Erin was criticized for using Siri to help make picks, but following the Elite Eight, she revealed a second reason for having Gonzaga go all the way.
"I'm feeling really confident about my choices," Erin said. "Gonzaga sounds like Gorgonzola cheese, and aside from Siri telling me they were the best, I really wanted them to win because of that."
Before finishing her interview, Erin reiterated her message to Gonzaga star Jalen Suggs that the world will not end if his team does not win the whole tournament.
How Julia Can Win
Despite picking three correct Final Four teams, Julia's possible paths to victory are currently the biggest longshots. Julia will win IF:
Baylor beats Houston, UCLA beats Gonzaga, and UCLA beats Baylor
OR
Baylor beats Houston, UCLA beats Gonzaga, and Baylor beats UCLA
OR
Houston beats Baylor, UCLA beats Gonzaga, and UCLA beats Houston
Julia notably declared Alabama overrated at the beginning of the competition, and was proven right when the Crimson Tide were eliminated by UCLA in the Sweet 16. While she wouldn't double down on the overrated claims with Gonzaga, she did have doubts about their potential to complete a perfect season.
"Everyone has their eggs in the Gonzaga basket," Julia explained. "They've got a perfect record, and it's hard to finish out something like that, so I just can't see them going all the way."
Being a California native, Julia regrets not having UCLA go as far as they did in her own bracket.
How Grace Can Win
Despite only having two possible outcomes that would give her Uber Eats on me, Grace's chances aren't too slim. Grace will win IF:
Houston beats Baylor, Gonzaga beats UCLA, and Houston beats Gonzaga
OR
Houston beats Baylor, UCLA beats Gonzaga, and Houston beats UCLA
Clearly, Grace is relying on her allegiance to Megan Thee Stallion's hometown school to carry her to victory, she's feeling pretty confident. When asked about her thoughts on this weekend's Final Four, Grace emphasized her love for the city of Houston.
"There's no way Houston can lose. My hometown team has got me."
Grace was born and raised in Manhattan, and later clarified that she has never been to Houston.
As mentioned in an earlier installment, Grace announced that she will no longer be ordering a pear pizza for everyone if she won, as the pear pizza turned out to be gross. Grace has now updated her order to Chick-Fil-A, albeit with a slimmer list of those invited. Grace clarified that anyone who doubted her throughout the competition would not be allowed to have any Chick-Fil-A.