The largest loser-out tournament in North America kicks off Thursday morning and for two weeks, the nation will be divided.

Sibling to sibling; friend to friend; co-worker to co-worker; everyone will be at odds over one question.

Who do I pick for March Madness?

If you’ve never participated or heard of the tournament, quick lesson. March Madness is the NCAA men’s national basketball tournament. It features a field of 64 teams who advance with a win through six rounds and the final winner being crowned national champion.

Meanwhile, people across the nation fill out brackets predicting the outcomes of games, for a chance at unwritten bragging rights amongst those around them, or a billion dollars from Warren Buffett for a perfect bracket (check Yahoo Sports).

Here’s the trick to March Madness though: There are no guarantees. The title accurately speaks to what the tournament is: madness.

It’s not unheard of for the No. 2 seed to be upset in the first round. It’s not out of the question for none of the No. 1 seeds to reach the Final Four. No amount of research, game film or sports knowledge can help you confidently predict and succeed in “bracketology.” It takes a good deal of luck, but beyond that, nothing is for sure.

So here’s a few of my hopefully lucky, bold predictions.

Biggest blowout: Wichita State over Cal Poly, first round

It’s obvious this would go to a No. 1 versus No. 16 pairing. Let’s be real, a 13-19 Cal Poly has no business being in this tourney. While I’m intrigued by them winning not only their conference tournament, but also their play-in game against Texas Southern, don’t count on them making this game close, especially against an undefeated Wichita.

Biggest first-round upset: No. 12 North Dakota State over No. 5 Oklahoma

Best field goal percentage in the nation and playing a team ranked 308th in the nation in points allowed per game — I like the Bison.

Best matchup to watch: Baylor versus Creighton

Creighton’s cold-blooded Doug McDermott against Baylor’s block-city center Isaiah Austin? Barring an upset in the first round, this game with a Sweet 16 berth on the line is sure to be a classic.

Team I want to win but probably won’t: Virginia Commonwealth

After watching them in 2011 with their Cinderella run to the Final Four, I’m convinced that VCU head coach Shaka Smart is the second coming of legendary UCLA coach John Wooden. While Commonwealth will probably win their first rounder against Stephen F. Austin College, they would potentially face UCLA and Florida over the next two, possibly sending the Rams home early.

Final Four group: Florida, Michigan State, Arizona, Duke

Two No. 1 seeds, a three seed and a four seed. Seems logical. Florida seems set in the South region. Arizona may have some trouble from Wisconsin and potentially Creighton in the West. No. 4 seed Michigan State can get it done in the East against an eclectic group. Duke can win the tough Midwest, but with Wichita State, Michigan, Louisville, St. Louis and Kentucky all breathing down their neck, they will have the toughest road to the Final Four.

Winner: University of Florida

This one was pretty easy for me. Aside from an undefeated Wichita State, Florida boasts one of the nation’s longest winning streaks at 26 games, having not lost since Dec. 2. A perfect 18-0 in the Southeastern Conference, and with wins over ranked opponents Kansas, Kentucky and Memphis, Florida is the team to beat going into the tournament.

On paper offensively, the Gators have no business being a number one seed. However, go to the other side of the ball, Florida is a defensive juggernaut, ranked third in the nation allowing only 57.9 points per game.

Ultimately, there are nine quintillion possible brackets. So while getting your bracket perfect might be next to impossible, hopefully you can embrace the true meaning of March Madness: picking better than your friends, family and co-workers.

And who knows, you may even beat me.

May the odds be ever in your favor.