Pop, pop, pop. Bubble talk

Saturday is a HUGE day on the bubble and not just for Utah State.

The Aggies stand to benefit as much as anyone from the outcome of games across the country.

While Louisville’s win over No. 1 Syracuse did USU no favors, there were plenty of games that will make Utah State look better in the eyes of the NCAA selection committee — as long as the Aggies beat New Mexico State in tonight’s regular season finale.

Wichita State won in the Missouri Valley Conference semis, boosting USU’s strength of schedule. Northern Iowa winning in the other MVC semi likewise helps USU because the Aggies do not want the Panthers on the bubble. UNI needs to beat the Shockers, though, to keep that bubble less populated.

Other good wins for USU: Tennessee over Mississippi State, Georgetown over Cincinnati, South Florida over Connecticut, Notre Dame over Marquette (either way helps, actually), Virginia Tech over Georgia Tech, Saint Louis over Dayton and Massachusetts over Rhode Island. Each of these outcomes pushes a team closer to the edge of the bubble or to a worse seed.

There were, of course, some wins by bubble teams Utah State fans might have enjoyed seeing go the other way.

Among them: Arizona State over UCLA, UNLV over Wyoming, Mississippi over Arkansas, Memphis over Tulsa, Old Dominion over Towson State and Seton Hall over Providence.

Obviously Utah State just needs to keep on winning. That will take care of all nervousness and bubble chatter.

But each loss by a bubble team means USU’s resume looks a little better and might result in a better seed.

And a better seed is exactly what the Aggies need to advance past the first round for the first time since 2001.