After Indiana's dramatic upset of the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday, the Hoosiers will face the Maryland Terrapins on Monday night for the national championship in men's college basketball.

Since Indiana beat Utah in the first round, we have been waiting for the Hoosiers to fall. But this is a stubborn No. 5 seed. To get to this game, Indiana beat two teams that beat Maryland this year: Oklahoma and Duke. I think we're going to get a really good game.

	With due respect to Indiana, I think Maryland will win the championship.

Still, with due respect to Indiana, I think Maryland will win the championship. I've liked the Terps since the tournament began and see no reason to change my mind. On paper, they have everything: leadership, experience, good guard play, scorers and size. They've taken these things off paper and onto the court and have played very well. They dominate or hold their own on the boards and have not panicked when things got tight.

Against Kansas, up by 20 with about six minutes left in the game, the Terps withstood a 19-4 run by the Jayhawks before sealing the victory at the foul line -- the key shot being a baseline jumper by the key Terp, senior guard Juan Dixon. Dixon's toughness is a symbol of the team. The Terps have been the best team. They are on a mission. Last year they blew a big lead to Duke. This year they held on.

A Maryland victory comes down to a few things: no early foul trouble for any of the big men. Lonny Baxter, who was not a factor against Kansas, Chris Wilcox and Tahj Holden have to play hard and clean. Those three guys have to go right at Jared Jeffries but not pick up any fouls. And Dixon needs to score between 25 and 30 points. If the Hoosiers contain Dixon (a lot easier said than done), this game could be close the whole way. Point guard Steve Blake needs to be assertive from the start. He was instrumental in building the second-half 20-point gap against Kansas.

Indiana needs a few more things to happen than Maryland does. The Hoosiers need to keep hitting about half of their 3-point shots. Jeffries can't get into foul trouble. Dane Fife has to play Dixon as well as he played Kent State's Trevor Huffman and Oklahoma's Hollis Price. If Jeffries is strong on offense and Fife strong on defense, the Hooisers can really make a game of it.

And don't be surprised if it happens. Indiana's inside presence is not that imposing but somehow this team has beaten some of the country's best. The Hoosiers have proven to be a good and worthy team. Now they have a chance to prove they're champions.