Let it be known that I absolutely love the NCAA basketball tournament. However, several questionable calls against underdogs who were on the cusp of pulling the big upset have tainted the Road to the Final Four and given some thought as to whether or not higher powers have vested interests in the upcoming matchups. Here are several examples to "foul" play by the zebras.

1.                  The non-call on Greg Oden's two hand push of Justin Cage in the waning seconds of the Xavier-Ohio State game last weekend not being called an intentional foul. This was a fairly blatant infraction and Oden admitted to intentionally fouling in the postgame. This was a major call that gave Ron Lewis the chance to send the game into overtime.

2.                  The officials "coddling" of Mike Conley in the second half of the Ohio State comeback against Tennessee. There is no doubt that Tennessee self-destructed to an extent in this game. But, if this was a murder, the referees would have been charged with an accomplice charges. Ohio State, and Conley in particular, lived a charmed life from the foul line when it mattered most.

3.                  Kansas being the beneficiary of several judgment calls that helped them claw to a three point lead over Southern Illinois. The Julian Wright dunk after the shot clock expiration is something that should never go unnoticed in a Sweet 16 matchup. These games matter too much to let things like that slip through the cracks.

4.                  And most egregiously, Jeff Green's uncalled travel through the lane on Georgetown's game "winning" shot against a game Vanderbilt squad that deserved a better fate. This no-call may be one of the worst in a long time in a game ending situation.

What scares me as a fan is how all of the teams that came up on the short end of these calls were the upstart programs going against the traditional powers. Trends like these are what inspires the conspiracy theorists and those sidewalk fans that tell underdogs that you better win by 20 to win by a point. I hope Hank Nicholls (the head of officiating) and the NCAA learn something from this and restore confidence in the striped shirts.