There's reason for optimism heading into the third week of the season. The current expanded playoff format has been in place since 1990. In the 14 seasons that have followed, 24 teams have started a campaign with at least two losses and eventually made the playoffs. Some even made deep playoff runs.
Rome and Han. One similarity between the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty were that they were both very advanced societies, with a great political system. The difference between the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty was that the Romans were sort of a republic, where they got to choose their leader.
Ancient Rome. To the ancient Romans, Venus wasn't a planet but a celestial body: she was the goddess of love and beauty. The Romans built an empire of gigantic proportions. At its height, it encompassed nearly the entire European continent as well as parts of the Middle East and Africa. The Roman Empire's tentacles stretched from England to Egypt, from Spain to Iraq, and from southern Russia to Morocco. More significantly, ancient Roman civilization thrived for nearly one thousand years.