March Madness 2012 Predictions: Overrated Teams Destined to Be Upset

After a quick and shocking end to their NCAA tournament, the following teams will at least be able to take solace in the fact that they performed well enough during the season that they were in a position to be overrated. 

These are teams locked in the top 25 and cruising towards top seeds in the Big Dance. They are also the teams that every lower seed should be hoping to draw because they are not nearly as good as that top seed suggests. 

Ohio State

On November 29th, the Buckeyes looked like the team to beat in college basketball. They were undefeated on the season and fresh off of a complete, 85-63 dismantling of Duke. 

They have not looked anywhere near as dominant since. They only lost six games this season, but three of those came in their last seven regular season contests. 

They were just 1-3 against ranked teams during that stretch. That is no way to roll into the NCAA Tournament. Their confidence is rattled and they will be vulnerable. 

This is a team that gets the majority of their scoring from three players: Jared Sullinger, Deshaun Thomas and William Buford. In the tournament, their opponent will be able to load up their defense towards slowing those three and the rest of their team will not be able to pick up the slack. 

Notre Dame

It is easier to understand why Notre Dame will be upset than why they are in the Top 25 to begin. They are 22-11 on the season and have some nice wins, but they are also a flawed team with some ugly losses. 

They've lost three of their last five and only one of those losses came against a ranked team. They were taken apart by Louisville 64-50 in the Big East tournament, and they will be handled in the NCAA Tournament in a similar fashion. 

This is a squad that likes to slow games down and keep the score low. The problem with this is that they aren't an efficient scoring team and they don't rebound well.

The Irish are 189th in field-goal percentage and 202nd in rebounding. That is not a good combo and it will leave them as a one-and-done team in the Big Dance. 

Creighton

Creighton has used a 28-5 record to earn a 19 ranking in the AP poll. The problem is, they haven't played anyone. They have yet to play a team that was ranked, and they are about to be exposed. 

This is a fun team. They are the sixth-highest scoring team in the nation and they do that by moving the ball and knocking down shots. 

However, that shot can leave them for stretches and leave them dangling. Like it did a month ago when they lost to Northern Iowa, Wichita State and Southern Illinois for a three-game losing streak. 

That is not a streak any Top 25 team should have. Creighton doesn't have the size or the inside game to be consistent, and they will not have the athletic advantage that they enjoyed while playing out their lackluster schedule.