NCAA Bracket 2012: Top Seeds That Should Be Worried Heading into March Madness

Being a top seed in the NCAA tournament means nothing.

Why?

Because it's all about which direction you're heading when you enter March Madness.

That's why it's called March Madness, after all, when upsets come in bunches nearly every year and top seeds are only as good as they're playing at the moment.

There are several top seeds that should be worried heading into the tournament. These teams' names won't save them from this list.

3. Syracuse (31-2, 17-1 Big East)

It's easy to look at Syracuse's record in the competitive Big East and say there's no way they are in any danger, especially in the early going.

But a closer look at the Orange and they haven't been as dominant as their record would indicate.

Beyond losing to Cincinnati in the semifinals of the Big East Tournament on Friday, Syracuse has had a lot of close wins, meaning there have been plenty of games where one opportunistic play by the other team could have changed the outcome.

Syracuse has beaten unranked Connecticut by two points and three points in their last two matchups, beat then-No. 18 Louisville by one point on Feb. 13 and beat unranked West Virginia by two points on Jan. 28.

2. Duke (27-6, 13-3 ACC)

I know, Duke fans, I can hear you now.

"But we have Coach K!"

Stop it. Just stop it.

The Blue Devils have lost to North Carolina and Florida State in their last three games and the fact of the matter is Austin Rivers is a young, developing player who isn't ready to lead the Blue Devils all the way yet.

The Blue Devils aren't ready yet, but they will be scary next season if their top players remain on the team.

1. Ohio State (27-7, 13-5 Big Ten)

Ohio State entered the season No. 3 in the nation.

Since then, a rough second half has dropped them to No. 7 in the country.

Five losses in the second half isn't exactly the end of the world for the Buckeyes, but the fact of the matter is they were supposed to be better than all the teams they lost to, and they just lost to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship.

This team has disappointed based on preseason expectations. The question is, will the Buckeyes live up to expectations in the NCAA tournament?

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