CBS NCAA Bracket 2012: What CBS Expert Predicts for Syracuse

Syracuse's battle to get back to New Orleans, the site of its NCAA championship win in 2003, might not be as easy as some experts are predicting.

CBS Sports' Jeff Goodman doesn't think the Orange's East bracket is all that intimidating. No one expects them to have trouble handling UNC-Asheville in the first round, which is fair. But beyond that, there are a number of obstacles just waiting for a chance to knock off this No. 1 seed.

Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Ohio State and Florida State are certainly not scrubs. Even Kansas State might be able to give Syracuse some trouble if the cards fall right—the Wildcats did score big wins over Baylor and Missouri late in the season, proving it can run with the big dogs.

If the Orange make it to the Sweet 16, they are likely to face Wisconsin. The Badgers have beaten the likes of Indiana, Ohio State and Illinois, and although playing in the Big Ten wasn't quite as trying as playing in the Big East this season, it was no cakewalk. Wisconsin proved it can hang in there with the better teams, but its six losses also prove that things can just as easily go the other way.

Should it advance to the Elite Eight, Syracuse could face the likes of Cincinnati, Ohio State or Florida State, all of which are certainly capable of pulling off an upset win. The Bearcats, the lowest seed among those three, might be the scariest because they bounced Syracuse out of the Big East tournament just last week with a 71-68 win. The first time those two teams met this season, Syracuse won 60-53.

The Bearcats, however, would have to take down Texas, Florida State and possibly Ohio State to get to the Elite Eight, so Syracuse might be safe from them.

With FSU and OSU likely to face off in the Sweet 16, the Orange could have trouble playing the winner with a Final Four berth on the line. The Seminoles took down the best the ACC has to offer in succession to win the conference tournament, sending Duke and North Carolina packing last weekend. The Buckeyes finished second in the Big Ten and have wins against seven ranked teams on their resume, plus they're out to prove they got slighted out of a No. 1 seed.

No matter who the Orange face to gain admittance to the Final Four—if they even get that far—it will be a battle. Anything can happen during March Madness, especially when you're a No. 1 seed with a big target on your back.