NCAA Bracket 2012: Ranking Non-No. 1 Seed National Championship Contenders

Resist the temptation.

If you advanced four No. 1 seeds to the Final Four, I don’t blame you.  It takes guts to pick upsets.  In reality, though, lower-seeded teams are more likely to sneak into the New Orleans than a quartet of No. 1 seeds.

Here are the top remaining non-No. 1 seeds that are legitimate national title contenders:

6. East: No. 4 Wisconsin

Vanderbilt was a popular pick to upset Syracuse, but Wisconsin knocked off the Commodores before they could get there.  Outside of Michigan State, the Badgers have only lost to one team over the past month and a half.

5. West: No. 4 Louisville

Like Wisconsin, Louisville was considered anything but a lock to advance to the Sweet 16.  The Big East Tournament champs are still alive and everyone remembers how the conference fared last year in the title.

4. West: No. 3 Marquette

In the Round of 64, Marquette made BYU look like they didn’t belong and on Saturday, they slowed the run-and-gun Racers of Murray State.  Thanks to Norfolk State, a Golden Eagle Final Four berth seems more realistic than ever.

3. South: No. 3 Baylor

Baylor also benefits from the elimination of a two-seed in Duke.  The Bears mowed down Colorado State in round two by the score of 80-63 and look talented enough to compete with Kentucky.

2. East: No. 2 Ohio State

Fab Melo is Thad Matta’s favorite player.  With Syracuse not at full strength, Ohio State is now without a doubt the favorite to break through to the Final Four out of the East.

1. Midwest: No. 2 Kansas

Thomas Robinson is still offended that the Jayhawks aren’t a one-seed.  Kansas barely escaped Purdue in round two, but because they’re still alive, they’re the most dangerous non-No. 1 seed in the Big Dance.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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