Sweet 16 Predictions: North Carolina Will Send Ohio Back Down to Earth

UNC is a different animal.

Ohio is a nice Cinderella story, a school straight out of the Mid-American conference. But that story will end against the Tar Heels in the Sweet 16.

Michigan falling to the Bobcats was a surprise, but it wasn’t a shocker. Not only were the Wolverines ranked 202nd in the nation in scoring, they were ranked 311th on the glass. Their ceiling was the Sweet 16 to begin with.

And that’s something the Bobcats will be able to relate to.

They got extremely lucky with their matchup in the round of 32. South Florida had to play their way into the first weekend. Facing off against a much more talented Temple team would’ve been far more difficult.

But the Bobcats have run out of breaks…sort of. North Carolina is primed to face off against them in St. Louis. The Tar Heels, though, may be without starting point guard Kendall Marshall, who suffered a fractured wrist in a win over Creighton.

Marshall actually fought through the pain for over eight minutes play. With the game scheduled for March 23rd, the floor general has plenty of time to heal.

Even if he can’t suit up or isn’t at full strength, though, Ohio still has no hope. They simply can’t match up with the superior talent of the Tar Heels rotation. Roy Williams’ crew boasts a multitude of future NBA first-round prospects, including Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller, John Henson and even James McAdoo off the bench.

UNC lost to four teams all season long: Kentucky, Duke, Florida State and UNLV. Each of those squads boasts the talent to compete with the Tar Heels. Ohio would be fortunate to have a player selected in the second round over the next two years.

Teamwork and coaching can only get you so far. UNC will roll.

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

Follow @TheRealDDaniels