NCAA Upsets 2013: Top Seeds Who Will Fail to Fulfill Expectations

It has already been a wild college basketball season so imagine what March Madness is going to look like.

Several top seeds in the 2013 NCAA tournament suffered puzzling defeats this season, leading to a constant shuffling in the rankings throughout the campaign. But which of these top seeds will get it together in the NCAA tournament, and which ones will suffer heartbreak?

Here's a look at some top seeds I see failing to fulfill expectations in the 2013 NCAA tournament.

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All stats via ESPN.com and TeamRankings.com.

Georgetown (2) Falls to Florida (3) in Sweet 16

Florida certainly hasn't been perfect this season (who has?), but there is a lot to like about Billy Donovan's squad overall.

It would be easy to call this a matchup of offense versus defense. After all, we all know about Georgetown's defense (ranked third in opponents' field goal percentage, sixth in defensive efficiency).

However, it's important to note just how balanced the Gators can be when they're clicking.

Yes, the Gators rank eighth in field goal percentage and seventh in offensive efficiency, but they also rank fifth in opponents' field-goal percentage and third in defensive efficiency.

Georgetown's peripheral offensive stats (ranked 65th in field goal percentage) show that the offense doesn't look all that bad. But the more telling stat is offensive efficiency where the Hoyas rank 136th.

Georgetown, of course, has a star in Otto Porter Jr. and a nice accompanying player in Markel Starks, but beyond that, there isn't much that will scare the Gators. Florida not only has the offense to defeat Georgetown, but it also has the defense to put the clamps on the Hoyas.

Gonzaga (1) Falls to Ohio State (2) in Elite Eight

All the stats support Gonzaga.

The Bulldogs rank third in field goal percentage and first in offensive efficiency. They rank eighth in opponents' field goal percentage and 20th in defensive efficiency.

And there's no question the Bulldogs have two stars in Kelly Olynyk and Elias Harris who can carry them a long way.

But, the fact remains, Gonzaga's stats are a bit slanted in that the Bulldogs play in the WCC. In addition, the fact that Gonzaga also played three ranked teams this season—and lost to two of them—is hard to ignore. 

Those losses came to Illinois (in December) and Butler (in January).

Yes, the Bulldogs lost to Butler on a buzzer-beater, but they also allowed Butler to shoot 50 percent, including 8-of-19 from 3-point territory.

That parallels Gonzaga's loss to Illinois, too. The Fighting Illini shot 50 percent from the floor against Gonzaga in their 85-74 victory on Dec. 8. That included going 11-of-26 from downtown.

The Bulldogs' offense doesn't bother me. It's their defense that could cause them problems.

Take a look at potential Elite Eight opponent Ohio State. The Buckeyes rank 66th in field goal percentage and 30th in offensive efficiency. That's not great, but it's not bad either.

But the Buckeyes' recent run is the main reason why I have them surging past Gonzaga to the national championship game. They are hot at just the right time, winners of their last eight contests. They've defeated Michigan State twice, Indiana and Wisconsin during that time, capturing the coveted Big Ten title in the process.

This, coming from a team that lost to Wisconsin, 71-49, before its winning streak.

Ohio State has all the makings of a team that enters the NCAA tournament on a roll and runs the table.

Indiana (1) Falls to Syracuse (4) in Sweet 16

I will just come out and say that I'm not as high on Indiana as some people. Yes, the Hoosiers have the talent to win the national championship, but it's about more than talent (ahem, Kentucky). 

Indiana's recent losses to Minnesota, Ohio State and Wisconsin are not to be taken lightly. All three shot better than the Hoosiers and outrebounded them too.

Do the Hoosiers have the pieces to turn this around? Sure. But will they? I'm not so sure. Their offense, defense and rebounding have gone downhill recently. They would have to turn things around in all three areas, in one fell swoop, and that's asking a lot.

What's interesting about Syracuse is that the Orange rank 56th in the country in rebounding rate, but rank eighth in offensive rebounding rate. And while Indiana ranks 11th in rebounding rate, it ranks 91st in defensive rebounding rate. There's an opportunity for the Orange to crash the glass against Indiana, leading to pivotal second-chance points.

Syracuse may not have the offense to defeat defensive powerhouses Louisville or Georgetown (as we've seen this season), but I do believe the Orange can overcome Indiana's scuffling defense.

The Hoosiers will fall before the Elite Eight.