NCAA Bracket 2013: Updating Easiest Roads to Final Four Through Friday's Games

Cinderellas have crashed March Madness, thereby opening up some fortunate paths for some of the NCAA tournament’s top seeds.

Georgetown, New Mexico and Kansas State all went down to No. 13 seeds and lower, changing the landscape of the tournament and busting brackets everywhere.

Meanwhile, many top-eight seeds still remain, as we’re reminded that the best teams always rise to the top, no matter the seeding.

A select few teams gained significantly from the barrage of upsets during the second round. Scroll down for the four most fortunate squads.

1. No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs (West)

When the brackets came out on Selection Sunday, I wasn’t sold on the ‘Zags having the easiest road in the Final Four like many others had pegged.

With Round 2 action in the books, count me in that extensive group. Pittsburgh, Wisconsin and Kansas State were sent home during Thursday and Friday’s action; all three played a physical brand of basketball that would have threatened Gonzaga.

Now the Bulldogs look at their path to the Elite Eight and can exhale. They’ll take on Wichita State on Saturday and then face the winner between Cinderella teams Ole Miss and La Salle. Only in the Elite Eight will a Top 25 power conference team likely test them: No. 2 seed Ohio State or No. 6 Arizona.

It’s good to be a Bulldog fan, so far.

2. No. 1 Indiana and No. 2 Miami (East)

It seems like the East’s top two seeds are on a crash course for the Elite Eight. Both the Hoosiers and Hurricanes dismantled their low-seeded opponents with relative ease and face favorable matchups to end the weekend.

Both teams will face their first true test of this postseason in the Sweet 16. If the favorites pan out on Indiana’s side, they’ll face Syracuse, a team that has the look of fool’s gold in this tournament. The Orangemen annihilated Montana in the round of 64 as the Grizzlies had trouble with Syracuse’s zone defense.

The Hoosiers should have a better time adjusting to ‘Cuse’s zone after going through the defensive gauntlet that is the Big Ten. Miami will have similar doubts against Marquette or Butler, but similarly a winnable game for the favorite.

3. No. 3 Florida (South)

With Georgetown going down improbably to Florida Gulf Coast, the No. 2 seed in Florida’s bracket has lost in the first round for the second straight year.

The Gators didn’t play their best game defensively in the first half against Northwestern State, but they should feel confident outscoring the rest of the teams in the region before the Elite Eight.

By the time that game rolls around, the South’s top teams on the other side will have beaten themselves up. Whether it’s Kansas’ stout defense, North Carolina or Michigan’s offensive firepower or VCU’s “Havoc” defense, the Gators will await the winner of that gauntlet without having to face those talented squads.

Ultimately, nothing is ever guaranteed in the tournament, but once again Florida should have a less-than-formidable road to the Final Four.

Make sure to check out NCAA.com's live stream of every tournament game, stay glued to the live tournament bracket for up-to-the-minute updates and print out a PDF bracket if you’re old school.

Make your picks for the 2013 NCAA tournament here with the Bracket Challenge Game.

Mike Shiekman is a Breaking News Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow his March Madness coverage on Twitter.

Follow @TheRealShiek