Fansided

College basketball upset picks: Ohio State and 5 teams on upset alert this week

By Mike Phillips

COLUMBUS, OHIO - NOVEMBER 09: Jamari Wheeler #55 of the Ohio State Buckeyes reacts during the second half of the game against the Akron Zips at Value City Arena on November 09, 2021 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO - NOVEMBER 09: Jamari Wheeler #55 of the Ohio State Buckeyes reacts during the second half of the game against the Akron Zips at Value City Arena on November 09, 2021 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines are among the teams that should be on upset alert this week in college basketball.

The opening week of the college basketball season is in the books and we got to see some excellent action on the hardwood. The Champions Classic delivered in spades and the Villanova-UCLA showdown in Westwood was tremendous theater for anyone who managed to stay up late to see the game through to its conclusion.

Not everyone had a smooth run through the week, including Florida State, which got picked off on the road by an underrated Florida team that we felt could pull the upset last week. Let’s take a look at five more teams that should be on upset alert this week, beginning with the Michigan Wolverines.

College basketball teams on upset alert in Week 2

No. 4 Michigan Wolverines vs. Seton Hall – Tuesday

Michigan survived an upset bid against Buffalo last week but faces a much stiffer test at home with Seton Hall coming to Ann Arbor as part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games. The Pirates are coming off a 2-0 week that saw them demolish Ivy League favorite Yale 80-44 on Sunday, so the Wolverines will need to be firing on all cylinders in order to avoid getting tripped up by a more experienced Seton Hall team.

No. 12 Oregon Ducks vs. BYU – Tuesday

This showdown at the Phil Knight Invitational is fraught with danger for Oregon, which really wasn’t pushed too hard after a 2-0 week to begin the season. BYU is a dangerous mid-major opponent out of the WCC and is coming off a hard-fought win against San Diego State, making them a bit more battle-tested ahead of a contest that could turn into a shootout.

No. 19 Ohio State Buckeyes at Xavier – Thursday

The Buckeyes have ducked Xavier for years but are now matched up with their in-state rivals in the Gavitt Tipoff Games at the worst possible time. Ohio State was sluggish in close home wins over Akron and Niagara, which is not ideal when they have to hit the road against an underrated Xavier team that returns basically everyone from a team that started 8-0 last season before a COVID pause derailed the Musketeers.

No. 5 Villanova vs. No. 17 Tennessee – Saturday

The Hall of Fame Tip-Off features a pair of excellent games that provide excellent resume boosts for the participants and real upset danger for the higher-ranked teams. Villanova is already coming off of a tough loss to UCLA and now heads to Mohegan Sun on Saturday to take on a game Tennessee team that figures to be challenging Kentucky and Alabama for SEC supremacy this season.

No. 7 Purdue vs. No. 18 North Carolina – Saturday

The other half of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off brings a big challenge for Purdue, which draws a difficult North Carolina team in their half of the bracket. The Tar Heels are coming off a 2-0 week that included a surprisingly difficult home date with Brown so they should be locked in for this matchup.

Next. Top 25 college basketball teams of all time. dark

For more NCAA basketball news, analysis, opinion and features, check out more from the FanSided college basketball section to stay on top of the latest action.