College basketball upset alert: Why Tennessee and Marquette need to be careful in Week 14

The college basketball regular season has now reached February, meaning the time to make a statement for the NCAA Tournament selection committee is beginning to run out. Teams that find themselves close to the cut line now can significantly boost their odds of hearing their name called on Selection Sunday by pulling a major upset to demonstrate their ability to beat tournament-caliber competition.

Iowa State was an upset victim twice last week and dropped five spots in the AP Top 25 poll while Kentucky and Wisconsin (who we marked for upset potential in this space last week) also fell victim to the dreaded upset. Which ranked teams should be on upset alert in Week 14 of the season?

Which Ranked College Basketball Teams Are On Upset Alert In Week 14?

No. 18 Maryland

The big beneficiary from Wisconsin's upset last week was the team that pulled it off, the Maryland Terrapins, who are back in the poll for the first time since Kevin Willard's first season as head coach in the 2022-23 campaign. The Terrapins' big win over Wisconsin is part of a four-game winning streak for Maryland which includes an impressive 21-point road victory at then-No. 17 Illinois, which raised eyebrows about the Terps' potential to make noise in a loaded Big Ten.

One thing that does a red flag about Maryland, however, is that most of their success has come at home. The Terrapins are 13-1 at home and just 2-4 in true road games, a slate that includes questionable defeats at Washington and at Northwestern, leaving them vulnerable in Thursday night's trip to Columbus to take on Ohio State.

The Buckeyes are squarely on the bubble thanks to a 13-9 record that includes a 5-6 performance in the Big Ten, but Ohio State has also beaten tournament caliber teams like Texas, Kentucky (by 20 on a neutral floor) and Purdue (in Mackey Arena). While Maryland's recent road success gives them a good shot in this game, they will have to maintain that standard to score a win against a game Buckeyes' squad.

No. 4 Tennessee

One of last week's most impressive results saw Tennessee beat up then-No. 5 Florida by 20 points even though the Volunteers were down two starters due to illness. That effort impressed the pollsters, who pushed Tennessee up four spots despite a loss earlier in the week to Kentucky, which leaves Tennessee at 2-2 over their past four games against ranked foes.

The run of ranked teams finally ends for the Volunteers after they play Missouri this week, making it natural for them to consider taking an exhale when they hit the road to take on Oklahoma on Saturday. Like Ohio State, the Sooners find themselves awfully close to the cut line thanks to a poor non-conference schedule and mediocre early results in the SEC.

Oklahoma's best SEC result is a 30-point home win against No. 24 Vanderbilt last weekend, leaving them in need of a marquee victory to serve as a centerpiece for their NCAA Tournament resume. Taking down a Top 5 team would do the trick so the Volunteers will need to be ready to withstand the best effort the Sooners have if they want to avoid an upset in this spot.

No. 11 Marquette

The Big East hasn't commanded a ton of national attention this season thanks to a downturn from No. 19 UCONN and some of the league's most prominent teams, but Week 14 offers a big showcase for the conference. No. 11 Marquette is front and center in that showcase as they have a huge game against No. 12 St. John's at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, but their trip to Creighton on Saturday is fraught with peril.

There will be a lot of emotional energy invested in Tuesday's game for Marquette, which is looking to bounce back after a very disappointing effort in an eight-point home loss to the Huskies on Saturday. Even if they beat the Red Storm on Tuesday, the Golden Eagles may not have as much left in the tank for a date with the Bluejays, who are a very dangerous third-place side in the conference.

There have been misfires for Creighton along the way, including an ugly loss at Georgetown by 24, but the Bluejays have ripped off seven straight wins since their loss at Marquette back in early January. Gregg McDermott's team is loaded with experienced, headlined by big man Ryan Kalkbrenner, and they are eager to return the favor to the Golden Eagles with an upset win on Saturday.