3 ranked college basketball teams on upset alert this week

No. 17 Alabama Crimson Tide (vs. Ohio State 11/24)

The Crimson Tide are off to another fast start, racing out to a 4-0 record under Nate Oats. The feat is impressive since Alabama has had to really retool its roster after a string of key departures, but Oats' ability to recruit strong talent to replace the exiting stars has helped the program maintain its consistent excellence.

Knowing that he had a new roster to blend together, Oats hasn't put together his traditionally tough early non-conference schedule, instead using four home games to give his rotation a chance to gel. Things are about to get more difficult for Alabama in the coming weeks, beginning with Friday's neutral site showdown in Destin, Florida against Ohio State as part of the Emerald Coast Classic.

The Buckeyes already have some SEC experience under their belt as they played Texas A&M to a seven-point margin earlier this month, which will be valuable for their players as they get ready for Alabama. The tempo edge could also go to Ohio State, which will look to slow down a faster-paced Alabama team and limit the number of possessions in the game.

Playing at a slower pace should be a new challenge for the Crimson Tide, who have routinely scored in the triple digits in the early season. If Alabama isn't prepared to grind things out a bit in the half-court offense they could see Ohio State hand them an upset loss.