5 favorites that will bust your bracket in a hurry

As fans fill out their March Madness brackets ahead of Thursday's opening games, it's a good time to look at some favorites that may not stick around too long. Every year, an underdog melts our hearts, but it comes at the expense of a top school with Final Four ambitions.

Texas Tech

Although the Red Raiders appear comfortably slotted with the third seed, Texas Tech's recent string of losses after an impressive start to the season puts into question their ability to make a deep run.

In all fairness, the losses generally came against higher-tier teams, including two to West Virginia and one to Kansas. Also, Texas Tech is coming off its best season in more than two decades, and its defense ranks among the best in the nation. However, the recent cold streak, lack of rim protection, and inconsistent perimeter shooting may decide their first-round matchup.

Ohio State

The emergence of Keita Bates-Diop has been a Cinderella story for Buckeyes fans, as he's led Ohio State back to the tournament for the first time since 2015. However, they're taking on a high-powered South Dakota State offense that doesn't make many mistakes and can spread the floor with the best of them.

After they lost three of their last five - including two losses to Penn St., which was relegated to the NIT - it's hard to believe in the Buckeyes. Ohio State isn't built for a deep run, and it may be yet another 5-seed to fall to a 12.

Kentucky

Coach John Calipari knows how to get his players into the NBA. He has mastered scouting, and he coaches college basketball's best players every year. This year, though, his young squad is fighting consistency issues and a lack of star power.

For the first time in a long time, Calipari may not have a lottery-level talent, depending on what forward Kevin Knox and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can do. They'll take on a hot Davidson squad that's shifting into gear at the perfect time. And despite Kentucky's unquestioned talent, there are too many holes in this squad to guarantee any wins.

Miami

The Hurricanes have strung together some nice games over the last couple weeks, with down-to-the-wire wins over Virginia Tech and North Carolina. However, Miami faces a difficult matchup against one of the top underdogs in the tournament.

Loyola Chicago has been a terror in conference play, as their frustratingly active defense has held teams to 62.2 points per game and a defensive rating of 96.2. Miami has a deep roster, but no go-to scorer. Being without Bruce Brown - one of the key components to their balanced attack - should be enough to book them an early flight home to South Beach.

Florida

With several solid wins, Florida managed to rank as high as fifth in the AP Poll this season. However, some spotty play, particularly in losses to Vanderbilt and Mississippi, made it difficult to believe in their wins over Kentucky and Auburn.

Their early boot from the SEC tournament makes them an easy team to bet against, especially after watching St. Bonaventure beat UCLA on Tuesday. Although the level of competition isn't quite comparable, the overrated SEC could take some big hits early on. St. Bonaventure is poised to make some noise, and Florida could be its first victim.