If I'm understanding this correctly, the greatest thing any basketball team can ever accomplish is winning a true road game. It's greater than winning a National Title. Even if you're playing a Division III team, if you beat them on the road, that's better than beating the 1996 Chicago Bulls.
And so, Syracuse did that on Saturday and they have been allowed to keep the No. 1 ranking warm for Ohio State, who will invariably take it back as soon as doctors clear Jared Sullinger. That is the rule.
Syracuse received 53 of the 64 first-place votes in the AP Poll. No. 2 Ohio State received five votes while No. 3 Kentucky garnered four and No. 4 Louisville snagged two, much to the delight of Cardinal Chane Behanan.
Syracuse received 57 first-place votes last week, which means a bunch of folks jumped ship on the Orange in spite of the almighty road win. But that doesn't mean SU didn't make some converts as well. Take Fayetteville Observer writer Bret Stelow, for instance:
I don't think Syracuse is the best team in the country, but the last week has convinced me (finally) that the Orange is playing better than anyone right now, so I'm moving Jim Boeheim's team up to No. 1.
Meanwhile in the Coaches Poll, the Orange grabbed all but one first-place vote to take the top spot. There was one extra voter this week so SU grabbed a newbie and converted one coach as well. Probably Gottfried.
Other ranked Big East teams include No. 4/4 Louisville, No. 8/9 UConn, No. 10/10 Marquette, No. 15/13 Pitt and No. 16/16 Georgetown.
Syracuse maintained the top ranking in the SB Nation Power Rankings. Even Bleacher Report thinks the same.
Dana O'Neil can't deny that SU is the best in the Big East right now, featuring "the best second five in the country."
It's a bit insane but Syracuse is the No. 1 overall seed in Lunardi's Bracketology.
Syracuse is No. 2 in the RPI behind Duke and has a SOS of 15. God, what a weak schedule. Speaking of weak schedules, Ohio State's SOS is 113.