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It was roughly around this time last season when Fab Melo was suspended (for the first time) and the Syracuse Orange got their first taste of defeat. This year, as James Southerland remains on the bench, the Orange are coming off their first Big East loss of the season and hoping to rebound much the same way last year's team did as they invade the Oakland Zoo to take on the Pittsburgh Panthers.
The game tips at 12:00 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN. The Oakland Zoo has been camped out all night and been practicing their complicated cheers. It gun be loud.
The Panthers are 12-1 in the PEC against top ten teams and have owned Syracuse in the building since 2004. Given the absence of Southerland and Coleman, it's going to take a great effort by those left behind to pull out the victory.
Leave your pre- in- and post-game comments below. G'ORANGE!