Here we are again. Fresh off another and final bye week. Questions loom about the status of our esteemed head coach. Even more questions are present about how the team will perform in the Carrier Dome this weekend. Syracuse decided to pretend they were a ranked team last season and beat Louisville on their own turf, winning 38 to 35 on the back of Andrew Robinson’s four touchdowns. Syracuse pulled off the biggest upset in NCAA history in terms of point spread (for entertainment purposes only). Everyone wonders if Syracuse can make it to two wins with another stunner against a decent Louisville squad. Sadly, I do not think it will happen this time around.

Louisville comes into this game after beating #16 South Florida. While this win was really nice a week ago, now that they have lost again it isn’t that amazing. However, USF certainly handled Syracuse easily. So one can only assume that Louisville will do the same to Syracuse. Hunter Cantwell however, is not having a stellar year. He has 1365 yards, ten touchdowns, nine interceptions, and ten sacks. He is vulnerable. However, our defense couldn’t stop a 1-AA school for all four quarters, so you really can’t have a lot of hope here.

I really wanted Syracuse to win this game, because I thought that no matter what happened Greg Robinson would be gone at the end of the season. However, reports have it that if Syracuse loses this weekend, that Greg could possibly be fired on Sunday. Therefore, I now am very torn. I of course always root for Syracuse, but it almost is for the greater good if we don’t. Really though, the defense will surely come through making the choice a non-issue. I say this one goes Louisville’s way by 24 points. Plus they still have got to be pissed as hell from last year still right?

As much as it pains me to see another loss, if the result is the ending of a wasted coach’s tenure, then it is very worth it. Syracuse will most likely drop another game, leaving Greg’s win total in his four seasons to eight wins. It used to be eight wins was expected every season, not every four seasons. I feel privileged to have been in school when we actually won ten games in a year. To those of you that have come since… well I do feel sorry. I am also sorry that there is a generation of fans out there that continue to think we suck and have always sucked. Go see The Express again. But before you do, be sure you submit your best crying child photo for the Cue The Crying Child Contest. If you are picked, you’ll surely get some mad props from your friends and possibly a nice prize. Keep those submissions coming. I'll be out of the home office until Sunday evening, but hopefully you'll see the crying child posted shortly after the game's conclusion.

And to all of you out there... Happy Halloween!

Yup, this guy is still douchetastic.

The first basketball rankings have come out, which means we are only a short time away from NCAA hoops action. So with the first rankings comes my full assed attempt to berate and belittle the choices ESPN have made in putting out their first poll.

1. North Carolina (31) 0-0 775
2. Connecticut 0-0 707
3. Louisville 0-0 694
4. UCLA 0-0 650
5. Duke 0-0 578
6. Pittsburgh 0-0 576
7. Michigan State 0-0 572
8. Texas 0-0 538
9. Notre Dame 0-0 525
10. Purdue 0-0 465
11. Gonzaga 0-0 437
12. Memphis 0-0 425
13. Tennessee 0-0 408
14. Oklahoma 0-0 387
15. Arizona State 0-0 304
16. Miami (FL) 0-0 233
17. Marquette 0-0 219
18. Georgetown 0-0 175
19. Florida 0-0 161
20. Davidson 0-0 158
21. USC 0-0 153
21. Wisconsin 0-0 153
23. Kansas 0-0 130
24. Wake Forest 0-0 129
25. Villanova 0-0 122
31. Syracuse 0-0 23

Alright, North Carolina at the top. Fine. I’ll buy that. However Tyler Hansbrough is currently injured with a stress injury to his shin.

UConn at #2? Maybe if there were only 5 games before the Big East Tournament and they only had one loss, but with the roster they have and the chronic behavior problems the gentlemen currently on the squad have had, two is a bit high for my taste. Top 25 maybe. But two? Get the fuck outta here.

Louisville is #3 on the list. Truth be told I have not done my research on this team yet. However, with Rick Patino at the helm it is quite likely they will be a team to be reckoned with.

Notre Dame gets the #9 slot on the back of Preseason All Big East Luke Harangody. He’s good, but the question is will he collapse against Syracuse like Roy Hibbert used to? Time will tell.

Georgetown has a shell of a team they did last season, yet they are ranked 18. No clue how that happened.

Syracuse is #31 in the voting. The Big East media have voted Syracuse spot #6. This would put Syracuse in eight. Something needs to be reconciled.

Either way, the best thing about this poll is there are only four teams from the ACC on here. ACC deez nuts.

Before the season I’ll have more concrete predictions and analysis, but until then I’m knee deep in regret and heartache from football. How this publication doesn’t win The Job Award every year with this team I’ll never know.

Think you can send me better than this?

Here at Orange::44 we pride ourselves on being interactive with the fans, while providing an informative and entertaining experience. In that vein, we proudly announce Orange::44's Cue the Crying Child Contest. The rules are simple. Just e-mail either a picture or a link to a picture of a crying child that you either found or took. E-mail it with your name and location to syracuseorange44@gmail.com. If you know the name of the subject in the photo feel free to include that as well. Please specify if you wish to remain anonymous if yours is selected. If your photo is chosen it will be featured prominently after the next home loss, which could very well be this Saturday evening. You may even get a nice prize.

A few helpful hints for you. Remember, the more pain and misery depicted the better. The title is always “Cue the Crying Child” which means people 20 or older probably should not count on being used, but I’ll certainly enjoy them and if I get enough I may select a special “Crying Adult” picture. Wearing Syracuse apparel is always a plus. Finally, we’ve used a lot of crying children these past few seasons so try to avoid pictures we’ve already used.

So grab a camera or keep Google as your homepage and do some good old fashioned detective work to find the best picture of miserable children you can find. Thanks for stopping by Orange::44, happy hunting and Go Orange!

Bye weeks are boring, so to make up for it, Orange::44 is going Larry King on your ass. Here are some quick hits in the style of the news icon.

Jonny Flynn will be the best point guard in the Big East this season. Even better than Scottie Reynolds.

Is it just me, or is this Greg Robinson guy actually sounding more desperate by the press conference?

Not for nothing, but Syracuse Lacrosse now has no choice but to get back to the Final Four.

As much as I would like to see it, Syracuse will not beat Louisville this season.

I still maintain UConn should not be ranked in any poll, especially the BCS Poll.

Making the mistake of a Nike Swoosh on the Ernie Davis statue is the biggest blunder the university has made this year, save for not firing Greg Robinson.

No one likes a curve breaker.

For my money, the Cookiewhich is the best thing you can purchase at the Carrier Dome.

The Express very well may have rendered all future attempts at cinema obsolete.

All those padded seats that people bought for the football season are so tacky.

Hey Otto, stop trying to make that whole surfboard thing happen. It's stupid.

Remember that whole Norovirus outbreak at Georgetown? Colgate was supposed to play them in football for their homecoming at Colgate, but they canceled because Colgate didn’t want to get infected. Clearly Georgetown hates all Upstate New York schools.

The best place to pee outside on campus is under Newhouse. In a close second is the world’s most expensive outdoor urinal, Nancy Cantor’s wall.

When you go to Faegan’s on $2 Night, if you do not buy a round of shots you are crazy and/or lame.

It couldn’t hurt to let Andrew Robinson start against Louisville this week. There are absolutely no consequences no matter who starts.

Yes the basketball team is underrated, but I’m totally fine with that.

Mark my words, there will be at least two court rushes this season.

Not playing UConn twice in a season just leaves me feeling empty.

Curtis Brinkley would be an award contender on a team with a better reputation.

Can we not schedule 1-AA teams for football anymore? I’d rather have a winless season than almost get beat by the likes of Northeastern.

Will I run out of pictures of crying children? Not likely.

Remember, if Greg elects to punt on third down you have to finish your drink.

Jim Brown is still one angry dude, despite being prominently represented in a major motion picture.

So there you have it. Bye weeks can be boring, especially when I have several court appearances this week, but we can perk it up with some new content on a Tuesday. Stay tuned for more coming this week, I promise.

Time for the backup, RJ Anderson, to get the big start.

Sean of Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician is on vacation as you probably already know. Therefore, the backup is at the helm over at Nunes/Magician in the form of Jameson of The Bleacher Report, among other fine sports publications. I asked the questions and he gave the answers. Thanks to Jameson for filling in while Sean is away.

1. Orange::44: The last bye week has come and gone. I guess that means we are stuck with Robinson the rest of the season. Thoughts on that?

Jameson: Although Greg Robinson made it through the week, I still don't think he's going to make it through the year. I'm guessing eventually SU will pull the trigger and fire him, but let him finish out the year. With Ty Willigham stepping down, one high profile job is open. Syracuse can't wait much longer or else other schools will start getting a jump on getting a new coach.

2. Orange::44: Will Syracuse be able to pull off the stunning upset of Louisville again?

Jameson: No. This SU team doesn't have enough of a pulse to upset Louisville. The Cardinals lost last year because they didn't have a defense. This year, the UofL defense is good enough to shut down Cameron Dantley and The Droppsies.

3. Orange::44: Who is your current front runner to take over the head coaching position at Syracuse?

Jameson: I don't have just one front-runner. I'm happy with any coach who has the knowledge and skills to recruit. Get good players on the hill and you'll win something. At this point, this city needs a team that can put up a consistent fight, win a few big games, and generally get the city's hope up. Football has always been a huge part of this community and it seems like this city is missing something when only 15,000 people want to spend their day watching Syracuse football instead of 50,000.

4. Orange::44: It was a crazy week in Big East football. Who do you see winning the league this year?

Jameson: I'm pretty sure Syracuse has as good as odds to win the Big East as anybody guessing who's going to win the conference. If I had to take a gander, I'd still say South Florida. That defense will eventually come around and Matt Grothe is still the best quarterback in the Big East. Fear the Grohawk I say.

5. Orange::44: Turning to basketball, the Big East media poll lists Syracuse finishing 6th. Is that right or do you see this team doing something different?

Jameson: I'll say sixth is the right place for Syracuse. You've got four premiere teams in Louisville, UConn, Notre Dame, and Pitt. Then a group of good teams that Syracuse is in. There's probably a good chance one of those teams will finish ahead of the 'Cuse. I think Syracuse is underrated, but the Big East is just so tough, it's hard to see them higher than that. If I had to pick the team most likely outside that top four to win the conference it would be Syracuse. After the top four, SU has the deepest and generally most talented complete team.

6. Orange::44: What player are you most looking forward to watching this season?

Jameson: I'm really looking forward the entire backcourt. There could be something very special brewing there if Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf, Andy Rautins, and even Paul Harris stay healthy, pick up where they left, and gel together. There is three guys there that can score 20 points on any given night plus potentially one of the most dangerous long range shooters in the conference. Plus Rautins is huge and muscular. He finally looks like a Big East caliber athlete.

7. Orange::44: Finally, how is it filling in for Sean at Nunes and what other stuff have you been working on?

Jameson: Filling in for Sean at Troy Nunes has been enjoyable. Writing in the blog form/style that he does is tough and much different than what I do. I contemplated just writing my own way, but I didn't want to mess with the style of his site. I haven't been able to post as much as I've liked, but I'm hoping to pick it up later this week. The Phillies have been occupying the majority of time lately. Plus I've got my work for CBS and Fox Sports as well as being a full time student and President of Otto's Army. So I've got my plate full to say the least.

Thanks again to Jameson for stopping by. I'm sure you'll see him in the front row of every Syracuse Basketball game this coming season. Here is is at Manley for the Midnight Madness. No he is not the one with the Wrestling Belt on.

This is how Grothe should have felt on Saturday.

It is time for Sean from Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician to ask me some questions, and I answer them with the wit and skill of a broadcasting professional. At least a professional that hasn't been tainted by years of meetings at ESPN saying they really can't give their opinions and they have to be nice to everyone. That's not how things happen around here friends. Check out the questions and answers here.

In these troubled times, there is no only one team that will get you through the next four years, just like they could have got you through your four years at Syracuse. From 1991 to 2004, Kenneth “Buzz” Shaw led the Syracuse University in a time of unheralded success and growth. His popularity among the students was very high; the respect from his peers was unquestionable. He is a man who knows leadership inside and out and has authored two books on the subject. He is also a 2008 Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois, the state's highest honor. Buzz Shaw knows leadership and how to have a good time. This man should be the next President of the United States. Not to mention, backed up by Jim Boeheim, and that is a winning ticket for any occasion. So two weeks from today, when you go and vote, be sure you write in Kenneth “Buzz” Shaw for President of the United States. Let’s face it, he’ll probably be better for America than either of the current candidates. And Jim Boeheim (and Juli) will clearly be great for everything.

Vote Shaw/Boeheim… for America. Fuck yeah.

This guy is an expert on all things Syracuse.

Welcome to another edition of the Orange::44 Podcast. It has been a little over a month since our last podcast, live from Homecoming so I figured it was about time to dazzle you with my radio voice. Today we address the very serious topics of what the heck is wrong with the football team, how the Big East Conference will play out, a little talk on The Express, and some other basketball topics, such as should Melo get his jersey number retired. All solid stuff that I’m sure you will enjoy downloading and listening to on your iPod. Nothing sexy here, just another podcast for you to listen to when you want something on in the background while you play NCAA Football ’09 on your PS3 or Xbox, dreaming of a better season than we are currently in. To download the show, click here and follow the directions. You know what to do. Or just listen below.

I totally think we should ju... wait... huh? What?

Just left along the way.
~ Evaporated by Ben Folds Five

Now I didn’t have too high hopes going into this game. I mean, USF was ranked #19/20 in the polls, and we all know Syracuse is a big stinko this season. Syracuse drops another Big East contest to South Florida, who they have never beaten in the four attempts, 45 to 13.

Offense
C-
Curtis Brinkley I truly feel bad for. He had an outstanding game (20 carries, 129yds, 4.8y/c, 1 TD), but he probably is not getting the attention he deserves for being on Syracuse. The simple fact he is doing so well is a testament to his talent. At least this proves the offensive line has improved. Cantley had a pedestrian game (11/27, 129 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT) that any second rate quarterback could have managed. This game was put on the back of Brinkley and he delivered the best he could, and quite possibly put in the best game of his career. Either way, three third down conversions out of 15 is a joke and another slide backwards. Failing to score in the second half also does not help the cause. They didn’t even convert a third down the entire second half. While this game on paper does not look bad, believe me it was.

Defense
D
It cannot be overstated how open some of these receivers were all game, especially when catching touchdowns. Again, I do not think anyone thought it possible to mentally break down even more in pass coverage, but it was clearly evident in this game. The defense this time really did not satisfactorily stop the run attack of the Bulls. Grothe himself ran for 72 yards and a touchdown. The only reason I did not fail them is they played a ranked team and they are Syracuse. Would you think it was fair I failed you in a neuroscience class and you were a music major? Take your D and never come back. Unfortunately, Syracuse will play USF again next season, whether Syracuse is better or not.

Special Teams
B
These guys continue to put in solid efforts and performances. Patrick “Sex Offender Mustache” Shadle again did his job, in which he kicked two field goals (the longest was 43 yards) and an extra point. Shadle is easily the best kicker that Syracuse has had in years. Rob Long, sadly not contending for the Heisman this year, kicked seven times for a total of 353 yards, with two touchbacks. He’s good, but he’s been better in the past. Holmes and McKinnon ran back six kicks for 135 yards. Nothing special there. That is about it. They put in a B, but Shadle continues to shine in the kicker role. Orange::44 may launch a “Shadle for Heisman” campaign in the bye week.

Coaching
C
The key coaching moment in this game was on 4th and 1 on the Syracuse 20 yard line, drawing the defense off sides for a five yard penalty to continue the drive for Syracuse. Syracuse has attempted this before, but this is the first time it worked. So for that, I guess I have to give Greg a small amount of credit. Clearly, they did not have a good game plan though, because later in the drive, they called a play that resulted in a drive ending sack and a punt. This sums up perfectly the coaching for Syracuse. They do something good and then blow it. One step forward, two steps back.

GPA
C/C- (1.9)
It depends on how you want to round. Either way, this game was terrible. While it may not offend you like the Pittsburgh game, or even the Penn State game, Syracuse’s defense was a joke and the offense never got enough momentum to truly make a dent against USF. Brinkley and Shadle are clearly the lone bright spots against a mediocre sea of orange. This game is evident that Syracuse simply should not even attempt to hang in a game against a far superior team this season. At least Rutgers beat UConn right?

Syracuse again has a bye week, and will not play until November 1, when they take on Louisville in the Dome on November 1st, the first game since the huge upset win at L’ville last year. Will Andrew Robinson get the start versus the team he bent over the year before? I think it is sounding more likely by the day. Stay tuned right here for more analysis in the coming days, including a new podcast coming soon.

Playing one quarter of football will simply not cut it.

Pat White appearing on a lot of blogs, but not the field against Syracsue.

Yesterday you saw the answers of our good friend John Radcliff of Mountainlair to some of my football questions. Today over at his site are my answers to his questions about the SU/WVU game and the Big East, which can be found here. Also, look for AEM from The Orange Squeeze's answers to the same questions here as well. As stated before, look for future collaborations between Orange::44 and Mountainlair in regards to the Big East Conference in football and basketball.

Why yes, that is a pretty great mug shot.

Yet another update on that fine gentleman from Notre Dame. Will Yeatman, one of the football players arrested in that big party where a bunch of students were arrested, has been suspended from the Notre Dame football team the rest of the season.

ESPN.com reports that he has been suspended. This young man, you may remember, was snatched up in a big house party after a Notre Dame loss on the road. While the charges have been dropped from that arrest, Yeaman still blew a .02 BAC. Keep in mind, the legal limit for driving while intoxicated (DWI, DUI in New York, OUI in Massachusetts, all the same crime) is usually .08 BAC for a frame of reference. Normally, being underage with any alcohol in your system is a crime, however he was never charged with this. He still may be in trouble however, because he was on terms and conditions of no alcohol from a previous arrest in which he did plead guilty to driving while intoxicated and reckless driving when he drove his car across the South Bend campus.

This is my favorite part of the latest article. His father said the following:

Will had a .02 [blood-alcohol content at the party]. The other charges were dropped. There's never been a police report filed. And Will is an exceptionally good kid, admired by everybody, gets along with everybody. He's being suspended for a .02 BAC. After all he's been through, it appears to be a disproportionate penalty for college student.

Well that may be sir. Any student that simply had a .02 probably would not be suspended for the season from the football team. However, most of those people do not have a criminal record and are on terms and conditions saying the will not drink anything period. This is not the case for your son. Will Yeaman now faces up to 180 days in jail for having alcohol in his system in direct violation of his guilty plea in the previous case. Bravo!

As always, stay tuned for the Tru TV of the Syracuse Blogisphere, Orange::44 for all your legal news relating to players of rival teams all season long.

I know you enjoy those nice convos that Sean from Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician. Sadly, because of the holiday on Monday, we got a little delayed with our little question and answers. Therefore, today we proudly present the latest collaboration for your enjoyment.

1. Orange::44: So we lost again. Are you surprised we hung in the game as long as we did, or did it finish as expected?

Nunes: I have to admit I was surprised although it wouldn't be fair for me to say I thought we were gonna win it in the end. When it comes down to it, I don't trust a Greg Robinson-coached team when it's crunchtime and the score is close. And Greg proved my fears to be true the way he handled the fourth down plays towards the end of the game. I was fine with the team going for it, I just didn't like the play-calling.

There's this new-found sense that the team could be turning some kind of corner, and I hope that's true, but I don't but it. I think we caught West Virginia with their pants down. They were without Pat White and the were exposed. We're probably going to find as the season progresses that, like the Louisville game last year, the opponent wasn't as good as they were made out to be.

Credit where credit is due for the SU players to fight their butts off and remain competitive. But I just don't think we're going to see that carry over to USF this week.

2. Orange::44: What is the biggest storyline to come out of the West Virginia Game?

Nunes: Overall it's probably that West Virginia's in a shitload of trouble. They're not that good, they're not that well-coached and their fans have turned on them quicker than anything I've seen in a long time.

As for SU, probably this new-found passing game that was created. We realized a while back that the long passing game wasn't going to be a possibility for the Orange but if we can't get quality, let's at least get quantity. I don't care if each pass play only gets 4-5 yards, it frees up the pressure from Brinkley and allows him to do Curtis Brinkley things. Finally, we saw an SU offense with more than one dimension. Let's hope they build on it.

3. Orange::44: How good is Curtis Brinkley?

Nunes: Poor guy, if he goes to SU in any other era he probably leaves as a 1st or 2nd-round draft pick. As-is, he's going to be remembered as the best player on one of the worst teams in SU history. He's a legit running back and probably the first one since Mungro that we've been able to rely on so heavily. We expect Curtis Brinkley to rush for 100 yards every game now and that's a luxury we haven't had in ages, or at least it seems that way.

Fingers crossed his body holds up and we could be looking at the first of two very productive years for him.

4. Orange::44: Looking to USF, will the team do better and actually give them a run for their money, or will it be typical Syracuse form?

Nunes: I can appreciate the sentiment that we've been building and we're looking better and better each week but this is just the wrong team to play right now. Grothe might be the best QB we face all season, their getting Selvie back on defense, they run the spread the way we THOUGHT West Virginia was going to...this one is probably going to be ugly. That doesn't mean the Orange have taken a step back...it's just too good of an opponent for us right now. If we build on what we accomplished in the WVU game we might be able to at least make it respectable. But I don't see a W just yet.

5. Orange::44: Why isn't this guy fired yet?

Nunes: You're asking me? I give up trying to figure out the madness of the SU Athletics Department. If I know anything about DOC Gross, it's that he always thinks about the PR implications. So you can bet he wants the entire process managed to a T. He wants to do it exactly right, whatever that means. So if I had to guess, I think it's a foregone conclusion that he's gone, they will announce his "firing" before the Cincinnati game and they will make public the coaching search that has already started, making their decision swiftly to ensure that we get the best candidate possible and cut down on recruiting issues. And DOC will try to come out looking like the hero, somehow.

6. Orange::44: Turning to basketball, what is the one thing that makes you most excited about the upcoming season?

Nunes: The law of averages. We've missed the NCAA Tourney two straight years. It's theoretically impossible that this won't be a good year for the team. All the pieces are there for a return to the NCAA Tournament. And even though this season hasn't started yet, it's worth noting that we don't really lose anyone after this season (except Kristof! and assuming Flynn stays). We could be looking at the start of an extremely dominating run for SU basketball. Boeheim's last hurrah?

7. Orange::44: Finally, it turns out Lloyd Carr was in Syracuse after all. Does that mean anything? Would you take him as the coach?

Nunes: First, I'd like to say congrats on the vindication. Even though others tried to paint it like you started an outlandish rumor, we now know it wasn't. And I remember thinking that when SU Athletics made their official denial about him meeting with SU officials. They went out of their way to deny that he MET with anyone, not to say that he wasn't there. Lame.

Honestly, nah. I'd rather not. I'm all about a young, new, untarnished regime coming into Syracuse and hitting the ground running. Carr did a great job for the most part at Michigan but let's face it, his early teams were much better than his later teams and he benefited greatly from the UM mystique.

Give me a 30-something recruiting whiz surrounded by experienced coordinators over Lloyd Carr or any other older coach with their own agenda. We need a Ron Zook or an Urban Meyer, not a Howard Schnellenberger or a Larry Coker.

Editor’s Note: This is another installment in the ongoing collaboration between Orange::44 and Nunes/Magician. Usually every other Tuesday Nunes::44 will appear here, while the following week Orange::44/Magician will appear on his site. Until then, enjoy Nunes/Magician articles and stay tuned to Orange::44 for complete postgame coverage from every Syracuse game.

He has this picture on his site for good reason, even though it's an old logo.

John Radcliff, talented creator of Mountainlair, correspondent over at the AOL’s FanHouse, is a West Virginia fan as well as a knowledgeable football aficionado, therefore we had to get his reactions after the game about how it went, and what exactly is up with his team this year.

1. Orange::44: Syracuse just couldn't manage to win the game, but be honest... you were worried about it most of the afternoon right?

JR: I think the booing fans at Mountaineer Field spoke for me. It's hard to look past how bad we played, but Syracuse came in with a good game plan and looked like they wanted to win, where West Virginia played with almost no emotion. If I don't say it anywhere else, you guys should have won that game.

2. Orange::44: Curtis Brinkley ripped off 144 yards against the West Virginia defense. Is that troubling you, or do you think he is actually just a talented back?

JR: First off, he's talented. He hit the holes at full speed and made people have to want to tackle him. Yards after first contact was most impressive. At some point, I will blame everything on the offense, though. Failure to convert on third down time and time again put the WV defense back on the field. You can't do that and expect your defense to shut anyone down. That's not to take anything away from the SU offense, because they played inspired ball, and obviously controlling the clock was part of the plan. We've seen it before and we'll see a lot more of it as the season goes along if WV's offense doesn't carry the load.

3. Orange::44: What is the deal with Pat White?

JR: He got his bell rung against Rutgers, and admitted that he doesn't remember anything about that game. Stew thought he would play up until Thursday evening. He's expected to be fine by the Auburn game (fingers crossed).

4. Orange::44: What are the reasons for West Virginia's troubles so far and how would you fix the team for the remainder of the season?

JR: The offensive coordinator has almost completely abandoned anything up the middle. He's calling too many bubble screens and stretch plays. People aren't going to surrender the perimeter plays if they have no reason to guard the middle of the field. I'd start off by running up the middle and trying one of those crazy crossing patterns (I say crazy because we never do). The sad thing is when we run up the middle, we get 3-4 yards a pop. And where I come from, that's a victory for the offense. As bad as it's been this year, we still have the same five offensive linemen we had last year. They didn't forget how to block. It would be nice to let them tee off on someone and get lathered up. I honestly think it would open all the stretch plays, etc. up. We need to get White or Brown out on the perimeter and give them the option to run or pass. Remember when SU used to run that option pass play where McNabb et al would fake the dive and run a couple steps down the line, then drop back? It confused the shit out of everyone because they had to make a choice whether to come up to defend the run or drop back in coverage. We have to have something like that in our play book. Right? It would also be nice if they didn't ask the offense to do things they aren't used to. One thing Rod talked about was playing fast. He didn't mean running 100 miles an hour. He meant knowing what you have to do and doing it. It's a matter of knowing where you are supposed to be as opposed to having to think about it. If you have to think, you're late. It looks like a lot of guys are thinking rather than reacting.

5. Orange::44: Who in your mind is the most talented player on West Virginia?

JR: Pat White. He has all the talent in the world and he's shown in the past that he can take the team on his shoulders and carry them. He's at least an average passer, but better when you don't ask him to sit in the pocket. He's an incredible runner and he's a lot tougher than any 185 pound guy I know. Like anyone else, he needs to be put in situations he can succeed in. I don't think he's been put in too many winnable situations this year.

6. Orange::44: What are your honest opinions of the Syracuse team so far this season?

JR: This was a different team than the one that played Penn St. It was a lot like the team that played Pitt. Up and down, though. I know it's hard to get max effort every week, but if they could be the team we saw Saturday more often, you might not be looking for a new coach. It's funny in a sense, because all those quotes I read of Greg Robinson about "flashes" and "want to" materialized Saturday. They didn't look like a team that had only won one game. Brinkley and Dantley both stood out to me. The line did a good job of opening hole and pass protecting. Not too many dropped balls. I can't gauge the defense, because they weren't tested by WVU in any sense I'm used to. Overall, I think this is a different team in the hands of a coach that expects and demands success. Greg doesn't strike me as that type of guy.

7. Orange::44: Finally, what are your overall thoughts on the Big East Conference as a whole and how do you see the Big East doing come Bowl time?

JR: Down year. I mean, it's good for some teams that there really isn't a dominating team in the league this year. It gives everyone a shot. But it hurts our rep around the rest of the country. I think people were almost ready to be concerned with us. But the big teams aren't dominating anyone out of conference. More often, we're losing, and to non-BCS schools. It's a transition year at best, and a sign of things to come at worst. There hasn't been a lot of talk about the new commish and the direction the conference will go in. But we need a couple solid top 25 teams, and we don't have anything near that at this point.

Thanks to John for talking with us hear at Orange::44. I’ll be appearing at the Mountainlair tomorrow with some answer to questions he posed to me so look for that and I’m sure I’ll post a link here. Also, look for more joint ventures between the Mountainlair and Orange::44 in the future regarding Big East football and basketball.

Did you see that? My hopes and dreams just flew away.

Syracuse had a chance in this game. When Pat White does not play for West Virginia any team would have a chance. But of course, you cannot really count on Syracuse to pull out a win over anyone but a 1-AA team, and even then it was questionable on occasion. What you can count on, is Syracuse seeming to find endless ways to lose the game, or in this case make a major coverage mistake.

Offense
B-
The offense was pretty good in this game. The big story was Curtis “Boonah” Brinkley tearing off 144 yards and gaining 5.1 yards a carry against West Virginia, a defense that is fairly strong in the Big East. Cantley had an alright day (24/40, 204yds, 0 TD, 1 INT), but nothing spectacular. Really this game was on the back of Carter, as he ran the best he could, hitting the hole full speed and getting a lot of yards after contact. Interesting stat of the game is that Syracuse earned 4.9 yards per pass, while West Virginia only got 2.6 yards per pass.

Defense
C
The defense again lasted for most of the game, but just could not last an entire four quarters, highlighted by a 92 yard run on a third and seven from the WVU eight yard line by Noel Devine to put the game basically out of reach for the Orange. All season the M.O. for the Orange has been to be tough on the run, usually limiting the backs to limited yards, while the QB’s just make monster passes over the top for big scores with the greatest of ease. This time, while the run defense lasted most of the game, apparently the combination of no Pat White and luck resulted in only 52 passing yards for the Mountaineers. Either way, the defense cannot last the entire game and that will continue to be a big problem.

Special Teams
A-
Patrick “Sex Offender Mustache” Shadle hopefully got laid this weekend after hitting a monster field goal 53 yards long. Morgantown’s own hit the bomb, plus another FG to earn six points for the orange. Mike Holmes and Max Suter combined for four kick returns and 100 yards total, which is not a bad day. Rob Long also had a decent day, kicking five times for a total of 224 yards and a touchback. Sadly none of which were inside the 20, but sometimes you have a day like that. All in all, a solid day for the Special Teams unit.

Coaching
B-
There were no egregious coaching errors in this game, which frankly is refreshing these days. I was fine with Greg going for it on forth down when he did. At that point, what else could you do to try and win the game. Either way, the continual problem of missed tackles and no energy down the stretch are getting tiresome for me and the rest of the fan base. It will be great when a new coach comes in and actually has players tackle in practice.

GPA
B- (2.75)
Not a bad game for the Orange, but definitely a missed opportunity. With Pat White out, you have a chance to stop an offense that has confounded Syracuse the last few seasons, as well as have a chance to out score them. Syracuse squandered that opportunity by again only playing 3 quarters really well. Again, while this loss is not as bad as the Pittsburgh game, and I cannot dispute that West Virginia is a better team so this loss is not that shocking, there was a change for the Orange to gain some momentum heading into South Florida or at least feel good about themselves temporarily and they missed it.

Syracuse will look to take on #20 South Florida in Tampa this weekend at noon. This game is not on TV, so unless you magically get ESPN 360 at home, you’ll have to go to a bar with the ESPN Gameplan. Hopefully Syracuse will be able to stop this team from embarrassing them, but at this point it would not be surprising if they couldn’t. Either way, Syracuse will most likely notch another loss in a game that even they probably do not think they can win. Stay tuned later today for my chat with Mountainlair editor and all around good guy (despite being a WVU fan) John Radcliff about the game, West Virginia, and the Big East as a whole.

It was close for a while, but Syracuse came through in the end.

Syracuse and West Virginia used to be a game that meant a lot to the Big East. It was different than Miami/Virginia Tech, Connecticut wasn’t in the league yet, and Syracuse was good. These days, things are not as great as they once were. While they still play for the Schwartzwalder Trophy, West Virginia has been in possession of it for several years in a row. Will that change? Probably not.

Syracuse goes into this game coming off a bye week, therefore they could be well rested and very prepared. None of that matters however, if they step on the field and they do not perform. With West Virginia struggling against Rutgers, it leads me to believe Syracuse actually has a shot in this game. After all, Rutgers is also terrible, but they only managed to beat them by a touchdown. Alas, West Virginia also has to go play Auburn next week, so they are yearning for not only another conference win, but momentum going into that game. I simply think West Virginia’s desire to win, plus their talent will carry them, even if they do not play their best game. West Virginia over Syracuse by ten is my prediction. Hopefully Syracuse will keep it close and be competitive. Hell, I’m even rooting for an upset this time, because I think we all know nothing will keep Greg Robinson his job at the end of the year. At least that is how it should be.

Seeing as this is a long weekend due to the “holiday” on Monday, I’m out of the home office until Monday evening. Therefore, the postgame wrap up probably will not be posted until Tuesday. However, stay tuned next week as I chat after the game with John Radcliff of Mountainlair for some final thoughts and the implications of this game. Also, please enjoy the GRob Drinking Game as you watch. Enjoy your weekend! I’ll be making it rain. Finally, don’t burn any couches you guys. That’s just not nice.

PS - Go see The Express. It opens nationwide today and it is a great movie, whether you are a fan of Syracuse or not.

This bye week has been no fun. Not a lot of stuff has been going on. You noticed that the BlogPoll is now on CBS Sports.com. That’s pretty exciting. Sean from Nunes/Magician and I are the voters from Syracuse and we are keeping you readers proud. But there needs to be something more out there this week. Therefore, from the makers of the Jim Boeheim Press Conference Drinking Game, and by request from you loyal Orange::44 readers, I proudly present the Greg Robinson Drinking Game.

Directions: Watch a Syracuse football game coached by Greg Robinson, watch a press conference featuring Greg Robinson, or read any media that features Greg Robinson and drink accordingly.

Drink 1 if:
Greg scowls.
Greg looks like he doesn’t know.
He mentions the word “flash” in some capacity.
Greg tries to rally his team after they make a mistake.
The team fails to convert on third down.
You disagree with a coaching decision of Greg Robinson.

Drink 2 if:
Greg says “I don’t know”.
Someone talks about Greg Robinson’s job security.
Someone speculates about a coach that will take his job.
The team earns a touchdown after gaining 30 or more yards.
You see Daryl Gross or Nancy Cantor, or you see a clip of them talking about Greg.
You hear a Gregism other than “flash”.
You see Greg with his hands in his face as if he is saying “oh boy”.

Chug 1 drink if:
You see Daryl Gross with more than one cell phone.
You hear Greg get angry.

Chug 2 drinks if:
Syracuse quick kicks/punts on 3rd Down.
Syracuse employs any trick play.

Drink 1 case/ Drink 10 cocktails if:
Greg resigns.

So there you have it. The GRob Drinking Game. Hopefully this will get you though the season. I’ll be back tomorrow with predictions for the weekend. Until then, stock up on alcohol, because there are still seven games remaining in 2008. H/T to Erin.

Nice to see we aren't the only ones in the Big East that like adult beverages.

A couple weeks ago Orange::44 regaled you with the tale of several Notre Dame students being arrested for underage drinking at a big party after an away football game. Several of the kids arrested were members of some Notre Dame athletic team, including two on the football team. Well TheSmokingGun.com did their due diligence and tracked down the mug shots of these students for our enjoyment. Take a look here. Yeatmen I believe is on the second page on the bottom right. Enjoy.

Editor’s Note: A lot of good moments at my internship this summer involved looking at hilarious mug shots. It can be a real treat.

The people at Syracuse.com cannot seem to get enough of this Lloyd Carr business. I missed it yesterday, but they posted an article that drew attention to the Daily Orange article Brent Axe and I were interviewed in. It also opens up the door for Lane Kiffin speculation (which is very inappropriate and only reserved for main stream media types). Two points about the post. It seems like I have officially been recognized for breaking the Lloyd Carr story, which I still find unbelievable and hilarious. Second, the comments people left on the article is absolutely priceless. Enjoy mulling over all that. I think it is funny that I have basically moved on from the entire Lloyd Carr thing for now, but Syracuse.com cannot seem to let this stuff go yet.

Was Lloyd Carr on Campus? You tell us you're the Reporter.

Also, Donny Webb finally did a reporter like thing and called Lloyd Carr's office (why he has one no one seems to know). No return phone call. SU Spokesman Kevin Quinn did say that Carr and Gross have not spoken though. I submit that via Donny's own reporting, he showed that Gross was out of town when I reported that Carr was on campus. So does that even prove anything? The correct question to respond to was if he was on campus. I'm totally ready to move on, but let's at least get the issues correct before doing so.

Lloyd Carr has now joined the likes of Carmen Sandiego and Bigfoot.

Yesterday I spoke with Daily Orange columnist Zach Schonbrun about the posting of my article reporting that Lloyd Carr was on campus. It was the buzz of the internets all weekend around both Syracuse and Michigan blogs. I’ll be the first to admit I did not see this kind of reaction coming. Schonbrun also talked with Brent Axe to get his take on the whole situation as he reported it on his radio show the same day as well. Was Lloyd Carr actually on campus? At this point I guess we may never really know, but I still stand by my reporting, even if it is just this one time. The full Daily Orange article is right here. Skip the video unless you want a tour of the Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion. Judge for yourself.