The Sports Sauna Headline of the Year

I know, it's only mid-January. But nothing will top the headline for this Eamonn Brennan blog post on a certain Big East coach who is fairly hapless against the Orange zone. Brennan makes a HUGE mistake when, assuming Huggins is speaking with tongue firmly planted in cheek (his own), Brennan goes on to suggest Huggins has probably at least glanced at the 2011-12 Orange this season. Hey Mr. Brennan! Huggins DOES strike me as "the kind of coach who would prefer to do his best ostrich routine rather than gain some knowledge of one of the main threats to his own team's sustained Big East success."

Hilarious! But, Huggins-aside, West Virginia is going to end up being the toughest team on Syracuse's schedule in the month of January... other than feisty Marquette. I freakin' love Marquette. They are a wonderful team to watch play basketball. And they would have made me a couple bucks Wednesday, at my first ever Vegas Sportsbook experience (The Hilton...good times.) IF had hadn't fallen into the teaser trap, shoehorning Pitt into a 3-teamer with the Golden Eagles and the Orange. Luckily, I figured out at halftime of the Panthers' home game against Rutgers that Pittsburgh is a complete mess. Offense was never their strength, but they are lacking a go-to guy for those "we must score here" possessions. Jamie Dixon's teams usually rebound and defend well, but Rutgers kicked their butts on the glass, 44 to 26. (That's not a typo. 44 to 26. I proofread it.) And when Rutgers went on a run at the end of the first half, Pitt's body language was terrible. So terrible that I went right down to the counter and grabbed the 2nd half line that was still giving Rutgers 5.5 points.

Frankly, Pitt's Monday night visit to the dome is probably the least frightening game left in the month. I'm more nervous about Providence tomorrow, although we in the Sauna picked up on Louisville's over-rated-ness long before they lost to the Friars. I'm more nervous about the road game in Cincy; the Bearcats can hang with anybody in the Big East. I'm a little more nervous about the Notre Dame road game...well...we'll call it even between Pitt and the Irish. I'm not losing much sleep over either of those teams.