Two basketball schools are taking college football by storm - NY Post

[cuse10]

When the weather cools down, the anticipation rises. Hopes soar. Excitement fills the air.

At Kentucky and Syracuse, it usually means Midnight Madness and the start of the college basketball season is near. That remains true. But a different kind of madness is enveloping those schools this month.

Football, for the time being at least, is king. The two basketball schools are a combined 8-0, two of the sport’s biggest surprises.
Kentucky is ranked in the Associated Press for the first time in 11 years, coming in at No. 17. It just pulled off a stifling 28-7 victory over highly regarded Mississippi State, sending the program to its first 2-0 start in SEC play since 1977, the last time the Wildcats won double-digit games in a single season. Kentucky recently won at Florida in commanding fashion, its first win in Gainesville since 1986, and is one of four undefeated teams in the SEC, joined by last year’s national championship finalists Alabama and Georgia, along with surprising LSU.

Junior Benny Snell Jr. has looked like one of the best running backs in the country, amassing 540 yards and seven touchdowns, and the defense is ranked 11th in total defense, allowing 279.5 yards per game. It handcuffed dynamic Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, limiting the dual threat to 165 total yards.

This start isn’t out of nowhere. Under sixth-year coach Mark Stoops, the younger brother of former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, Kentucky has progressed, winning seven games each of the last two seasons to reach bowl games. The upcoming schedule is manageable, making the Nov. 3 clash at home against Georgia potentially the biggest game in decades for the program, three days before John Calipari and his parade of five-star recruits start their season.

Syracuse lacks the résumé of Kentucky — its best win is over decidedly down Florida State — but it boasts a high-powered offense led by quarterback Eric Dungey and has the chance to make a national statement Saturday at Clemson. The Orange, remember, stunned the Tigers last year at the Carrier Dome. And like Kentucky, Syracuse found a young and hungry coach in Dino Babers it could grow with.

In a few weeks, football may be forgotten. Basketball practice begins this week. Syracuse could get crushed by Clemson. Kentucky may slip up a few times before the Georgia showdown.

But so far, these two programs have proven deserving of the attention that usually goes to the guys in shorts. Who knows, basketball could be the other sport at Kentucky and Syracuse in November.

https://nypost.com/2018/09/24/two-basketball-schools-are-taking-college-football-by-storm/

 

[Chip]

Surprised that 4-0 and ranked Duke isn't part of the story. I guess with the QB going down, no one thinks it will last. Either that or people hate talking about Duke.

 

[shandeezy7]

No offense to Dino, but I would not refer to him as "young."

 

[Yeti]

No offense to Dino, but I would not refer to him as "young."

I had to convince a family member that he was 57. That's insane to me. He looks like he's in his early 40's.

 

[Digable5]

I had to convince a family member that he was 57. That's insane to me. He looks like he's in his early 40's.

Yikes! I just turned 40, please don't tell me I look similar to an almost 60 year old. I know I'm out of shape but Jeez. Babers looks good, but he's 50s at least...please?

 

[Yeti]

Yikes! I just turned 40, please don't tell me I look similar to an almost 60 year old. I know I'm out of shape but Jeez. Babers looks good, but he's 50s at least...please?

If it makes you feel better i'm only 26 and clearly don't know what i'm talking about.

 

[OrangeinOmaha]

So I may be alone on this one but I am not a fan of these articles that have been coming out since our little resurgence this fall. Maybe its just me but I hate being looped in the Duke and Kentucky of football world, no offense to either program as they are having great seasons but those programs were garbage in the 90s and well before then.

I grew up in the 90s and for some reason I hate when people say Syracuse is a basketball school because when I was growing up Syracuse football was king in the house (still loved Cuse basketball for the record) 8 bowl games in 90s and 3 of those were BCS games, that's not like Duke Kansas, Indiana or Kentucky.

While basketball was no slouch during that time period I do not remember it as the juggernaut it is today. 8 NCAA appearances, 1 NIT appearance, and in those NCAA appearance there was 1 final four which if I remember correctly was as a 4 seed and we were not predicted to be there. Other than that we had 3 sweet sixteens and the rest were 1st weekend exits.

If anything in the 90s we were that school that you could count on for basketball and football, it wasn't a one sport brand, have we really fallen that far?

I remember in Omaha being able to watch almost every Syracuse football game (had the college football and basketball packages on Directv) but not nearly as many Syracuse basketball games it felt like. I know TV has changed the game and I think the fact that the rising of Cuse basketball winning the title starting with Melo in 03, the GERG hire in 04 and ESPN/Cable really starting to expand how many games are shown nationally in basketball and football has put us in this Duke, Kentucky, and Kansas basketball only school feeling which to me just isn't right considering where we once were.

(For the record I was born in 88 so was not around for 87 when you had a final 4 team and a sugar bowl team, no idea if they were writing articles like this back then)

 

[Digable5]

If it makes you feel better i'm only 26 and clearly don't know what i'm talking about.

Haha. I figured you were younger. I probably would have thought the same thing at your age. It really doesn't bother me, just thought it was funny.

 

[GoSU96]

So I may be alone on this one but I am not a fan of these articles that have been coming out since our little resurgence this fall. Maybe its just me but I hate being looped in the Duke and Kentucky of football world, no offense to either program as they are having great seasons but those programs were garbage in the 90s and well before then.

I grew up in the 90s and for some reason I hate when people say Syracuse is a basketball school because when I was growing up Syracuse football was king in the house (still loved Cuse basketball for the record) 8 bowl games in 90s and 3 of those were BCS games, that's not like Duke Kansas, Indiana or Kentucky.

While basketball was no slouch during that time period I do not remember it as the juggernaut it is today. 8 NCAA appearances, 1 NIT appearance, and in those NCAA appearance there was 1 final four which if I remember correctly was as a 4 seed and we were not predicted to be there. Other than that we had 3 sweet sixteens and the rest were 1st weekend exits.

If anything in the 90s we were that school that you could count on for basketball and football, it wasn't a one sport brand, have we really fallen that far?

I remember in Omaha being able to watch almost every Syracuse football game (had the college football and basketball packages on Directv) but not nearly as many Syracuse basketball games it felt like. I know TV has changed the game and I think the fact that the rising of Cuse basketball winning the title starting with Melo in 03, the GERG hire in 04 and ESPN/Cable really starting to expand how many games are shown nationally in basketball and football has put us in this Duke, Kentucky, and Kansas basketball only school feeling which to me just isn't right considering where we once were.

(For the record I was born in 88 so was not around for 87 when you had a final 4 team and a sugar bowl team, no idea if they were writing articles like this back then)

Doug Marrone would definitely tell you that when he was here SU was a basketball school, and he didn't like it anymore than you.

Wildhack is doing everything he can to remedy that.