Why the field is so wide open behind Florida

The Syracuse vs. Duke game this past weekend lived up to the hype.  I feel everyone is focusing on the charge call and the Jim Boeheim ejection, while instead they should be focusing on how well both teams played, and how it was such a great game until the final 15 or so seconds.  This game even further entrenched Florida into the number one spot, and there is really no team you can put there.  Florida looks like far and away the best at this point, and why shouldn't they, they've been phenomenal lately, winning 19 in a row.  In this stretch, they've beaten Kansas, Memphis, Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee twice.  The only real close call has been Arkansas on the road, and they have beaten South Carolina by 16, Georgia by 22, Tennessee by 26, and Texas A&M by 33.  The talent on this team surpasses every other team in the country.  Easily.  Billy Donnovan is a great coach, turning this team around after starting 6-2 (if you call that a turnaround when their losses were on the road against UConn and Wisconsin).  They look unbeatable at this point (remember when I said that about Syracuse...) and I don't think they'll lose again until the tournament (now that I've said this, they'll probably lose their next game).

Now that the question of number one is over, what about number 2.  Some will say Syracuse, but now they have lost two in a row.  The Duke loss isn't bad at all, but Boston College!  Boston College!  I mean, Boston College is just terrible.  They'll be lucky if they win 8 games this year.  And at home as well!  Others may say Duke, after all, Duke did beat Syracuse, and they're playing so well right now.  But then you go back and see that they lost to Clemson and Notre Dame.  Now that might be as bad as Syracuse.  So if not Syracuse or Duke, then maybe Arizona?  Arizona looks good, their resume is great, but then you realize, Brandon Ashley is out for the year.  Without Ashley, they have lost to Arizona St and California (two good teams, but still) and have beaten Oregon by 2.  The worst part: taking Utah to OT.  Utah!  Do I see a trend here, Boston College, Clemson, Notre Dame, and now Utah (who's next, Lamar?).  If we have now decided not Arizona, surely San Diego St fits the bill?  But wait.... they lost to Wyoming (Wyoming is averaging 65 ppg, not even top 300 in the country)!  Utah, Notre Dame, Clemson and Boston College could beat Wyoming playing with their opposite hands.  So now not Syracuse, not Duke, not Arizona, not San Diego St, how about Kansas?  But then... Kansas has 6 losses!  They've lost to Villanova, Colorado, Florida, SDSU, Texas and Kansas St.  If you have that many losses, can you really be number 2? If not Kansas, how about Villanova.  They beat Kansas and Iowa, and their only losses are to Syracuse and Creighton twice.  Sounds good, but they lost in those two Creighton games by a combined 49 points.  Ouch!  What about Wichita St? They haven't lost yet, they have some good wins: St. Louis and... and... well, BYU is ok, and Alabama isn't terrible, and Tennessee is decent, at best.  The problem for Wichita St, is that, they really haven't played anyone other than St. Louis, so they haven't proved themselves.  What about Michigan St? They have a lot of talent.  But didn't they lose to Nebraska, and Georgetown, neither of which is a tournament team right now, and neither of which was on the road?  What about Louisville?  They won the title last year, are they back for more?  They've played some good teams: North Carolina (loss), Kentucky (loss), Memphis (loss), Cincinnati (win and a loss).  That leaves Cincinnati as the only good win, and Louisville should be number 2! No way!  Let's try one more: Wisconsin.  They're playing great right now.  They've beaten Florida, and Michigan, and Iowa.  But wait... they lost to Northwestern at HOME!

Maybe this question is unanswerable, maybe no team fits the bill.
This season is so wide open, and sets up for a great tournament...


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