Filed under: Cincinnati, Duke, Kansas, Ohio State, Syracuse, UCF
Then there were seven.
By early January, undefeated teams in college basketball are about as rare as passable grammar in tweets and, if history is any guide, each is about to drop their zero like a New Year's resolution.
In the past seven seasons, only four teams (Memphis in 2008, Illinois in 2005, and Stanford and St. Joe's in 2004) have made the first AP poll of February ranked and undefeated. Only two (Illinois and Stanford) were Big Six-level programs, which means the next three weeks are likely to be open season on the perfect.
So who will lose when?
FanHouse college basketball editor Ray Holloman, editor Matt Snyder and blogger Evan Hilbert kicked around the remaining undefeateds to pinpoint their exact moment of heartbreak.
But cheer up, soon-to-be non-perfectos, of the four teams that were undefeated and ranked in the first poll of February, none of them won a national title.
The Last Undefeated Team to Lose Will Be:
Ray Holloman: Central Florida. No, really. Sure, the Knights are the lowest profile of the undefeateds, but they've already proven they can win on the road, at Florida, and they won't have the quality of coaches or players game-planning week in and week out, or the media scrutiny. UCF faces a couple of stiff tests at Southern Miss and against the mess that is Memphis, but I think they can hold out until late January.
Matt Snyder: The easy answer is Duke, by the simple equation that the Blue Devils are one of four clear-cut elite teams in college basketball this season and have the easiest upcoming path of the four. Of course, matters are clouded by many factors. Consider that San Diego State and UCF have much easier schedules than the elite four teams (Duke, Ohio State, Kansas, Syracuse; not necessarily in order). In going through and trying to find a loss for each of the seven teams independently, I've come up with Ohio State. Of course, the Buckeyes didn't exactly look impressive on the road against a lackluster Iowa team earlier this week. Basically, the only sure thing here is the answer will not be Cincinnati.
Evan Hilbert: Ohio State. Once the Buckeyes get past Minnesota Sunday, they play two at home and one at Michigan -- the paper tiger of the Big Ten. Their potency on the perimeter coupled with Jared Sullinger in the post make them a tough out. Tubby may nab them with defense, but that won't come in Columbus.
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