A few years ago, ESPN college basketball analyst Doug Gottlieb, in criticizing Syracuse University's non-conference schedule, mapped out a new landscape for the Orange.

"Syracuse University had not played a game outside the state of New York,'' Gottlieb said; or something to that effect.

This was Gottlieb's way of devaluing Syracuse's non-conference games at Madison Square Garden. As if Kansas never plays in Kansas City or North Carolina doesn't play in Greensboro or Charlotte or Florida doesn't play in Orlando. But those games get listed as "neutral court'' games, while Syracuse's games in New York City somehow counts as a home game because the Orange aren't leaving the Empire State.

Blame Daryl Gross. The Orange is in the Apple campaign apparently did its job.

Why talk about this now? Because the Orange now can't even get credit when it does leave the state of New York. After playing (and beating) Georgia Tech and Michigan in the Legends Classic in Atlantic City earlier this season, the phrase has been expanded.

Jeff Goodman, the college basketball analyst for FoxSports.com and an Associated Press poll voter, used this line when voting San Diego State ahead of Syracuse in this week's poll: The Orange still haven't played a game outside of New York or New Jersey.

Now, no one's arguing the fact that Syracuse lacked a true road game on its non-conference schedule. But why is Syracuse always held to a standard that's rarely applied to other schools? Syracuse did have non-conference neutral court games against Michigan, Georgia Tech and Michigan State at Madison Square Garden.

Meanwhile, Florida played just one non-conference game outside the state of Florida. That was against always-tough American in Washington D.C.

Purdue played just one game outside of Indiana or the city of Chicago. That was against Virginia Tech in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, which meant Purdue officials didn't schedule it on their own volition.

What about Duke? Yes, mighty Duke. The Blue Devils played just three non-conference games outside the state of North Carolina. They played Butler in East Rutherford, N.J., and they played Marquette and Kansas State in Kansas City. Don't say the K-State was a road game. When Syracuse played Kansas in Kansas City in the 2008-09 season, that game was counted as neutral court. Duke's only true road game outside the ACC? At UNC-Greensboro.

And then there's Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh played only two games outside the Steel City in its non-conference schedule. The Panthers played Maryland and Texas in Madison Square Garden.

Oh, and one last thing. Syracuse is ranked No. 2 in the latest RPI with a strength of schedule that's rated 43rd in the country.

Kansas' strength of schedule is 56th; Pittsburgh is at 61, Purdue is at 71, Villanova is at 117 and Duke (yes, Duke) is 138th.

San Diego State? The Aztecs have an RPI of 14 and a Strength of Schedule at 156.

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