23 years in Division-I, with a competitive effort last year against Syracuse in hand, the high stakes for Syracuse against their formidable opponent to the west still felt unsubstantiated. The game carried the weight of the Orange being favorites, while also pursuing a marquee win over the #14 team in the nation and trying to reclaim the name of best team in New York. It never felt like they relinquished it outright, but on Tuesday, they officially did so as Buffalo handed Syracuse a 71-59 loss.
For all their momentum entering the Carrier Dome, the Bulls worked to stall it early through their approach.