There is a mantra I repeat to myself during the winter months when ranked teams are holding on to single-digit leads against inferior opponents: There is no such thing as a bad road win in conference play. When teams play each other multiple times per season and have years of familiarity with one another, creating separation becomes significantly more challenging. Eking out a victory against a non-conference opponent in November is a cause for concern. Holding on for dear life against a familiar foe in January? That is absolutely a reason for celebration.
Of course, there are also the teams who make statements during road wins and take every game as an opportunity to dominate, not just survive. This week’s rankings begin with the same team as every week, the squad that continues to put on a show no matter the locale.
Dropped out: Baylor, Louisville
Almost Famous: Oregon, MTSU, Tennessee, Louisville
• I’ll be honest: I have tuned out of South Carolina in some recent games, checking in for a few minutes and confirming later that the Gamecocks did indeed win comfortably. But this week, I decided to take a closer look, and goodness, it is hard to explain how overwhelming South Carolina is. Vanderbilt started the week by going into Arkansas and taking the Razorbacks the…
