Duke is No. 1.
On January 27, in the 11th week of a season in which the top ranking was supposed to be held solely and unanimously by that team down the road, Duke is No. 1.
Exactly 1,056 days after it last earned the honor, Duke is No. 1.
And it doesn't mean a thing.
Sure, it's been awhile. Since the Blue Devils last held the nation's top spot, the University of Florida has won two football and two men's basketball national championships. Back in 2006, one of America's war was a tolerable three-year-old nuisance instead of a six-year-old quagmire. And way back then, NBA general managers were wise enough to make Adam Morrison, Shelden Williams and J.J. Redick three of the top 11 picks in the NBA Draft.
How long has it been since Duke was No. 1? Barack Obama wasn't even president the last time the Cameron Crazies could "spontaneously" shake their index fingers at ESPN's cameras and have that single digit actually reflect Duke's standing in the polls.
The Blue Devils are No. 1 after driving, dunking and defending their way past Maryland in one of the most lopsided ACC games in recent memory. 60-20? Sounds more like a high school women's game. Just don't expect any apologies from this University.
But being No. 1 in January is kind of like winning a Golden Globe. It's nice, but it's not an Oscar. Besides, Duke has a trophy case full of Golden Globes from the last eight seasons, earning the top spot in the polls in five of them while owning just one trip to the Final Four.
In fact, here's how the Blue Devils' ranking reads for the 11th week of the season since 2002: 1, 5, 1, 4, 2, 10, 4, 1.
The tale of Duke's "downfall," then, hasn't focused on frigid Januarys or slow starts. It's been one that transpires slowly in February-catalyzed by an unexpected road loss at a Florida State, a Virginia or a Wake Forest-before reaching its untimely climax somewhat prematurely in March.
There's no denying that this year's team feels different-that there's an aura about the way everybody plays defense, the way everybody gets along, the way everybody exulted in that Maryland manhandling like it was a gym class on the last day of school.
Unfortunately, this isn't high school women's basketball, where a concern over feelings earns you a 100-point apology. Last year's team felt different for a while, too, before a February visit to Winston-Salem ended with all five starters saddled with five fouls.
It's tempting to call Wednesday's return trip for a rematch with the Demon Deacons-I've heard they're a little better this season than last-a defining moment for the Blue Devils, their chance to back up Saturday's slaughter and justify their ascension to the nation's top spot.
That, however, is the kind of in-the-moment thinking that makes for good-and in the case of Skip Bayless, loud-conversation on Around the Horn and Cold Pizza (or whatever they're calling it these days).
Just look back to mid-December, when the NFL's Titans and Giants won "defining" games over conference foes to secure home-field advantage en route to... second-round playoff exits.
Regular seasons matter less and less in sports these days (am I right, Cubs fans?), especially in a game in which 65 teams make the playoffs.
Does that mean Wednesday's contest with Wake is meaningless? Of course not. It's Duke's first chance to show how much it's really grown since that cold Sunday night in Winston-Salem last February, its chance to illustrate that a frontline of Kyle Singler, Brian Zoubek and Co. is tall enough to cut down the nets in April.
But it's also just the first of five games in the next six weeks against the other three ranked teams in the ACC. End that gauntlet in the same laudatory standing they hold now, and the Blue Devils might just be on to something.
On January 27, though, Duke is No. 1.
Now the fun really begins.
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