Not a great week for Syracuse University athletics.

Here's the rundown, from bad to worse:

• Syracuse football team throttled by Cincinnati. (Predictable)

• Greg Paulus booed lustily. (Any Duke basketball player is accustomed to this)

• Three football players - Antwon Bailey, Andrew Tiller, Torrey Ball - suspended for the Pittsburgh game following an early-morning traffic accident Sunday near Turning Stone. (Double down!)

• The Orange's best football player quit. (Mike Williams, killing his draft stock one step at a time)

• The Syracuse basketball team lost an exhibition game to Division-II LeMoyne College.

(Don't worry guys, it's not like this is a national story. Wait, what? They led Sportscenter with it? Seriously?)

Even Dede Scozzafava thinks that's a rough week.

What is going on in the Salt City? It hasn't even snowed yet and the Syracuse football team is in turmoil, while the basketball team, which has yet to play a real game, is already being mocked on national television.

Have you seen the “2012” movie trailer?

Yeah, it's pretty much like that. (Not an overstatement at all)

Look, the football team wasn't going to beat Cincy, and they're sure as heck not beating Pitt this weekend. In fact, there's a very good chance they're not winning again this decade.

But losing Williams, the team's only true offensive threat, is a major blow to the program. It's like “24” losing Jack Bauer. Sure, you can still have a show. But why? Who wants to watch that? Williams was suspended for the Akron game a couple weeks ago for violating team rules. He was also in the car with Bailey, Tiller and Ball this weekend. Williams has clearly had his troubles at Syracuse, though I hardly think Marrone was about to give up on him. So why quit?

We may never know.

But here's what we do know - Syracuse lost its best player, there's a quarterback controversy and Marrone is giving teary-eyed press conferences. That's more drama than at ESPN headquarters. (Hey-oh!)

And to make matters worse for Orange fans, LeMoyne shows up at the Carrier Dome Tuesday night and pulls off the upset of all upsets.

These exhibition games always transform into one of two things - a turnover-fest or a dunk contest. They're typically defined by sloppy play, poor shot selection and minimal defensive effort. Syracuse doesn't take them seriously. Never have.

Well you know what? LeMoyne played like it was the national championship game. And Syracuse didn't.

Good for the Dolphins. They completely outplayed the Orange and deserved to win. Sure, it didn't actually count. But it does serve as motivation and a prime source of smack talk. (But seriously, LeMoyne, you should change your nickname before talking smack. Nobody's afraid of dolphins)

For at least a season, LeMoyne is the champion of the city.

And for Syracuse, this might be the wake-up call it needs. Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris ain't walking through that door. (Though if Harris did, I think Boeheim would ask him to leave)

The Orange have to find a way to win with the players they have. Wes Johnson looks like a fine building block. I'm not sure if I'm more impressed that he scored 34 against LeMoyne, or more concerned that he scored 34 and Syracuse still lost. (My brain hurts)

I'm not even sure that Boeheim knows how good this team can be. Brandon Triche and Scoop Jardine looked tremendous in the first exhibition game. They looked awful in the second.

Andy Rautins has yet to find his stroke.

Arinze Onuaku isn't fully healthy. Rick Jackson struggles against smaller defenders. And Kris Joseph looks to be playing on ice skates.

Of course, we know that all these players are capable of being good, if not great. We now know that they're capable of losing to D-II teams, too.

I'm not quite sure what to make of Syracuse athletics at the moment. The football team peaked in its third week and is now slipping faster than Jay Leno's ratings. (ZING!)

At least the basketball team is 0-0. Things could be worse. (Just ask Rick Pitino. Another ZING!)

But it's best to stay positive, SU fans. There's no place to go but up. (I think)

In times like these, it's best to maintain a glass-half-full mentality.

If only because, right now, nobody deserves a glass half full more than Orange fans.