College Basketball: Duke Blue Devils' Undefeated Season is Gone, So Who's Next?

The Duke Blue Devils lost their first game of the season this past week at the hands of Florida State. Not only were the Blue Devils undefeated, they were also ranked No. 1 in the country. With the loss, Duke is going to be replaced by one of the four remaining unbeaten teams in the nation.

Syracuse, Ohio State, Kansas and San Diego State all have unblemished records. It's highly unlikely any will finish the regular season with zero losses. But which one will fall next?

Here's a look at each of the four teams' potential stumbling blocks heading forward.

Syracuse Orange

Despite losing Andy Rautins, Wesley Johnson and Arinze Onuaku from last year's team, Syracuse hasn't missed a beat. The Orange are a perfect 18-0 on the season, and Jim Boeheim's squad is deeper than a year ago, although it doesn't boast the same star power.

Regardless, Syracuse is in the running for a No. 1 seed for the second straight season. But that could quickly change as the Orange are about to head into the meat and potatoes of their schedule, starting tomorrow night.

Syracuse will have its first big road game against Pittsburgh; a game that features two of the best teams in college basketball. The Panthers are one of the toughest teams in college basketball in their home building, and with leading scorer Kris Joseph likely sidelined due to a concussion, the Orange will have the odds stacked against them.

After the Pittsburgh game, Syracuse will host two home games against Villanova and Seton Hall before hitting the road for three straight games. One of those road games is a battle with arch-rival Connecticut, who is a top-10 team despite not being ranked in the preseason rankings.

In the Big East any team can beat another on any given night; that's just how deep and talented the league is. Because of that, Syracuse's unblemished record could take a couple of hits over the coming weeks, especially with Joseph out for the Pittsburgh game.

But when March comes around you can expect the Orange to be a factor.

Ohio State Buckeyes

Evan Turner may be gone but Jared Sullinger has made Buckeye fans forget "The Villain." Ohio State has raced out to an 18-0 start, although recently the Buckeyes have had a number of close games which almost ended their streak. The Buckeyes' last four games have all been decided by five points or less.

Looking forward, Ohio State's next big test is on the road against Illinois, but before they hit the road they'll have to take care of a pesky Iowa team at home. Then on Jan. 25, Ohio State will host a very good Purdue team. 

The Buckeyes have flirted with disaster quite a bit of late, and eventually against better Big Ten competition, they won't be able to escape.  With a tough schedule ahead, Ohio State won't make it to February without a loss on its resume.

Kansas Jayhawks

Like Ohio State, Kansas has been through some close calls of late. Over the past three games the Jayhawks beat Michigan in overtime by seven, Iowa State by five and Nebraska by three. Good teams always find ways to win and that's exactly what the Jayhawks have been doing.

Marcus Morris has been an absolute beast this season for Kansas and Josh Selby is still getting acclimated to the college game, although he's shown flashes of his enormous potential. There's a lot to like about this Jayhawks team; they're well-coached, have veteran leadership and a game changer in Selby.

Over the next four games we'll get to see just how good this team is. Tomorrow Kansas plays at Baylor followed by a home game against a good Texas team. Then the Jayhawks will hit the road again to take on a much improved Colorado team before hosting Frank Martin's Kansas State Wildcats. 

As good as the Jayhawks are it's hard seeing them coming out of that four-game stretch with an unscathed record. Like Syracuse and Ohio State, it would be surprising if they went into February undefeated.

San Diego State

Not many people know about the Aztecs but that will change if they can remain unbeaten for awhile longer. Playing in the Mountain West Conference, San Diego State's toughest competition will come from BYU. The Aztecs' next game is against Air Force before a big game against BYU on the road.

If San Diego State can top Jimmer Fredette and Co. in a tough road environment, people will start to believe in them. Other than BYU, Colorado State and UNLV could be potential stumbling blocks for the Aztecs.

But going up against an experienced BYU team that was in the tournament last season is where we will find out how good San Diego State is. If they pull off the win, it could be a while before they lose their first game.