The Huskies made their first Top 25 trip of the year a short one, falling out of the rankings after last week's 38-12 loss at North Carolina. Now, like a jilted child, the team has some alone time to sit and think about what it has done and what lies ahead.

Connecticut enters its bye week trying to figure out what went so horribly wrong against the Tar Heels. UNC had a size and speed advantage, but not enough to explain the final score or the fact that UConn got pushed around in the trenches more than it has by any other opponent this season.

The Tar Heels didn't even have the surprise factor working for them. UNC has thrived on the big play all season long, and if anyone knows the importance of that it's the Huskies.

UNC also had the home crowd, which may have been a big factor.

UConn hasn't been great on the road against big teams, but mainly that's been noticeable because it's played so well at home that the contrast is stark. It did win at Louisville the previous week, so it's not like the Huskies can't play outside the state.

An Achilles' heel for UConn over the past two years is that when it's played poorly, it's played really poorly. There seems to be a tipping point beyond which the chance at a comeback ends and the odds of a rout increase, and at that point it seems like both sides of the ball look a little slower, a little weaker, and a lot more desperate.

A one-point loss counts the same as a 26-point loss in the standings, but the latter hurts a lot worse in the eyes of those Top 25 voters. That's what has the Huskies spending their time off unranked.

Copyright (C) 2008 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.