I’m sorry, Greg Paulus haters, but I’m endlessly fascinated by this. Yes, the former Duke point guard not only got asked to play football at Syracuse, he was named the starting quarterback last night.

I know nothing of Syracuse’s football team, expect they were a woeful 3-9 last year, finishing last in the Big East. I also know nothing of Greg Paulus’ current skill level. But I know he was pretty much the top QB coming out of high school his senior year; he had the talent to play at this level, whether he still has it is something we’ll soon find out. Doug Marrone obviously thinks he’s got it. Or at least he thinks he’s more capable than sophomore Ryan Nassib, who was named the starter in the spring before Paulus came in and snatched his spot. According to ESPN’s Joe Schad, Paulus has a good receiver in Mike Williams, and a capable running back in Delone Carter.

But all that is neither here nor there. It really boils down to this: a guy that had his pick of colleges in both basketball and football appears to have chosen the wrong door. Basketball didn’t lead him to the NBA; it didn’t even lead him to a guaranteed starting spot his senior year.

What one year of football at a mediocre program will bring him remains to be seen. But it will be fascinating to watch.

You may remember about a month ago, when Eamonn and I had an epic debate about the merits of Greg Paulus’s college football career. In the simplest terms: He argued any team looking at Paulus was foolish because the guy hadn’t played football since high school. I argued teams had nothing to lose, because he was pretty much the best QB prospect in the nation back then. He could still shine.

Well, this theory will now officially be put to the test. Paulus has announced he’ll be playing football at Syracuse this upcoming season.

My gut and my heart were telling me that (Syracuse) was the best place for me,” Paulus said from Durham, N.C., during a conference call.

The Orange hired Marrone in December to resurrect the team he once played for — Syracuse has gone 10-37 over the past four seasons. He already has moved former starting quarterback Andrew Robinson to tight end and demoted Cam Dantley, last year’s starter, to backup behind redshirt freshman Ryan Nassib, who has never thrown a college pass.

Paulus said Marrone has made “no promises, no guarantees” about playing time.

So basically, Paulus’s only competition is a redshirt freshman. He certainly has a shot a being the starter, it seems. And whether or not you hate him — and he has plenty of detractors — there’s no denying this is going to be one of the most intriguing college football storylines to watch this fall.

Even if you dislike Greg Paulus, you’d be silly to deny his quest to play football in his fifth year of eligibility is at least mildly intriguing. Come on, people: This is a cool little story. Find it in your black heart to parse out your Paulus teabag hate, and just admit it.

The Packers, Duke and Michigan all expressed interest in the tiny quarterback. But it looks like Syracuse University might be his new home. Joe Schad at ESPN has the details:

A person familiar with the situation said it is “95 percent” certain that Paulus will be on a college football roster next season.

[ ... ]

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Paulus, a standout high school quarterback, would fit into new Syracuse coach Doug Marrone’s pro-style offense. Redshirt freshman quarterback Ryan Nassib has been tabbed as the Orange’s starter, but Paulus could be the perfect bridge in a one-season homecoming.

[ ... ]

If Syracuse becomes his second college destination, Paulus is considering studying for a master’s degree in communications.

There you have it. If I’m Ryan Nassib right now, I’m not a very happy camper.

I didn’t turn this game on until near midnight when it was in the fifth overtime. It was pretty hard to believe my eyes. But yes, the Syracuse Orange and UConn Huskies played a ridiculous six overtimes last night, with Syracuse finally pulling away in the last of them for a 127-117 victory.

And now, we go to the highlights:

I caught the above heave by Cleveland State’s Cedric Jackson to hand Syracuse their first loss of the season last evening during a live look-in on ESPNews. Except I didn’t. Because as soon as Syracuse tied it up, I put my head back down in my laptop and next thing I know the announcers were going nuts. But thanks to the magic of the Internet, I can now watch the ridiculous shot on repeat.

Thanks Al Gore!

(For some related hilarity, check out Jim Boeheim’s microphone-slapping post-game presser. Poor Jim. Also see: Sparty and Friends.)