The Orange face what is undisputably their biggest test of the season when the defending National Champions come to the Hill Friday night. Syracuse put together a complete performance to beat Pitt last week but will need to take everything to the highest possible gear to have a shot against the Tigers. Below is a brief overview of what you need to know before the Orange and the other team that wears orange take the field.
Prime-time ACC Showdown: For the third time this year, Syracuse will play a primetime game. The Orange split their first two, demolishing Central Connecticut State on September 1, and falling to LSU a few weeks back in an exciting game. Now Syracuse will host Clemson under the lights, with kick-off set for 7pm Friday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN, so no fumbling around trying to find a stream. The bad news is Syracuse may get embarrassed in front of a nationally televised audience.
Clemson Looking to Make it a Perfect 5-0: Okay that is a bit misleading. But I got you hooked now. Clemson is in fact a perfect 4-0 against Syracuse since the Orange joined the ACC in 2013. Syracuse actually has one win against the Tigers, coming back in 1996. Not only did the Orange win that game 21 years ago, they shut out Clemson, 41-0. The Tigers are coming off of their largest ever victory over Syracuse, shutting them out 54-0 in Death Valley last fall. Eric Dungey left that game with an injury in the first quarter.
If Syracuse Wins:¬†Plan the parade. No. Scratch that. Start the parade. If Syracuse beats Clemson (CLEMSON!!!!), I will take back every negative thing that I have ever said about this football program. This would be more than a season-defining win. It would be one that Syracuse fans will talk about for at least a generation. I don’t think that is an overstatement. Clemson won the National Championship last season and has been one of the two most dominant teams of this College Football Playoff era. Oh yeah, and they have been dominant in every game they have played this season.
If Syracuse Loses:¬†Shrug. Obviously you want the Orange to win. But it is hard to imagine a circumstance where the Orange lose and a fan can walk away mad, sad or disappointed. Speaking from my own perspective, I felt none of those emotions last season even though the Orange lost by 54. It is hard to imagine Friday’s result being worse. Even if it is, this game has been marked down as a loss for three years. So, whatever. No big deal.
