This was a game that pretty much every rational Syracuse fan would have chalked up as an automatic loss before the season started. Florida State has been one of the best and most consistent programs in the country over the last five years and the thought that a rebuilding Syracuse team could go down to Tallahassee and knock off the Seminoles seemed laughable. Well, the Orange are flying high right now and the Noles are reeling. We are now looking at a competitive game that the Orange have a real shot to win. Here is what you need to know before the teams take the field Saturday.
Another early afternoon kick: This is a weird one. The Orange and Noles will kick off at 12:20 pm EST. Not noon. Not 12:30. 12:20. The Orange are 2-3 this season when playing afternoon games, and 0-2 on the road in such games. For those who will not be making the trip down to south, you can find the game on the ACC Network, which will stream on the WatchESPN app and online.
A Win 51 Years in the Making?:¬†Syracuse and Florida State have met on the gridiron 10 times throughout their respective histories, with the Orange taking just one win. Syracuse knocked off Florida State at Archibald Stadium way back in 1966 by a score of 37-21. Obviously, this means that SU has never won a game at Florida State. It also should be noted that that game was the first ever meeting between the schools and, therefore, Florida State has won nine consecutive meetings between the schools. The Noles have absolutely owned the Orange since Syracuse made the journey over to the ACC with the closest margin of defeat being 18 points in 2014. As you may remember (or elect not to) the Orange were torched by a third-string quarterback in their last trip down to Florida’s capital in a 45-21 loss. The previous trip to Tallahassee yielded the most lopsided result of them all, a 59-3 scoreline.
Take the Points?:¬†The line has steadily shifted in Florida State’s favor as the week as rolled on. As it stands, the Noles are 6 point home favorites on Saturday, which seems a little steep considering that they have a whopping two wins on the season. But what do I know?
