The Syracuse basketball season tips off tonight which usually means that tonight marks the end of all talk about Syracuse football. Well, things are a bit different this year. Basketball season will get under way Friday night but the anticipation for Syracuse’s next football game is just as high, if not higher, than the buzz around basketball season. The Orange will take on ACC foe Wake Forest on Saturday in what is a huge game for teams. Both teams have made significant strides in the past couple of seasons and each has their sights set on a trip to a bowl game. So with so much on the line, here is everything you need to know before the game kicks off.
Second Afternoon Window Kick-off: The Orange have been bouncing around their start times this season but if the game isn’t prime time, it seems like it has always been the early afternoon game (that isn’t true. The Orange kicked off at 3:00 or 3:30 three times before this season. It just feels like they haven’t). Syracuse and Wake will kick-off at 3:00 pm and the game will be carried on Regional Sports Network which in New York is the YES Network. If you are outside the New York market, check out the RSN’s wiki page which lists all of their affiliates nationwide. The Orange are 2-4 in afternoon games and 1-2 in games that kick off in the three o’clock hour. However, the Orange have won three straight home games and the Demon Deacons are riding a three game road losing streak. The Deacs only road win this season game way back in the second week of the season when they demolished Boston College.
Looking to Reassert Dominance: The Orange have won four of six all-time meetings against Wake Forest and are 3-1 against the Deacs since joining the ACC in 2013. Wake’s only ACC win over the Orange came last season in blustery Winston-Salem. Syracuse’s offense looked lost in the stormy weather but that will not be a factor on Saturday afternoon. Last time the Deacs made the trek north to Central New York, Syracuse held Wake to 17 points and cruised to a thirteen point victory in what would prove to be Scott Shafer’s final season. Prior to last season, Wake had not beaten Syracuse since 2006, in their first ever meeting. It was a 20-10 victory in Winston-Salem.
What is Vegas Saying: Well, the Fizz staff seems to think that Syracuse will come out on top but Vegas is less sure. As of Friday morning, Syracuse is a one point favorite, which essentially means it is a pick ’em game. Oh and ESPN’s Football Power Index gives the Orange a 51.9% chance to come out on top. It is, in short, a toss up.
