A lot of Syracuse fans might be writing off the 46-point spread against Clemson with the assumption that there is no way an in-conference game can be that much of a blowout. But it is important to remember that it just was. Clemson walloped Georgia Tech on the road 73-7. The only surprise is that the Yellow Jackets scored a touchdown. This is a historically good Tiger offense, but moreover it is a matchup nightmare for the Orange.
Trevor Lawrence is the best player in college football. The only reason he might not win the Heisman is because he is too good, so good that Head Coach Dabo Swinney often pulls the projected first overall pick in the middle of the game. Despite the limited snaps, the quarterback ranks third in the country with 15 passing touchdowns, second to only Sam Ehlinger’s 16 for Texas. With Andre Cisco out for the year, and the Clemson receivers winning the one-on-ones on the outside, Lawrence is going to flex his muscles downfield. Oh, and by the way, the junior only has one interception, which could be a problem considering the Syracuse 3-3-5 has been bad with the exception of the turnover margin.
Star running back Travis Etienne also only has one turnover this season. The senior should be carrying NFL offenses on Sundays, but decided to return for a National Championship. He is the best runner in the country going against a defense that just gave up 338 yards on the ground to independent Liberty.
So the only variable is which player will shine against Syracuse on Saturday. Both are more than capable, but SU has to decide who they want on the headlines.
