We figured out how the ’23 slate looks for Syracuse Football yesterday evening. Here’s a gander at how it turned out…
The Orange try for back-to-back winning seasons and bowl appearances for the first time since 2012-2013. Unfortunately, that task seems a lot more uphill after seeing this schedule. It was fair to have a decently high confidence level in this team after a 7-6 showing this past year and a solid amount of production returning. However, six wins will be tough to come by with this list of opposition.
Syracuse has a good chance to snag three early wins against Colgate, Western Michigan, and at Purdue. That game against the Boilermakers will be very, very tough despite the coaching and roster turnover but it’s a winnable game nonetheless.
That Army game is an absolute toss-up with the triple-option and all. The last time SU played a team of that offensive scheme was against Georgia Tech in a 56-0 loss back in 2013. Dino Babers has not coached against a true triple-option team at Syracuse.
Conference play rolls around after that and features some solid home games. Syracuse usually gives Clemson all it can handle, especially at home. Boston College and Wake Forest are winnable games as well for the Orange. If nothing else, the ‘Cuse can hit six wins by starting 3-0, beating Army, and taking care of BC and Wake Forest.
Syracuse has a very difficult road slate in conference play. The ‘Cuse has North Carolina, Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Georgia Tech all away from the Dome. UNC has Heisman contender Drake Maye back at quarterback and was in the Top 25 towards the end of 2022. FSU is a preseason favorite to win the ACC and perhaps make the playoffs.
The Orange needed a walk-off touchdown to beat VT a couple years ago and that was against an awful Hokies team. The only road win this team could win “on paper” is the one down in Atlanta. The Yellow Jackets team finished the season very well though under its former interim and now current head coach so that won’t be easy at all.
The final game on the 2023 slate is Pittsburgh and the game is not in Syracuse which is ridiculous. Instead, of seven home games the Orange have voluntarily agreed to six. Syracuse and Pitt will battle in Yankee Stadium November to celebrate some random milestone.
Personally, not a fan of this move and it could really hurt this team and its quest for a bowl game. Why would you want to play against a team in a baseball stadium instead of the Loud House? Syracuse plays much better when the Dome is rocking than a quiet baseball stadium where everyone is super spread out and it’s ice cold outside? That’s a head scratching move from the athletic department.
As of right now, Syracuse looks like a 5-7 win team with this schedule. We still have to learn about this Orange team to its fullest extent and see what happens with other ACC teams in the offseason and preseason. We’ll continue to keep you updated through the spring.
