After the bye week, we are just one day away from Syracuse football and it might be the most important game of the season. With the gauntlet stretch now over, the Orange have a chance to bounce back and get back into the win column. You can’t blame SU for going 0-3 against three football powerhouses. But, now the wins have to come. The Orange sit at 4-3, just two wins away from bowl eligibility with the easiest schedule of any team in the power five.
The reason that this game is a must-win isn’t anything statistical though. It is all about the mental aspect. How is a team supposed to bounce back from four straight losses? That is demoralizing. Last year, the ‘Cuse lost five in a row. They ended that skid barely getting by a bad Boston College team in a game that was plagued with fights and scrappiness. The same thing could happen again this season if a losing streak longer than three games occurs.
The other reason this is a must-win, is simply that VT isn’t a very good football team. SU needs to be able to beat teams like this. The Hokies are just 3-4. There are two mutual opponents between the teams. Florida State, both losses, and Purdue who Syracuse beat and Virginia Tech lost to. Syracuse beat Purdue on the road easily. Therefore, the Orange should be able to beat the team that the Boilermakers beat away from home.
If SU loses this game, then things get interesting. The Orange would be 4-4 with four games to go. All the teams on the schedule would be beatable, but again you’re in the spot where the morale of the team is at an all time low. Would you expect fans to show up to the Dome after four straight loses? A win tomorrow gets rid of that question and gives the Orange a chance to clinch bowl eligibility next week.
