Odds for college football season win totals were just released, which means there’s now a set national expectation for Syracuse football. The Orange’s over/under line was set at 6.5 wins.
Syracuse fans, and even the general public, are very upset with this line. Due to the recruiting success of new head coach Fran Brown, plus the transfer of former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord, the expectations are high for SU.
The numbers back this up. As of now, the odds are -132 for the over and +108 for the under. For context, that means a winning $10 bet on the over would pay out $17.58, while a winning $10 bet on the under would pay out $20.08. In simple terms, this means it’s likely most of the people betting on this line are taking the over.
As disrespectful as some SU fans may see this line, it’s a fair one. There were simply too many changes in the offseason for Syracuse to have expectations any higher.
For one, Fran Brown has never been a head coach. In fact, he’s never even been a coordinator. While being the number one recruiter in the country as Georgia’s defensive backs coach is impressive, it wouldn’t be shocking if Syracuse football lost a game this year due to clock mismanagement or play calling issues.
Another area of instability is the offense. Kyle McCord is a highly-touted quarterback, but Ohio State fans have pointed out plenty of flaws in his game. He should be great for the Orange, but getting used to a new offense with plenty of other transfers could be tough.
Newcomers is a theme for Syracuse football as a whole this year. There are lots of new faces on offense, especially the wide receivers group, and defense.
There’s plenty of hope for SU, don’t get it twisted. But having tempered expectations isn’t a bad thing. With so many moving parts, it’s realistic to understand not everything will work out perfectly.
