Syracuse football has an easy schedule in 2024. It’s been said over and over and over again (guilty as charged). The release of the first AP Top 25 College Football Poll is another good reminder of that fact.
In the Orange’s 12-game slate, there are only two ranked opponents: #19 Miami and #24 NC State. That’s not too shocking. Only four ACC teams made the list, including #10 Florida State, #14 Clemson, and the two aforementioned foes. So it’s not just that SU only has to take on two ranked teams. It’s the fact that out of the top four teams in the conference, Syracuse football gets to play the lower-ranked pair of teams.
Another takeaway comes from looking at the “others receiving votes” section. In here, you’ll find just one more Orange opponent: Virginia Tech. Now, the Hokies did get 77 votes, the second most of any team outside the top 25. That should slot VT in as the 27th team as the country. However, there’s no sight of other teams that Syracuse plays. Georgia Tech and Cal are both supposed to be solid opponents, but this poll shows that they’re not in the same caliber as Miami, NC State, and Virginia Tech.
There’s something obvious that hasn’t been addressed yet: Syracuse football didn’t get a vote. If that shocks you, then maybe you need to temper your expectations a bit. The Orange finished 6-7 last year and had arguably more changes, both in roster and coaching staff, than any other program in the nation. While that could be good, there’s a lot of questions that need to be answered. Those questions can’t be answered with transfer portal or recruiting rankings, training camp highlights, or press conference quotes. They’ll be answered on the field… starting in just under three weeks.
