This Saturday feels a little bit off. After two wins for Syracuse football to open up the season, the Orange had a very early bye week. But that doesn’t mean all football is gone. Here’s three games for Syracuse fans to keep an eye on today.
#24 Boston College @ #6 Missouri, 12:45 p.m. on SEC Network
Who would have thought this would be one of the most anticipated games of week three. The Eagles just snuck into the top 25 in a spot that Syracuse could have very easily gotten. A 28-13 win over Florida State put BC on the map, and now it’s trying to have a second signature win of the season.
Missouri entered the season as a playoff contender after wrapping up the 2023 season as the #8 team in the nation. But this is their first real opponent of the year. Mizzou has only played Murray State and Buffalo, winning by a combined 89-0.
Some recent Boston College-Syracuse games have been ugly, but that could easily change this season. Tomorrow will be a good test to see if the Eagles are legit this year.
West Virginia @ Pittsburgh, 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2
The Panthers survived a scare last week. Down 27-6, Pittsburgh scored 22 straight points to defeat Cincinnati. Now comes perhaps an even tougher opponent in West Virginia.
The Mountaineers hung with #8 Penn State earlier this season, falling 34-12. But the final score doesn’t tell the whole store. Both teams were scoreless in the first, and a 20-point second quarter was the only quarter that PSU scored more than seven points.
The Orange have over a month before they travel to Pittsburgh on Oct. 24. But for Syracuse’s strength of schedule, they want their ACC opponents to have as good of records as possible.
Ball State @ #10 Miami on ACC Network
Now is this really going to be a good game? Probably not. But Miami is really fun to watch. The Hurricanes are averaging 539 yards a game, and Cam Ward may be the only quarterback in the ACC with better Heisman odds than Kyle McCord.
And hey, MAC teams love to hang tough. Maybe the Cardinals have a little bit of fight in them.
