Through its first five games, Syracuse has had an interesting season to say the least. The Orange took two really good teams, Texas and Texas Tech, down to the wire and almost won both. Yes, you would have wanted a win in at least one of those games, but they showed that this squad can compete with tournament teams. But of course, that isn’t what has made this year interesting. It’s the fact that SU barely beat three bad teams to start the year before going to Brooklyn. The Orange won on the final possession against Le Moyne and Colgate then went into double overtime against Youngstown State.
After tonights game against Cornell, the tough opponents quickly come back onto the schedule. In less than a week, Syracuse takes a trip down south to take on number 7 Tennessee. We saw the Orange get blown out by the Volunteers last year. If this year’s team is different, they need to be more competitive until the end. Entering that game with momentum will be crucial. After that game, SU opens up conference play on the road against Notre Dame. Now is the time for this squad to show that it can put its foot on the gas and blow a team out because the time is running out.
Cornell is solid but not that good. The Big Red are 4-2, with their losses coming at La Salle and at home against Robert Morris. Other than the opener against a non-division one team, their defense has struggled, giving up 68 points or more in every contest. Other than the Texas game, SU has scored at least 70 in each game. The offense has shown it can be elite and needs to prove it against a local rival. It isn’t the end of the world if not, but this team has to show it can blow someone out at some point.
