In the same week that Syracuse was left out of the Preseason AP Top 25 poll, the Orange were also left out of ESPN’s recent playoff and bowl projections.
It feels like I’m beating a dead horse with this “national media disrespects Syracuse” narrative, but the more it happens, the more necessary it is for me to talk about it.
Projecting the Orange to take a step back from their memorable first year under Fran Brown is one thing, but missing the playoffs completely? That’s a completely different conversation.
Yes, Syracuse has one of the toughest schedules in the country this season, and they’ll have to tackle it without the likes of Kyle McCord and Oronde Gadsden, among the other talents the Orange lost to the NFL this offseason.
That being said, this is playing out eerily similar to last year. Before Syracuse went 10-3 en route to its first bowl game win since 2018, it was picked to finish 12th in the ACC, just like it was this year.
People also pointed to Syracuse’s tough schedule as a major roadblock for the Orange last year, when in reality, it propelled the Orange to their best national ranking since 2018.
The media heavily underrated Fran Brown’s ability to lead Syracuse to a successful season in Year 1, and it’s the same low expectations in Year 2. 12 ACC teams are expected to make the College Football Playoff or a bowl game by ESPN, suggesting that Syracuse is viewed even lower than where it was picked to finish in the ACC.
If the Orange can replicate their success from last year, they’ll make their preseason predictions look foolish for the second straight season.
