Well, Saturday was a rude awakening for Syracuse. In SU’s first game without quarterback Steve Angeli, the offense stalled, the defense slept, and Syraucse got slapped around in a 38-3 loss to Duke.
Entering the season, Duke seemed like a winnable game for Syracuse. Now, it’s time to ask the question: Will Syracuse return to a bowl game? The Orange already have three wins, but if they play like they did on Saturday, three more would be a tall task. Let’s go game-by-game to see if SU really has a chance to be a part of bowlmania in 2025.
SMU – The Mustangs are far from the team they were last year, which made the College Football Playoff. They already have losses to TCU and Baylor. But in Rickie Collins’ first road test, a win against an upper-echelon ACC team seems like a lot to ask.
Pittsburgh – This may end up being a must-win for the Orange. Coming off a bye, SU will be rested and Pitt doesn’t have a quality win yet this year. One can’t forget what happened last time these teams played…but still, we’ll give this as win #4.
#17 Georgia Tech – Haynes King. Great. Jamal Haynes. Great. Despite getting tested by Wake this past weekend, Georgia Tech has a ridiculous offense and SU won’t be slowing them down.
UNC – Halloween night against Bill Belichick. You can’t make this stuff up. While they may be coached by one of the GOATs, UNC is struggling big time this season, including a blowout loss to UCF. SU should get a spooky win #5.
#3 Miami – Yes, I remember what happened last year. No, it’s probably not going to happen again. Miami is very good.
#21 Notre Dame – The Fighting Irish had a rough start to the season with losses to Miami and Texas A&M. But over the last two weeks, wins over Purdue and Arkansas showed just what ND can do against teams not ranked in the top 10. And Syracuse…won’t be ranked in the top 10.
Boston College – It all comes down to this! The Saturday after Thanksgiving, SU needs a win to get to a bowl. These games are always ugly, and BC has had the last laugh in recent meetings. But in front of a home crowd fighting for a bowl, SU should be able to dial something up. Win #6,
