CBS Sports may have accidentally revived the biggest Syracuse football “what if?” of the last decade.
In its post-spring ACC overreactions piece, CBS Sports pointed directly to quarterback Steve Angeli as the reason Syracuse could again be one of the ACC’s biggest surprises. CBS Sports noted that before suffering a torn Achilles against the Clemson Tigers in Week 4 last season, Angeli was playing at an elite level: 1,317 yards, 10 touchdowns and just two interceptions in a little over three games.
But the most fascinating part of the CBS analysis wasn’t the stats. It was this line:
“Steve Angeli will pick up right where he left off… Before Angeli went down, it looked like the Orange could be one of the biggest surprises in the ACC… Angeli is progressing well, and he should only be more comfortable in Jeff Nixon’s offensive system entering his second year.”
At the moment Angeli got hurt, Syracuse looked like one of the best teams in the conference. The Orange had gone on the road and beaten Clemson, the offense looked explosive, and Jeff Nixon’s system was humming at a level SU fans haven’t consistently seen in years. There was suddenly real buzz around the program. Syracuse was suddenly in the conversation as ACC powerbroker — it looked like a legitimate contender.
Now let’s rewind the standings. Looking back at how the league ultimately played out, there was a 5-way tie for a spot in the title game. It’s fair to wonder: if Angeli stays healthy, could Syracuse have actually played its way into the ACC Championship Game?
And here’s why the (muted) hype for 2026 is real: on paper, the schedule is actually more manageable this season. One stat site had the Orange with the third-best odds to win the league.
Syracuse avoids some of the ACC’s toughest opponents and enters the year with far more belief offensively than it had 12 months ago. Nixon now gets a second year in the system with Angeli.
There’s no guarantee Angeli is perfectly healthy. That’s a big injury to return from. And we saw what a disaster relying on backup QB play to save a season can be.
But if he’s truly healthy, Syracuse doesn’t just have a chance to be “better.” The Orange may legitimately enter the season believing an ACC title game appearance is on the table. And if the program gets some momentum this season, optimism will start bubbling. With an upcoming expanded playoff perhaps to 24-teams, SU fans might actually legitimately be able to thinking about a postseason in coming years.
