For all the #NunesBucks
With the Syracuse Orange bowl matchup set, let’s look back at our season predictions. We had one staff member take home the #NunesBucks this year so congrats to Mike.
Mike: 9-3, 5-3, Pop Tarts Bowl vs Iowa State Cyclones
I am a bold one with this prediction but with all the abysmal injuries the past two years, SU is due to have a year where more things go right than not. The biggest concern is, as always, the o-line, but for once I’m somewhat confident that the depth there will hold up. There is such an abundance of talent in the skill positions that the Orange offense should keep pace with just about anyone in the ACC. Losses are to NC State, VT, and Cal, which will set up a showdown with a Big 12 sleeper team in Orlando.
Mike got the overall and ACC records correct- even if he missed all the losses. Also nailed the comment about the talent at the skill positions.
Also congrats to commenters: allorange,forsu and ElCuseO for correctly nailing 9-3 in the predictions piece lined above.
Dom takes 2nd place because he nailed the ACC record and was the only one to call a loss to Pitt…..this probably doesn’t take away the sting of Miami fumbling their CFP chances.
Kevin: 8-4, 4-4, Pop Tarts Bowl vs Arizona Wildcats
I’ve gone back and forth between 7 and 8 wins, but I’m buying the talent upgrade for the Orange. I think Kyle McCord will be better than many outside of Syracuse think and that will give the offense enough juice to win 8 games. My losses are NC State, Virginia Tech, California and Miami which would mean a really bumpy November, but overall enough to send Syracuse back to Orlando to face Dino Babers and the Wildcats…..sure no one expects Arizona to do this well, but let’s inject the Pop-Tarts with a little spice?
Dom: 8-4, 5-3, Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl vs Kansas Jayhawks
Like Kevin, I mulled between 7 and 8 wins. But I picked the 8-4 prediction to write about for a reason. There’s a lot going in favor of the Orange after a productive offseason. My logic is this: after getting six wins last year of all years, 8 wins again feels optimistic and not super unrealistic. I’ve got Syracuse going above-.500 against the ACC for the first time since 2018; losses penciled in are UNLV, NC State, Pitt and Miami. The Orange will head down to the Lone Star State against Kansas; the Jayhawks can’t escape us in football forever.
Carson: 8-4, 4-4, Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl vs Arizona Wildcats
I think 8-4 is extremely reasonable with this group. My losses are Georgia Tech, UNLV, NC State, and Miami. As I mentioned in my 9-3 prediction, I think Syracuse will get better as the season progresses and instead will trip earlier in the year. Hence the early losses to GT, UNLV, and NC State the week after. 4-4 against the ACC seems fitting. Dom brought up a great figure – Syracuse has not gone above 500 against the ACC since 2018 – and I think that continues. Not that I don’t believe in Fran Brown, I do, I think this year will be a bit of a learning curve for the 31st Head Football Coach of the Syracuse Orange.
The most #DisloyalIdiots this year and we’ll be taking suggestions on which hat Steve should eat.
Max: 7-5, 4-4, Pop-Tarts Bowl vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
I’m standing behind my record and game-by-game predictions from last week. The Georgia Tech game in Week 2 is an excellent early season test and will be a resumé booster for the Orange after a big home win. One downside with a new slew of coaches and players is the unknown chemistry between them. There will be some bumps in the road, especially on the October road trip against UNLV, NC State and Pitt, but I’m comfortable setting seven wins as SU’s floor.
Steve: 7-5, 4-4, Pop-Tarts Bowl vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys
I’m still too tepid on this team. They have the talent to be better, they have the ability to hit that 9-win plateau, possibly 10, and the absolute floor is at 6-6, but I’m going to hedge my bets on the season and say 7-5. The Orange got better across the board, and a new staff to boot, but was the talent upgrade and influx of quality underclassmen enough to move the needle as the rest of the ACC also brought in talent? I’m hoping to eat my hat on this one and it be 8 or 9 wins, but can’t in good faith throw it out there until I see product on the field.