Will the Bears finally get back in this one?
Syracuse Orange football on the CW, Vol. 3 is almost here and we’re firing off our predictions for when SU takes on the California Golden Bears. The Orange (6-3, 3-3) lost a close one to BC last weekend, while the Bears (5-4, 1-4) are winners of back-to-back, including their first conference game as a member of the ACC.
Kickoff is at 3pm (12 local) and here’s how we think things will go down in the hills of Berkeley:
Kevin (6-3): Syracuse 34, Cal 31
I don’t have a good feel for this game at all. Cal has some strong metrics but they’ve blown some big leads, found a way to lose to Florida State and relied on turnovers to hold on last week against Wake. On the other hand, Syracuse keeps stepping on rakes in every game and haven’t put together a full 60 minutes all year. To me, it’ll come back to the Orange finding a way to bounce back after each loss and I think this week they finally get a fast start and ride the duo of Kyle McCord and Oronde Gadsden to an exciting shoot-out win.
Max (5-4): Cal 41, Syracuse 28
I can’t back Syracuse in this one, especially after allowing 37 points to a one-dimensional Boston College offense. Cal is much more polished than BC on both sides of the ball, and it’ll be extremely tough for the Orange offense to establish the run. We’ll see pass-heavy attacks from both sides, but the Bears will wear out SU’s defense in the second half and keep Fran Brown without soap for a few more days.
Mike (5-4): Cal 38, Syracuse 31
SU hasn’t had a losing streak yet but I’m afraid that ends with the Bears. McCord’s three losses have all come when he’s been sacked four times, so as long as Cal can keep up the pressure against a struggling Orange o-line, he will be at risk of taking hits or leaving balls hanging in the air for a hungry secondary to pounce on.
Dom (6-3): Syracuse 27, Cal 20
I’ll be completely honest: this game could go in 100 different directions and you can convince me any of them can happen. What we do know is this: a) the offense of the Golden Bears is not elite, b) Cal will have McCord under pressure all game, c) Syracuse has responded quite well after each loss (albeit, two of those wins came in overtime) and d) winning in the trenches will make or break this game. Put all that together and I’d say Syracuse loses, but I’ll be a homer here and predict the offense comes through in what will be a very weird game either way.
Now it’s your turn: