Syracuse football roundtable: TNIAAM observations on the Orange’s 2025 schedule

We share our thoughts on the Orange’s upcoming path in 2025.

The 2025 football schedule for the Syracuse Orange is now finalized after the ACC unveiled the complete slate for all 18 teams.

Syracuse will open its second year under coach Fran Brown in Mercedes-Benz Stadium against Atlanta on Saturday, August 30. Home games will be against UConn, Colgate, Duke, Pitt (in October!), North Carolina and Boston College, while the Orange will hit the road to face Clemson, SMU, Georgia Tech, Miami (FL), and Notre Dame.

With Syracuse’s full schedule now out, we sent out TNIAAM bat signal to get some more perspective, insight and takeaways from the staff on what their thoughts are on 2025 slate:

Your most significant big picture observation for the 2025 schedule?

Carson: At first glance, it’s not far off to say every game away from the JMA Dome could be a loss — Tennessee (in Atlanta), Clemson, SMU, Georgia Tech, Miami (FL), and Notre Dame. Four of those teams competed in the 2024 College Football Playoff, and five of those six teams were included on ESPN’s Way-Too-Early college football Top-25 rankings. During the official ACC Huddle: Football Schedule Release former Clemson offensive lineman Eric Mac Lain even called SU’s schedule, ‘the hardest schedule in the country.’

Christian: It’s really hard to look at this schedule and not wince at the road slate. First up are two repeat opponents from 2024 in Georgia Tech and Miami. Both games were decided by one score. The other three true road opponents and Tennessee all appeared in the College Football Playoff. Syracuse needs to be absolutely perfect to escape any of those stadiums away from home with a victory.

Kevin: Syracuse truly needs to Defend the Dome. With a pretty tough road schedule, it might mean a bowl appearance relies on going 6-0 at the JMA Dome.

Dom: Bouncing back and then some after these more elite matchups. This year will be a rollercoaster but those games against the projected top-tier opponents (Tennessee, Clemson, SMU, Miami and Notre Dame) are all spaced out wither either a bye week or 1-2 games in between in what will be those “consensus swing matchups” — Duke, BC, Pitt, Georgia Tech and UNC namely. This year also has a lot of volatility — there’s a ceiling to reach seven wins, but also a floor that could be in 3-4 win territory if things really go wrong.

Mike: Pretty much what Carson and Kevin said. I think that SU can steal a road win somewhere – Georgia Tech is my early pick – but they have to take care of business on home turf. Duke, Pitt and UNC are no pushovers either so it will be a huge second year for Fran Brown.

Max: The home/road balance is what first stood out to me. If you remember last year, the Orange started with four straight home games (plus a bye week), followed by a three-game road trip (another bye included). I’m not sure who thought last season’s calendar was a good idea, but I can definitely get behind this year’s much more balanced slate.

Most important stretch of the season?

Carson: November 2nd-29th is SU’s most important stretch for me. Syracuse football was 7-22 under Dino Babers in November, but in Fran Brown’s first season, Syracuse won four of its five games in November. Considering the strength of schedule in front of the Orange in 2025, there’s a serious possibility that Syracuse might need to win one, if not two, of these games to reach bowl eligibility.

Christian: Syracuse and Fran Brown want to be not just ACC Champions, but CFP contenders as well. Well in order to do that, you have to defeat who’s currently at the top of the mountain. That means the stretch from September 20 to October 4 is the most important stretch. We’ve seen Orange teams in the past collapse after rough losses to tough opponents. But Syracuse last year didn’t drop back-to-back games under Brown. This stretch includes Clemson and SMU, the two teams in the ACC Championship Game last season, and a nine-win Duke team. Syracuse and Brown can prove that even with the loss of talent to graduation and the draft, this Orange program is building towards consistent success by showing up against the cream of the crop.

Kevin: October 11th-31st jumps out to me because I think Syracuse might head into the bye week happy to be 3-3. That means the two home games against Pitt and UNC could determine bowl eligibility for the Orange. If the team can avoid major injuries, that week off after SMU could be just the break they need before this critical stretch.

Dom: I’m with Kevin. Coming off that tough road matchup versus SMU, Syracuse gets three chances (including two October home games!) to likely get on the inside track of bowl eligibility. That will very much be what determines the ultimate record for this team.

Mike: I’m more in Christian’s boat here. Getting through the first six weeks of the year relatively healthy while staying .500 should be the goal. I’d love a Week 1 upset but certainly am not counting on it, so the third win is between Clemson, Duke at home, and SMU. I really don’t think the Tigers are invincible, and off of the FCS game they might actually be the best shot at a road win. Duke is set for regression with Maalik Murphy gone, and SMU has massive roster turnover especially on defense – even moreso than the Orange.

Max: I’d go with Oct. 25 to Nov. 22. No matter how Syracuse starts in its first seven games, this three-game stretch, including two tough ones on the road, will be crucial to a shot at postseason play. Even if they enter the GT game 3-4, the Orange should have the chemistry by late-October to turn things around. Oh yeah, and a win on either Miami or Notre Dame’s home turf would be a program-changing win.

Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Best “Marquee Game of the Year” candidate?

Carson: I’m interested to see how the Orange look against the Vols in Atlanta week one. If there’s any game on this schedule that indicates how SU will fair against the top teams in college football, what better than a ranked matchup at a ‘neutral site’ to kick off the regular season? If it’s a blowout, potentially sound the alarms, but if it ends up being a game worth watching, who knows?

Christian: The ACC opener is always interesting for a variety of reasons. This season, the Orange happen to start the conference slate against the reigning ACC Champions in Clemson. In Death Valley. Syracuse had come close under Dino Babers multiple times to upsetting the Tigers in South Carolina. Can Brown prove that he, his staff and his player have what it takes to get the job done?

Kevin: Friday night home game. Halloween. Bill Belichick. You aren’t going to find a better home atmosphere next Fall.

Dom: Playing UNC on Halloween night is going to be electric, but don’t sleep on the road game versus Miami (FL).

Mike: It depends on what road games end up in primetime. Halloween night will be a scene even if SU isn’t having a good year, but if they are in solid shape for Clemson, SMU, Miami, ND after Dark, any could be contenders.

Max: Gotta go with the North Carolina game. Yes, there are way better opponents, but I still can’t get over Belichick on the Dome sideline.

Best “Sickos Game of the Year” candidate?

Carson: UNC, with Bill Belichick as its head coach, on Halloween just seems like a fever dream. I will definitely be back on campus, if the opportunity presents itself, for that game.

Christian: Senior Day against Boston College to end the season has all the makings of a pure sickos game. I challenge anyone to find me a “normal” Syracuse-Boston College game. The fact that this matchup now caps the regular season makes the probability for hijinks to skyrocket significantly.

Kevin: UConn. Coming off whatever happens in Atlanta, you’re going to get a pesky UConn squad that wouldn’t go away last year and is likely to be as annoying as a Danny Hurley sideline tantrum again.

Dom: I don’t know if it’s from past Duke versus Syracuse men’s basketball PTSD, but I have a weird feeling that Duke game is going to be just… weird. Honorable mention: Senior Day versus BC.

Mike: Dom won’t like me saying this but after the incredible ‘Cuse v. ‘Canes matchup last year, it’d be hilarious if the rematch becomes a “what the hell am I watching?” kind of game.

Max: Georgia Tech on the road. This one’s got chaos written all over it, and will give you NC State flashbacks from last year.

(Very) way-too-early predictions for 2025?

Carson: Syracuse has never played more than five Top 25 games in a single season, and considering the number of notable departures, I don’t see that being the recipe for success next year. My early prediction is 7-5. I’m optimistic, I think Syracuse will take care of business at home, lose most of its away games, but steal a game at either Georgia Tech or Miami. SU was 3-2 in road games this year, and I don’t think that was an anomaly.

Christian: The road schedule is horrifically brutal. Syracuse might be able to get one or two wins if they’re lucky. And the home schedule is no joke either when it comes to the conference opponents (sorry UConn and Colgate). Seeing amount of coin flip games that are also on this schedule makes predicting the final results hard. I know we’ll all be very disappointed at this time next year if Syracuse is sitting with a 6-6 record, but the Orange should be satisfied with that result if that is what happens. Give me a ceiling record of 8-4, but my overall record prediction is 6-6.

Kevin: I’m going with 6-6. It seems like the Orange will win a game we don’t expect and probably drop one at home along the way. It will be a roller coaster season as the team starts 3-3 and heads out of the bye with more questions than answers. That final game against BC is going to have some stakes on it.

Dom: I’ll be the biggest pessimist so far on the board. My initial thought is 5-7 floor with a 7-5 ceiling. The case for below six wins: uncertainty on quarterback, no room for error in those “swing” games and lots of ACC teams with actual expectations this year compared to last. Plus, with the way this schedule is set up, there is some time for improvement during the year but those wins will need to pile up before that back-to-back against Miami and Notre Dame.

Mike: 7-5 would be an incredible success. Anything higher than that and Fran deserves a lifetime extension. That said, I can’t go higher than 6-6 right now. We can all re-evaluate after spring camp and any subsequent summer roster additions.

Max: At this point, I can’t really see more than one road win (including the neutral site against Tennessee). That leaves the Orange 1-5 with six home games. There’s a real chance SU goes 6-0, but I’ll play it safer and assume 5-1 at the Dome, making ‘Cuse’s final record 6-6.

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Now it’s your turn: what are your thoughts on the Orange’s full 2025 schedule?