Inside the Loud House
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Syracuse Football: Should the Clemson Tigers be worried?

By Paul a. Esden Sr.

Oct 15, 2016; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) prior to the snap during the second half against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Tigers won 24-17. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 15, 2016; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) prior to the snap during the second half against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Tigers won 24-17. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Syracuse football team have been biding their time during the bye week. But up next they have the Clemson Tigers, but should they be worried about the Orange?

I will break that question down for you but the Cliff Note version is YES!  Before you choke on your beer, let’s examine the Orange’s season.

For the uneducated Clemson fan (which by the way applies to them before and after graduation; just kidding). They would look at the Orange’s record and schedule and look right past us as they look to pencil in plans for being in the College Football Playoffs.

Not so fast my friends.  First of all Syracuse’s schedule is in the top-10 in the nation for this year (ranking 8th).  Clemson who scheduled two (the maximum allowed to be eligible for a bowl game)  ham and egg opponents (Troy and South Carolina State).  Yes South Carolina State who has Bethune-Cookman University and North Carolina A&T State University on their schedule.  I’ve been unable to confirm this, but I believe they also had ITT Tech on their schedule before that school disintegrated.  But seriously Clemson only beat Troy by six points!

The Cuse on the other hand, have only been limited by their coaches inability to adapt.  To be clear, I’m not saying they should be 8-0. I’m saying they should be 6-2 with wins over Wake Forest and South Florida.

The other two games were flat out shoot outs.  New York’s college team went blow for blow with Louisville until they ran out of gas in the second half.  In the ‘home game’ at Metlife stadium I thought someone was going to put up a hundred points the way they were going back and forth up and down the field in the first half.  But in the end the plucky Orange couldn’t match up player for player with the vastly more talented and deeper team from South Bend.

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This could be the real skin game for the Orange this year.  Let me break out some statistics for you, without telling you which stats belong to which team.

  • One team has the 23rd best total offense in the country to the other team is 35th.
  • While one team has the sixth best passing offense to the other team’s 18th best.
  • One team has a quarterback who’s thrown for the second most yards in the NCAA to the other teams 26th place.
  • And finally one team has the second ranked and 36th ranked receivers to the other teams 35th ranked receiver.

Ok you got me, all of these statistics are in favor of the Orange from Central New York.  Now you are saying Clemson has the eighth best defense, I would tell you Cuse has already played against numbers 7, 10 & 11 (Boston College, Louisville and Virginia Tech) beating two out of the three and none of them slowed down the Orange is the new FAST.

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If the Orange can tighten up and play more error free football (I’m thinking under 150 penalty yards would be nice). If Dino can be flexible and play within the range of his players. Then you can quote me as saying “So you are saying there is a chance”.  Yes there is, I’m predicting a skin game for the century.  New York’s College Team wins 52-49.  And oh yeah this will CEMENT #Dungey4Heisman!  Lock it in.

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