Syracuse Football: Orange to face 3 ‘Top-25’ opponents in 2018
The 2018 Syracuse football schedule is tough. If the Orange want to get to a bowl game next season, they’ll need to defeat the best of the best.
The Syracuse football squad have a difficult path to bowl eligibility in 2018. If they hope to check that off the proverbial bucket list for the first time since 2013, they’ll have to defeat three dragons who sit among the top-25 team in the country.
That’s right, the official and first top-25 AP poll has been revealed and three of those names will play against the Orange this upcoming season:
Week 3: No. 19 Florida State at Syracuse
- Florida State (7-6) in 2017, 384 first place votes.
The first true test of the season for the Orange will come against the Florida State Seminoles. Truly one of the most prestigious institutions in all of college football. Although there’s a new lord reigning in the land of the South in 2018. Willie Taggart, first of his name, will bring his innovative offensive abilities to the Seminoles. Will they have it all figured out by Week 3? Doubtful.
Perhaps the home field advantage will help, it certainly did against the defending National Champion Clemson Tigers the year before. This time maybe they can try and hold Cam Akers to less than 199 yards. To put it in a nutshell, 20% of his season totals came against Syracuse last season, mind boggling numbers for certain.
Week 5: Syracuse at No. 2 Clemson
- Clemson (12-2) in 2017, 1,476 first place votes.
Syracuse may have won the ‘battle’ last season, but I fear that the Tigers of Clemson will win the war. This season they have a monstrous defensive line that could have four first round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft. If you haven’t spit out your drink from your goblet yet, feel free to do so.
Last Winter, the Orange defeated the mighty beast, one of their greatest conquests in history. Now can lightning strike twice in one place? Sure I’ve seen it done, but it doesn’t seem likely that David could beat Goliath in a two out of three falls match. This will be a blood bath that our children’s children will tell at storytime for many years to come.
Week 12: Syracuse vs No. 12 Notre Dame (at Yankees Stadium)
- Notre Dame (10-3) in 2017, 804 first place votes.
While finally the Orange of Syracuse will take on the Irish with a propensity for fighting in the grand coliseum of the Yankees. These two titans have fought recently before and Syracuse will look to change the history books.
Although their destiny may have already been foretold. The main issue with this battle is the immense depth from Notre Dame. Their backups could likely beat out some Syracuse starters, if that doesn’t tell the tale, I’m not sure what will.
While the journey will be tough, it doesn’t mean a bowl berth is out of the realm of possibilities. Heck this is only three games, a mere 25 percent of the scoring card. Even if the Orange lost all of these, Syracuse will still have nine other opportunities against far easier competition to try and build up their win total by season’s end.
Next. Syracuse Football: Ranking every SU first round pick in NFL Draft history. dark
If we were to continue the eternal optimism, according to Team Rankings, Syracuse has the 64th toughest schedule in college football. Which for all intents and purposes is middle of the pack. If you squint at the schedule long enough, you can start to see the hidden path in the maze to get you to the bowl berth that the Syracuse fans desperately seek.