Syracuse Football: The Orange deserve a top 25 ranking

Despite suffering their first loss of the 2018 season on Saturday to Clemson, the Syracuse football team proved that they are worthy of a top 25 ranking.

With the Associated Press Top 25 poll set to release early Sunday afternoon, the Syracuse football team has a very good chance at receiving a bunch of votes.

Although the Orange lost to the Clemson Tigers on Saturday, bringing their record from 4-0 to 4-1, it was more than that. Syracuse played extremely well on the road against No. 3 ranked Clemson, perhaps one of the hardest places to play in all of college football, only losing by four points on a last second drive by the Tigers.

Saturday proved that Syracuse not only can hold their own against quality teams, but it showed that they can compete on the road as well.

Despite their loss this week, the Orange are a top 25 team.

Whether or not the voters agree is another story, but this is a Syracuse team that has proven they can win after the 4-0 start and has solidified themselves as a team that belongs in the same category as a Clemson or an Ohio State.

Now, no one is guaranteeing the Orange’s level of play to remain the same for the rest of the season. Syracuse still has a loaded ACC schedule to deal with, including games against NC State and Wake Forest, and another high quality matchup with Notre Dame inside Yankee Stadium at the end of the year.

The Orange will need a lot of help, since most of the time it does come down to a team winning versus another team losing in the rankings. However, with multiple lower ranked teams falling on Saturday, such as Mississippi State and Duke, Syracuse should be an attractive team to receive more votes and move on inside the actual polls.

Honestly though, Syracuse will probably not be ranked this week. Voters are tough and normally only watch a few games during a day.

Saturday featured two top-10 matchups and this could possibly hurt the Orange’s chances at a top 25 ranking a bit. The voting will be close and Syracuse is certainly deserving of a spot in the polls after Week 5.

Only time will tell, but one thing is clear. After their first five games of 2018, the Orange should be considered among top 25 teams in the nation.

However, this is more than just the Syracuse faithful hoping that the team can have a number next to their name come Sunday. This is a marketing tool and a sense of relevancy.

Rankings may not matter to coaches, but they sure do make an impression on recruits. It is a huge recruiting pitch to say that your team is ranked.

A ranking results in more TV coverage, more fans, and more overall excitement around the whole college football atmosphere. Other teams know who you are, because you’re ranked.

In addition, a ranking would be so special to Orange football as a whole. This is a program with such a rich history, which is already known by most Syracuse fans.

However, it has been almost two decades since the Orange have found themselves inside the polls. There is a whole generation of people who are used to Syracuse football as being an easy team to beat or a “basketball school”.

So yes, a ranking would be pretty special for the program as a whole.

The Orange won’t be waiting around Sunday to see if they are ranked. That’s not the Dino Babers’ way nor should it be. Rather, Syracuse will be preparing for next week’s matchup with Pittsburgh, as they should.

However, the Orange fan base will be waiting.  Come about 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Syracuse fans everywhere will get to to see if their team will be included in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2001.