Syracuse Football: Playoff or bust? The Orange have arrived!

Is it really playoff or bust for the Syracuse football squad in 2019? Our Paul A. Esden Sr explains why that’s the case and why the Orange have arrived!

Read this very carefully: Syracuse football should have a “playoff or bust” mindset in 2019.

Whoa, what did you say?

I will say it again; the Quest for the Playoffs begins NOW! Orange fans we sit still in the glow of the aftermath of one of the best seasons in Orange history.

Posting a 10-3 record that perhaps only this writer saw coming. (Flashback to last year and my prediction for a 9-3 regular season was 100% accurate!)

Okay, okay as I take a minute to put ice on my arm from patting myself on the back let’s get this party started. Even as awesome as our record was last year it could’ve been even better.

Let me set the stage for you:

• The defense holds up and Clemson does not squeak out a win in Death Valley. This would have placed the Orange as the front runners of the ACC and Clemson would’ve been the odd man out of the playoffs.
• We win the overtime game against Pittsburgh, not much of a stretch here at all.
• I was going to talk about how we could have won the game against Notre Dame but if you watched it (and this writer and his son were in Yankee Stadium that day) that is too big of a stretch even for me. Best case scenario is Eric Dungey doesn’t get hurt and the Orange goes toe to toe with the Irish giving the Orange a fighting chance.

An 11-1 Orange is in the discussion last year to play for the National Championship! The loss against Notre Dame (and the fashion in which they lost) probably keeps them out of the playoffs but they would’ve been in the conversation.

Hidden factors to launch the Orange into the playoff conversation:

• This year is going to be a little different. After three seasons in a row posting a 4-8 record Syracuse knows what it takes to win and expects to do so week in and week out. This swagger was illustrated best by the statement made by Nykeim Johnson prior to last year’s Florida State game, “We are definitely looking to run up the score and annihilate them.”
• Dino Babers’ formula, the Orange is the New Fast was a gimmick. All show and no go if you will. Video game numbers with the same results.  But last year it was different:
  • A balanced game plan and still fast-paced but Dino had more of his ingredients in the mix with a few recruiting classes under his belt and the results showed.
• Syracuse in the past few years has had one of the toughest strength of schedules year in and year out. This year they are in the middle of the pack with a strength of schedule ranking around 60.

Last year we entered the season with a few question marks: receiving core, the need to find a running game, keeping Eric Dungey healthy and the hope that the new defensive scheme will hold up in the ACC.

This year we face almost identical challenges replacing receivers, linebacker change out, can Tommy Devito replace an Orange legend and a new challenge: replacing three starting members of our offensive line.

Time will tell how Dino and the squad will respond to these challenges. This prognosticator says they will address all these challenges and the Orange will loom large not only in the ACC but maybe playing in January. BE LOUD, BE PROUD, BE ORANGE!