Syracuse Football: Week 3 Clemson Tigers crystal ball predictions

Neil Adler, Contributor (2-0)

The Syracuse football squad attempts to regain its footing after a disastrous showing this past weekend when the Orange hosts No. 1 Clemson on Saturday night.

The ‘Cuse (1-1), in one of the biggest surprises in all of college football so far in the young 2019 campaign, got absolutely crushed by Maryland, 63-20, in College Park last Saturday. It’s not that Syracuse lost on the road to a solid crew that’s a bitter disappointment.

In fact, I, unfortunately, guessed correctly in picking the Orange to fall to the Terrapins. The concerning element is how Maryland simply dominated the ‘Cuse in virtually every facet of the game.

Now Syracuse must regroup for a prime-time affair at the Dome against the top-ranked Tigers (2-0), a group that most recently handled then-No. 12 Texas A&M, 24-10, at home. This encounter will commence at 7:30 pm on ABC.

Currently, odds-makers in Las Vegas are anointing Clemson as a 26.5-point favorite, while ESPN’s Football Power Index says that the Orange possesses only a 3.4 percent chance to prevail. Keep in mind that, two seasons ago, the ‘Cuse pulled off a massive upset of the Tigers in Central New York, and Syracuse nearly won at Clemson in the 2018 stanza.

So to completely write off the Orange is probably not a smart move. Still, given how lowly the ‘Cuse looked versus the Terrapins, I can’t foresee a scenario where Syracuse emerges victorious. Hopefully, the Orange keeps things close. Ultimately, I project a 45-24 conquest by the Tigers.