Syracuse football faces a fork in the road in Week 4 of the 2019 season. Here are all the details on how the rest of the season can go one of two ways.
The highly anticipated game between Clemson has come and gone. Syracuse football was never really able to put a scare into the No. 1 team in the country, despite all the offseason discussions about how the Orange could really challenge the Tigers this year.
Now Western Michigan is coming to Central New York, and it’s time to see what kind of character this football team has. I see this game as THE turning point in the season. Let me tell you why the Orange will finish the year 10-2 or barely make it to 6-6.
Everything Syracuse wanted this year can still be achieved
It is not outlandish to say that Syracuse can run the table when looking at their remaining schedule.
Before the season started, NC State, Florida State, and Boston College would be able to beat Syracuse when the teams matched up, but after the first three weeks of the season, Syracuse will be favored in all of these matchups.
The only team that really should put fear in you as an Orange fan would be the Wake Forest game at the end of the year. If Syracuse can get by the Demon Deacons, I think it’s very possible that the Orange could be 10-2 when it’s all said and done.
That seems like a very real chance for Syracuse to head to the Orange Bowl, or one of the New Year’s Six Bowls. 10-2 would be an incredible season for the Orange, despite losing their big game vs Clemson.
Making the College Football Playoff would be a dream come true, but that is simply not realistic with this team. If the Orange can put the Clemson loss behind them, they can still have a great season.
The Clemson game was supposed to be the breakthrough
Some fans were fooled into thinking this was the year that Syracuse passed Clemson. After a great season in 2018, many people thought Syracuse would beat Clemson and start the year 3-0 after all the hype about how this was the year.
Well, we all clearly saw that Clemson is still light years ahead of Syracuse. The only problem is that Syracuse isn’t 2-1 after three weeks, they are 1-2!
It’s a shocker to say the least, especially with all the hype from the offseason. With the failed expectations thus far, it’d be easy for these guys to pack it in and lose focus.
Syracuse is not in a place to accomplish any of its goals this year. These are 19-22-year-old kids, I could see how this rough start to the season could really affect the players mentally.
We will find out on Saturday
If Dino Babers can prove to his players that this year is not dead, then expect the Orange to finish this year very strong. However, I’m worried the players have already lost hope in this season. We will be able to tell on Saturday and see what kind of energy Syracuse brings.