Syracuse Football: One CBS Sports writer says SU will finish last in ACC
By Neil Adler
CBS Sports college football insiders have logged their ACC picks for the 2020 campaign, and Syracuse football falls in the No. 10 to No. 15 range.
Seven CBS Sports experts have published their predictions for the Atlantic Coast Conference with the 2020 stanza lurking closer, and Syracuse football isn’t getting a lot of love.
Where the Orange will finish, according to these analysts and writers, is anywhere between No. 10 and No. 15 in the conference.
Barrett Sallee and Jerry Palm have the ‘Cuse at No. 10. Ben Kercheval puts Syracuse football at No. 11. The Orange is No. 13, per Tom Fornelli and David Cobb, followed by Dennis Dodd at No. 14, and Chip Patterson forecasts that our beloved team will wrap up 2020 at No. 15, which would amount to last place in the ACC.
I get that Syracuse football is undergoing some fairly substantial changes in the fall campaign, including a new defensive scheme. The running-back position may prove a possible question mark. The offensive line will arrive under a microscope.
Putting my passion for the Orange to the side, I still think it’s highly unlikely that the ‘Cuse winds up in the ACC’s basement when all is said and done.
For me, I think that Syracuse football could surprise the national and ACC pundits – in a positive manner – and potentially land between No. 8 and No. 10, register five or six victories, and garner a post-season bowl berth.
CBS Sports panelists are projecting a relatively sub-par 2020 stanza for Syracuse football.
Clemson, unsurprisingly, is the unanimous No. 1 selection by the CBS Sports folks. The Tigers, a significant contender to reach the College Football Playoff, are No. 1 in the pre-season AP and Coaches top-25 polls.
CBS Sports has Notre Dame at No. 2, according to six of the seven experts. North Carolina received the other vote at No. 2 in the ACC. This makes sense, as Clemson, the Fighting Irish and the Tar Heels are the three league groups in the pre-season AP top-25 poll, at No. 1, No. 10 and No. 18, respectively.
As the conference announced on Tuesday, the Orange will kick off its 2020 term at North Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 12, beginning at noon, with the ACC Network providing television coverage. The ‘Cuse travels to Clemson on Saturday, Oct. 24, and to Notre Dame on Saturday, Dec. 5.
The “most overrated” category, according to this piece, includes Syracuse football opponents UNC, Wake Forest and Louisville. Conversely, the Tar Heels are also in the “most underrated” department, along with Orange foe Pittsburgh.