Syracuse football shouldn’t prove such a big underdog to North Carolina

North Carolina is more than a three-touchdown favorite to defeat Syracuse football, and that spread is way too large.

Undeniably, Syracuse football enters its 2020 season opener at No. 18 North Carolina on Saturday at noon facing a ton of question marks.

How will the running game fare? Will the offensive line hold up? Can the Orange contain the Tar Heels’ explosive offense? Can the ‘Cuse offense itself muster up enough points to keep this contest close?

I could go on and on. However, amid the novel coronavirus pandemic that has forced some conferences to postpone their fall football terms, the Atlantic Coast Conference is pressing ahead.

From my perspective, this campaign could prove unlike any other, and how teams will actually perform on the field is probably less clear to start a stanza than ever before in the sport’s history.

The pandemic has not only caused several leagues to halt their 2020 seasons altogether, but it has also led players on squads including Syracuse football to opt out of suiting up this fall, even as their teams plan to compete. There is also mounting tension across the country due to racial injustice.

All in all, it’s entirely understandable if student-athletes in football and other fall sports have things squarely on their minds besides, well, sports.

So, while Syracuse football is deemed by prognosticators as one of the weaker crews in the ACC, and its opponent on Saturday, North Carolina, is viewed as a top-three unit in the conference, I still think that the Orange can perform admirably and avoid getting blown out.

Syracuse football may not best North Carolina, but don’t expect the Orange to get crushed by more than three touchdowns.

Thus, even though this is a road match-up for the ‘Cuse, albeit with no fans in the stands in Chapel Hill, N.C., a spread of roughly 22 points (give or take) from odds-makers is too big.

Yes, Syracuse football will likely succumb to the Tar Heels on Saturday afternoon. But by more than three touchdowns? I don’t envision that.

UNC absolutely boasts an impressive offensive arsenal, guided by sophomore quarterback Sam Howell. Conversely, the Orange owns an elite secondary, buoyed by junior stand-outs Andre Cisco, a pre-season All-American candidate, and Trill Williams.

I’m not much of a betting person myself, and point spreads are of course rooted at least somewhat in pure speculation. Even North Carolina head coach Mack Brown acknowledged in this article that pre-season rankings are “just hype. They’re about last year. They’re not about what you’ve accomplished this year, so we need to step up and play well and get this season started on a positive note.”

Whatever the ultimate outcome on Saturday, and Syracuse football fans are hoping for an excellent showing, my gut tells me that the ‘Cuse won’t lose by 22 points.