Syracuse Football: Like many fans, the loss to FSU leaves me perplexed

After a Syracuse football game, I’ve been through and experienced many emotions. Happy, sad….excited and mad. I’ve likely experienced many others but when the Florida State game ended, the only word I could find to explain how I felt was perplexed. Let me explain.

When the Orange loses, I can often point to something and either vent about it or at least say, “That can be worked on. Hopefully, they address it and we learn from our mistakes.” This team is now 3-2 and I enjoyed the wins because in my eyes, any win no matter your opponent is still better than a loss.

When the Albany game ended, I was frustrated at the penalties called but thankful for the win. When Syracuse football lost to Rutgers, I actually took the other side of that and blamed the officials because I thought the decisions they made impacted the outcome and were often not the right decision. After the three-point setback to FSU, I legitimately don’t know what to say.

Why did Syracuse football lose? Five games in, what’s the identity of this team? Can we win enough to make a bowl game or even to Charlotte still? Is the play-calling an issue? Is the officiating going to continue to impact games in such big situations? Was FSU truly a better team than even I thought, when I urged earlier in the week to not take them lightly? Is every game this season going to come down to the last play?

I don’t know exactly what to make of Syracuse football so far this season.

If Young Frankenstein was real, could he combine Tommy DeVito and Garrett Shrader and give us a definitive answer at the quarterback position?  Which wide receivers will step up for the rest of this season after Taj Harris said he would enter into the transfer portal?

https://twitter.com/_harris3/status/1444750188552278022

Can we blame a defensive player for a mistake he made despite the fact that the defense and those players are making bigger plays to keep us in games, even after the offense isn’t on the field for a long period of time? These are just some of the questions I have roaming around in my head.

Let me make it clear, I’m not by any means giving up on this team, these players and this coaching staff. I’m not conceding defeat and saying maybe it’s time to give up on #WhyNotCuse. I truly believe in the taking seasons one game at a time theory, because with the right game plan and executed well enough, I believe anyone can win any game. I’m just watching all this play out and I have not a single clue what to think. I’ll always root for my Orange and barring criminal negligence in the program, that won’t change.

I just simply can’t wrap my head around everything that’s happening because when I look at this team play, it’s still the team I know has special potential, but we’ve seen one thing after another impact and even impede it. If I thought the coaching staff was incapable of winning, even as positive as I like to be, I’d say it.

If I thought the players were unable to compete at this level, I’d write about it. If I had a clue about where to go next to win consistently, I’d share it in a heartbeat. If I knew a way to address the officiating issues I have problems with or felt like maybe I was overreacting, I would acknowledge it.

But 5 games into this season, I’m writing this simply trying to say that I don’t know what to say right now. And with undefeated Wake Forest and Clemson the next two teams on the Orange’s schedule, I’ll still be hopeful for victories and hopeful that the puzzling thoughts in my head become more clear.