Syracuse Football: 5 reasons why Boston College game is so CRITICAL

This weekend’s game vs. Boston College is the biggest football game for the Syracuse football team since 2019. And, in my opinion, it’s a game that the team absolutely needs to win.

Here are five key reasons why (plus, scroll down for my game prediction).

1. It’s a big chance to re-establish superiority in regional recruiting

Boston College is a regional rival. It’s a rival that, this pre-season, many (not me mind you, but many others) pegged to be an emerging power in the Atlantic Coast Conference and one that, if it did soar to the heights many expected, could potentially suck all of the air out the Northeast recruiting battle — leaving the Syracuse Orange picking at scraps.

However, the Eagles have largely reverted to the form that I expected. They sit at a perfectly mediocre 4-3, a winless 0-3 in the ACC. They are not a bad team, but they are very average. Frankly, this is a team that is probably on par with the Rutgers team (another regional rival) that we should have beaten earlier this season, but who we played when we really hadn’t figured ourselves out, especially on offense.

Entering this season, it was widely thought that BC was on the upswing, and that SU was at rock bottom. A win in the Dome this weekend could help lead to a significant, and far sooner than expected, momentum swing when it comes to regional recruiting.

To go bowling, Syracuse football must take down Boston College at home this Saturday.

2. The students will be in the Dome en masse…but possibly for the last time this season?

Otto’s Army has been an incredible asset to the Syracuse football program this season. The work of Jonathan Danilich and the rest of the Otto’s Army crew cannot be applauded enough. I wish there was such a unifying force rallying student participation when I was a student at Syracuse University (although, in fairness, it was the late 90’s, and it was much easier to fill the building when Donovan McNabb was playing in it). I fully expect Otto’s Army to be there in full force again this weekend, inevitably amped up following an exciting win on the road against ACC opponent Virginia Tech.

Unfortunately, while this isn’t the last home game of the season, it may be the high water mark for student support because the remaining home game against Pitt occurs during the Thanksgiving break, over the course of which many students typically leave campus for travel home. While I have no doubt that the students who do show up for that game will be extremely loud, the fact is, this week is the week that the student volume will likely be at its loudest, hopefully causing disarray in the Eagles offensive backfield.

3. Vegas is finally showing the Orange some respect

After weeks and weeks of Syracuse football being positioned by the sportsbooks as an underdog against ACC opposition (something which bothers others more than me, to be honest), finally, this week, Syracuse football opens as a betting-line favorite (at the time of this writing, they sit as 5.5 point favorites, according to WynnBET).

Syracuse football fans always complain that the sportsbooks don’t show enough respect to Syracuse Orange football. Well, the team is favored now, and the best way to ensure it will be pegged as the favorite in games more often moving forward is to deliver a win and continue the positive momentum.

4. Sean Tucker could use a hand

I’ll keep this short. He who should be 44 is a Heisman contender, and whose biggest negative attribute in the awards race in comparison to some of the others is the profile of the team he plays on.

Keep winning, and that becomes much less of a factor.

5. This is nearly a must-win if a Bowl Game is in Syracuse’s plans

Looking at the four remaining games on the calendar, it’s pretty clear that this is the most winnable game on the docket. And if six wins and Bowl eligibility are the goal, this is pretty much a must-win.

NC State, ranked #25 in the Coaches’ poll, is going to be a difficult game on the road. Syracuse football should compete, as there are no truly elite teams in the ACC this year, but it’s going to be an uphill battle. Same goes for the road affair with Louisville, a team that, while not nearly at the level as NC State, is still competitive, and plays well at home. Syracuse football can absolutely win either of these games, but I still have to believe BC, in the Dome, rates as far more winnable.

And then there is that season finale at home vs. the (currently) 19th ranked University of Pittsburgh. Pitt is in first place in the ACC Coastal Division, and is having a fine year to date, at 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the ACC. That’s going to be a very difficult game.

That being said…if Bowl eligibility is on the line, I suspect more students than we expect come back to campus early…and the Orange just may reward them for it.

My Prediction

The Syracuse football team is finally putting the pieces all together, and Boston College is underperforming on the season. I think that these trends continue, and Syracuse makes a statement with a 38-24 win, a statement that will put the remaining opponents on the Orange calendar on notice — the Orange are a very different team than they were last year.