Syracuse Football: In 2022, Dino Babers has to reach bowl, or he has to go

I’m a huge fan of Syracuse football head coach Dino Babers, because I think he’s a stand-up human being, and I believe that he is an excellent role model for Orange players.

Now, does that mean he should continue to get coaching the ‘Cuse, after a 29-43 overall record in six seasons on the Hill, with only one winning term to date?

Well, for me, I say give Babers one more stanza to reach post-season bowl eligibility for his second time in Central New York. But if he has fewer than six victories in 2022, as much as I love and respect Babers, his tenure as the Orange’s head coach should be over.

According to media reports, Babers will be back next season, even if some of his assistant coaches won’t be. And for all the talk about his reportedly large buyout, it appears that Syracuse University athletics-department officials are focused on what Babers is doing to improve the ‘Cuse on the field, rather than keeping him around because of financial considerations.

Syracuse football head coach Dino Babers has to reach a bowl in 2022.

Considering that the Orange won just a single game in 2020, during a challenging season for the ‘Cuse and its peers around the country amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, that Syracuse football upped the ante to a 5-7 mark in 2021 is a commendable achievement and a big-time improvement.

At the same time, the Orange fell in multiple games during this most recent stanza where the final margin was three points, and the ‘Cuse needed to only come out on top in one of them to land a bowl berth.

Even at 5-4, Syracuse football had three chances at the term’s conclusion to reach win number six. Yes, those last three contests were challenging ones, but the ‘Cuse, frankly, wasn’t competitive in any of them, which was more disappointing than the losses themselves.

Syracuse football has a star running back in sophomore Sean Tucker, but he seemed to be under-utilized in numerous 2021 encounters. The passing game was dreadful. Babers and his assistants need to find more balance on offense, without question.

The word among many of my fellow Orange fans on social media and in chat rooms is that Tucker may have hit the transfer portal if Babers was let go after this recently wrapped-up campaign.

Heck, it’s a long way until the fall of 2022, so Tucker and other ‘Cuse stand-outs could consider the portal given the NCAA’s one-time transfer policy. Anything’s possible.

Hopefully, Tucker will be back. Hopefully, the passing attack will actually be formidable. Hopefully, Syracuse football will notch six triumphs, or perhaps more.

Because if the Orange doesn’t, it’s time for a head-coaching change. Even if I think that Dino Babers is a terrific person.