Syracuse Football: Big improvement from 2020 but still a frustrating season

You can look at the Syracuse football 2021 season in a couple of different ways. On the one hand, the team won just a single game in 2020, so for the Orange to go 5-7 in the recently concluded stanza is, in and of itself, a marked improvement for the ‘Cuse.

Plus, an abundance of Atlantic Coast Conference and national experts had forecast Syracuse football to notch three to four victories in 2021. So, again, the ‘Cuse did exceed some pundits’ expectations.

But still, man, the ‘Cuse was 5-4 with three games to play during the 2021 regular term. The Orange needed one conquest of an ACC foe to capture that sixth success to achieve post-season bowl eligibility. But the squad couldn’t get it done, and it was frustrating to watch the ‘Cuse down the stretch, at least from my perspective.

Did Syracuse football overachieve or underachieve in 2021?

The biggest disappointment for me is that the Orange had a three-game duration in the middle of the 2021 stanza where it lost all of these games by three points, to Florida State, Wake Forest and Clemson.

Frankly, the ‘Cuse easily could have won one or more of these league encounters. But to be fair, Syracuse football snuck by Liberty and Virginia Tech, and the Orange could have just as easily experienced defeat in either or both of these achievements.

But between the FSU, Wake Forest and Clemson outcomes, couldn’t the ‘Cuse have found a way to come out on top? Moreover, in its final trio of ACC affairs, Syracuse football got handled pretty well by Louisville, N.C. State and Pittsburgh.

In those last three duels, the passing game was virtually non-existent, the defense had its share of struggles, and it felt to me like star running back Sean Tucker was under-utilized at times.

After the debacle that ensued in 2020, a season that was magnified by injuries and opt-outs amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, I truly felt optimistic about the Orange entering 2021.

And Tucker, this season, was fabulous, rushing for nearly 1,500 yards. The defense, at times, showed promise. The offensive line, at times, was fairly solid. Special teams were okay.

But the passing attack left a lot to be desired. And there were absolutely some questionable play-calls and clock management by head coach Dino Babers and his assistants at inopportune times throughout the 2021 term.

The end result is that Syracuse football seemed on the brink of something special this year, and by that I mean six or perhaps even seven victories after merely one in 2020.

However, the Orange couldn’t seal the deal and get to a bowl game. Sure, the ‘Cuse exceeded the expectations of many so-called experts. But did Syracuse football show its full potential and promise? Not in my humble opinion.