Syracuse Football: Scouting Orange foes ranked in AP’s preseason top 25

Three Atlantic Coast Conference teams are in The Associated Press’ preseason top-25 poll, and Syracuse football will face these squads in three-consecutive games during the upcoming 2023 campaign.

The AP’s preseason top 25, unveiled on Monday, puts two-time defending national champion Georgia in the top spot, followed in the top five by Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama and LSU.

Given that the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten Conference are the two top leagues in college football, it’s no surprise that The AP’s preseason top five consist of groups solely from those two conferences.

The three ACC squads in The AP’s preseason top-25 poll are Florida State at No. 8, Clemson at No. 9 and North Carolina at No. 21. This is almost identical to the preseason Coaches top 25, released last week, where FSU is No. 8, Clemson is No. 9 and North Carolina is No. 20.

Syracuse football will face several preseason nationally ranked teams in 2023.

The preseason AP top 25 also includes four ACC squads that were in the others receiving votes category, and they are Pittsburgh, Louisville, Duke and N.C. State. The Orange’s 2023 docket features a game against the Panthers in the Big Apple, but Syracuse football in the regular season isn’t playing the Cardinals, the Blue Devils or the Wolfpack.

Both the preseason AP and Coaches top-25 polls place the Seminoles one spot higher than the Tigers. Conversely, in the ACC’s preseason media poll published on August 1, Clemson came in at No. 1, Florida State at No. 2 and UNC at No. 3 (the ‘Cuse was No. 10 here – whatever).

I’m still pondering how many wins I believe Syracuse football will attain this fall, and it’s likely hovering between six to eight victories. That being said, the Orange does have to contend with a brutal stretch of its 2023 schedule from late September until late October.

During that duration of time, Syracuse football will square off versus Clemson at home, and then North Carolina, Florida State and Virginia Tech, all on the road. In those four games, the ‘Cuse will play three teams ranked in the preseason top-25 polls, and Syracuse football will also suit up in three road contests and only one encounter on the Hill. Ouch.

Here’s the full Orange 2023 calendar below, including where ‘Cuse opponents are situated in The AP preseason top 25.

Syracuse Football 2023 Schedule
Saturday, Sept. 2
vs. Colgate

Saturday, Sept. 9
vs. Western Michigan

Saturday, Sept. 16
at Purdue

Saturday, Sept. 23
vs. Army

Saturday, Sept. 30
vs. Clemson
No. 9 in the preseason AP top-25 poll

Saturday, Oct. 7
at North Carolina
No. 21 in the preseason AP top-25 poll

Saturday, Oct. 14
at Florida State
No. 8 in the preseason AP top-25 poll

Thursday, Oct. 26
at Virginia Tech

Friday, Nov. 3
vs. Boston College

Saturday, Nov. 11
vs. Pittsburgh (in New York City)
Others receiving votes (16 votes) in the preseason AP top-25 poll (No. 7 there)

Saturday, Nov. 18
at Georgia Tech

Saturday, Nov. 25
vs. Wake Forest