Syracuse Football: Even after 1st loss, SU forecast to various bowl games

Syracuse football looks to get back into the win column this Saturday, although the Orange has another challenging Atlantic Coast Conference test coming up.

The ‘Cuse (4-1), which fell by 17 points over the weekend on the Hill to Clemson, next travels to North Carolina (4-0), a group that to date has proven one of the top teams in the ACC. In the latest Associated Press top-25 poll, the Tar Heels checked in at No. 14 across the country.

With seven 2023 regular-season games left for the Orange, the team needs to secure two more wins to qualify for a bowl appearance for the second year in a row.

The ‘Cuse has some tough contests in the near future, as after the Orange heads to Chapel Hill, N.C., Syracuse football will play at Florida State (4-0), which was rated No. 5 overall in the most recent AP top-25 poll.

Still, ESPN’s football power index (“FPI”) presently gives the ‘Cuse a convincing 99.7 percent chance to reach at least six victories and get to another bowl game. And this week, numerous national pundits are projecting the Orange to a variety of post-season bowls.

Let’s review some of the latest bowl predictions for Syracuse football.

Jerry Palm of CBS Sports has the ‘Cuse headed to the Holiday Bowl to battle Pac-12 Conference squad Washington St. on December 27 in San Diego. The Cougars are 4-0 and ranked No. 13 in the AP poll.

Brett McMurphy of Action Network has the ‘Cuse facing Pac-12 member Utah at the Sun Bowl on December 29 in El Paso, Texas. The Utes are 4-1 and No. 18 in the AP poll.

Brad Crawford of 247Sports also has Syracuse football in the Sun Bowl, with the Orange going toe to toe versus UCLA out of the Pac-12. The Bruins are 3-1 and in the most recent AP poll, UCLA received 19 votes.

Steven Lassan of Athlon Sports is projecting the ‘Cuse to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on December 27 in Charlotte, N.C., where the Orange would square off against Southeastern Conference team Tennessee.

The Volunteers are 4-1 and currently check in at No. 22 in the AP poll. This would prove a fun match-up, as Tennessee is another Orange-clad school. On a personal note, my son’s favorite team is the Vols, so there would be a lot of smack talk if this prediction by Lassan holds true.

It’s great to see Syracuse football, even after last Saturday’s setback, getting included in various bowl projections. I remain confident that the ‘Cuse will attain at least a half-dozen triumphs in 2023, if not more than that.