Syracuse Football: SU stays inside top 30 nationally of football power index

Syracuse football may have lost badly in each of its past two games, but the Orange remains inside the top 30 across the country, according to ESPN’s football power index (“FPI”).

Last Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C., then-No. 14 North Carolina blew out the ‘Cuse, 40-7. It was a poor performance from the Orange on both offense and defense in falling by a wide margin to the Tar Heels.

As Syracuse football (4-2, 0-2 in the ACC) prepares to play at No. 4 Florida State (5-0, 3-0 in the ACC) this Saturday afternoon, with television coverage on ABC, the Orange this week checks in at No. 28 overall per the FPI, which is “a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season,” according to ESPN’s Web site.

Prior to the ‘Cuse setback to UNC, last week, Syracuse football was No. 22 in the FPI, so the Orange dropped six spots after its loss to the Tar Heels.

Syracuse football is still projected to win around eight games in the 2023 season.

Once the Orange’s encounter at Florida State culminates, the ‘Cuse will have a much-needed bye week. The back end of the team’s 2023 schedule includes numerous winnable games, but Syracuse football needs to improve its play of late, regardless of the future opponents on its docket.

Still, at this juncture, the FPI is forecasting the Orange at 7.9-4.1, meaning approximately eight victories for the ‘Cuse. I’ll take that.

The FPI, at present, also gives Syracuse football an overwhelming 98.0 percent chance to secure at least six triumphs in the present stanza, which would enable the ‘Cuse to qualify for a bowl game for the second term in a row.

Within the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Orange sits at No. 7 in the FPI, trailing (in order) Florida State, North Carolina, Clemson, Miami, Louisville and Duke.

More on the ‘Cuse from the FPI. The Orange’s strength of record is No. 45 nationally. The SU strength of schedule is No. 48, and the remaining strength of schedule is No. 58.

Syracuse football has an overall efficiency of No. 33, an offensive efficiency of No. 34, a defensive efficiency of No. 37, and a special teams efficiency of No. 95.

Separately, when CBS Sports published its weekly national rankings of all 133 FBS teams, the Orange had fallen three placements, to No. 42 overall, after residing at No. 39 last week.