Syracuse football a 'Cinderella' candidate to reach expanded College Football Playoff

A national writer has named Syracuse football as one of four "Cinderella" candidates to potentially make the expanded College Football Playoff ("CFP") in the upcoming 2024 season.

In a recent article, Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports says his four sleeper squads that could make a run to the CFP include the Orange, Rutgers out of the Big Ten Conference, Iowa State from the Big 12 Conference, and Auburn out of the Southeastern Conference.

In the 2024 season, the CFP grows from four participants to 12. By the way, a recent press release detailed the dates, kick-off times and broadcast information for this term's 12-team CFP field.

Fornelli wrote regarding the 'Cuse and those other three groups, "these are the four I feel not only fit the bill of being considered a Cinderella if they reached the CFP, but also have a chance to slide into that glass slipper."

Syracuse football should go bowling for the three straight year.

The Orange has gone a combined 13-13 over the past two campaigns, reaching a bowl game in each term (but losing both). Although the 'Cuse has a new head coach in Fran Brown and a significantly overhauled roster, I'm highly confident that Syracuse football will win seven to nine games, if not more than that, in 2024, reaching post-season bowl eligibility yet again.

Ahead of the upcoming campaign, national and Atlantic Coast Conference pundits have mixed preseason prognostications on the Orange. Some view the 'Cuse as a middle-of-the-pack ACC squad. Others say that the Orange can surprise some folks and prove a contender for the ACC's top tier and potentially even a CFP berth.

Fornelli says in his piece, "I considered Pitt as another possibility from the ACC. While I have some trepidation about Syracuse in Fran Brown's first season as a head coach at any level, everything else seems like a perfect fit."

As others have discussed over the past few months, Fornelli notes that the Orange's 2024 roster includes some big-time transfer additions, such as four-star quarterback Kyle McCord, a loaded receivers room of returnees and incoming players, and 2023 All-ACC performer LeQuint Allen Jr., who rushed for more than 1,000 yards a season ago.

This brings us to the 'Cuse 2024 schedule, which on paper, seems extremely manageable. Writes Fornelli: "The most difficult games appear to be at NC State in mid-October and the regular-season finale at home against Miami. While there will be other tricky games (vs. Georgia Tech, at Pitt, and vs. Virginia Tech come to mind), there is no Florida State or Clemson. In the ACC, you cannot ask for a friendlier schedule break than that."

I agree with Tom. I think it's a little unfair to "expect" Syracuse football to make the CFP when it has a new - and first-time - head coach, an overhauled roster, and a relatively different coaching staff. But can the Orange perhaps compete for a possible CFP berth? I don't see why not. And that would be fun.