Syracuse Football: ACC pundits are sleeping on 'Cuse, and I'm totally good with that

As I noted in a recent post on X, I can't wait for Syracuse football to prove the so-called experts in the Atlantic Coast Conference wrong in the upcoming season.

The 2024 campaign is fast approaching, as first-year head coach Fran Brown and his players will kick off the coming term in late August when the Orange hosts non-conference foe Ohio inside the JMA Wireless Dome.

About a week ago, the ACC released its annual preseason media poll. In that ballot, our beloved 'Cuse is forecast to finish at No. 12 in the league's pecking order. The conference expanded to 17 members in football for the 2024 season, with the additions of California, SMU and Stanford.

Naturally, these sorts of preseason prognostications should be taken with the proverbial grain of salt. And the Orange will have plenty of chances to prove it's better than No. 12 in the ACC race once games soon commence.

But still, No. 12? Really? I'm a self-acknowledged homer when it pertains to my alma mater, but this sort of placement seems low to me. Then again, I'm cool with it. I like it when expectations for Syracuse football, and all 'Cuse sports for that matter, are tempered.

This way, the Orange can play with a collective chip on its shoulder. When all is said and done later this year, I firmly believe that Syracuse football will finish in the top six to the top eight of the ACC standings.

Syracuse football isn't getting a ton of preseason love from ACC pundits.

Okay, here's my take on the Orange ahead of the 2024 season. Brown has assembled a top-flight staff. 'Cuse coaches hauled in a 2024 recruiting class that's in the top 40 at the prep level and in the top 25 via the transfer portal.

Numerous key guys on both sides of the field returned. But, like every other power-conference team out there, Syracuse football experienced a sizable roster make-over in the off-season, due to the portal, players exhausting their eligibility and recruiting efforts in the high school ranks.

On offense, the Orange appears to be looking solid. Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord, who will be the 'Cuse starter at quarterback as a senior, is really good. But there is concern regarding the team's back-up quarterbacks, and Syracuse football did struggle with injuries at QB in 2023.

Undeniably, the Orange has depth and significant talent at running back, tight end and wide receiver, led by standouts LeQuint Allen Jr. and Oronde Gadsden II. Will the offensive line hold its own, and will depth be any sort of issue on the offensive line, the defensive line, or elsewhere - something that has hampered the program in other recent seasons?

Switching over to the defense, I think that the 'Cuse boasts one of the best groups at secondary not just in the ACC, but also nationwide. Texas A&M transfer Fadil Diggs is a beast on the edge, while star linebacker Marlowe Wax Jr. is positioned for a monster 2024 stanza.

How will the Orange fare on special teams? That's something I'm curious to see. Talented wide receiver and return man Trebor Pena barely played in 2023 due to an injury, but if he's fully healthy this coming season, look out.

Per SU Athletics, the redshirt junior recently was named to the preseason watch list of the 2024 Paul Hornung Award, which is doled out annually to the most versatile player in the sport.

This is pure speculation, but I do believe the 'Cuse has more depth across the board than in other recent years. I also think the Orange possesses more talent in various position groups, including at quarterback, tight end/wide receiver, and defensive back.

At the same time, for context, the roster has a lot of new faces. The team has a first-year, and a first-time, head coach, along with many new assistants. While Syracuse football has made consecutive bowl games, it's also gone a combined 13-13 over the past two terms and was pretty sub-par under former head coach Dino Babers for numerous recent seasons.

So coming back to the ACC's preseason media poll, I'm sure there is some recency bias here toward the Orange. On paper, the 2024 schedule is quite favorable, but as some experts have noted, until the 'Cuse plays actual games, the program is considered somewhat of a mystery ahead of the next campaign.

Here are the projected standings from the ACC preseason media poll:
1. Florida State
2. Clemson
3. Miami
4. N.C. State
5. Louisville
6. Virginia Tech
7. SMU
8. North Carolina
9. Georgia Tech
10. California
11. Duke
12. Syracuse
13. Pittsburgh
14. Boston College
15. Wake Forest
16. Virginia
17. Stanford

I have no issues with the top four. Or even, frankly, the top seven. Personally, I'd have the Orange at No. 8, ahead of the likes of North Carolina, Georgia Tech, California and Duke. Oh, and no disrespect here, but who exactly dished out first-place votes to Georgia Tech, Cal and Boston College? I'd love to know.