Should Syracuse football, not in the CFP top 25, feel slighted? An expert weighs in.

The Orange fan base is eagerly anticipating this Saturday's home game between Syracuse football and No. 6 Miami, a pivotal Atlantic Coast Conference clash in the 2024 regular-season finale that has implications toward early December's ACC championship game as well as the 12-team College Football Playoff field.

When the Hurricanes invade the Hill this Saturday afternoon, it will mark one of the most important games at the JMA Wireless Dome in years. First-year head coach Fran Brown and his top-flight staff have guided the Orange's 2024 roster through a fabulous season, certainly with some bumps along the way, but nevertheless, an impressive debut for Brown in Central New York.

As Syracuse football (8-3, 4-3 in the ACC) gets set to host Miami, the 'Cuse is tied for No. 6 with Duke in the league standings. Already in 2024, the Orange has beaten two foes that were ranked in the top-25-polls at the time that the squads played - Georgia Tech at home and UNLV on the road.

In the latest Associated Press and Coaches polls, the 'Cuse was among the first teams in the others receiving votes category. Surely, if Syracuse football can spring an upset of the Hurricanes, the Orange will be a top-25 group come next week.

On Tuesday night, the latest College Football Playoff ("CFP") top 25 came out. In the ACC, Miami is No. 6, SMU is No. 9 and Clemson is No. 12. Syracuse football didn't make the cut. Should the 'Cuse be outraged? One of the top experts out there covering the ACC discusses.

Syracuse football can prove the role of spoiler against No. 6 Miami in week 14.

David Hale of ESPN knows his stuff when it comes to the ACC and college football in general. He's also quite hilarious, and you should follow him on X. In any event, he wrote in an article this week after the latest CFP top 25 was unveiled, "There are 10 teams from Power 4 conferences with 8-3 records after Week 13. Eight of them are ranked. The two that aren't are both in the ACC, outside the AP Top 25 and with ample reason to be outraged."

Those two groups, by the way, are Duke and Syracuse football. While I'm a readily acknowledged homer, I can see arguments for and against having the Orange in the CFP top 25 this week.

On the one hand, Syracuse football has triumphed over Georgia Tech, which handed Miami its sole setback this term, and UNLV, which is No. 22 in the most recent CFP top 25.

Conversely, the Orange has fallen at home to Stanford (3-8 overall) and on the road to both Pittsburgh (7-4 overall) and Boston College (6-5 overall). The Stanford loss is brutal. Then again, Pitt crushed the 'Cuse, and now the Panthers have lost four straight.

It's easy to say this in hindsight, but if Syracuse football could have just taken care of business against either Stanford or Boston College, the Orange would be 9-2 overall and residing in the CFP top 25.

However, let's not forget that of the eight victories to date for the 'Cuse this season, six have arrived by eight points or fewer. So we can talk about games the Orange "should" have won, but there are also numerous contests out there that Syracuse football possibly "could" have lost.

The Orange has a chance, this Saturday, to move to 9-3. Should it knock off Miami, that would give the 'Cuse a top-10 win and a third top-25 triumph. Syracuse football would move into the CFP top 25 and, hopefully, land in a high-quality bowl game (hi, Deion Sanders).

Does the Orange have a case for being in the CFP top 25 this week? Yep. Does it matter? Not all that much, in my humble opinion. Let's just take care of business on Saturday when those talented Hurricanes come to town.