Syracuse football, under first-year head coach Fran Brown, had a tremendous 2024 season. There's simply no other way to slice it.
So this column isn't, in any way, meant to detract from what the Orange achieved in the most recent campaign. However, when I saw a final set of Atlantic Coast Conference power rankings in recent days, I was equally glad to see the 'Cuse in the league's top four, but I was also slightly puzzled about the team directly ahead of Syracuse football in these ratings.
Look, these sorts of power rankings are subjective. I get it. But if I want to quibble for a hot second, Miami should not reside above the Orange, for several reasons that I'll outline.
Oh, and I also need to stress that I mean no disrespect to the author of these final ACC power rankings from 247Sports, national writer Grant Hughes. He knows his stuff. I just, respectfully, disagree with him a tad.
Syracuse football is highly placed in 2024 ACC power ratings, and deservingly so.
Okay. Hughes' top four, in order, are No. 1 Clemson, No. 2 SMU, No. 3 Miami and No. 4 Syracuse. I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that Florida State (2-10) is No. 17, or dead last, after being projected to finish at No. 1 in the league standings per the ACC's preseason media poll.
Normally, I cheer on all of the other ACC members when they're not playing my beloved Orange, but given all the nonsense legal battles between Florida State (and Clemson) and the ACC, I'm not too sad that the Seminoles absolutely stunk in 2024.
With that out of the way, and I recognize I'm a homer since SU is my alma mater, but shouldn't Syracuse football be No. 3 and Miami No. 4? They finished with identical 10-3 records.
The 'Cuse won its bowl game. Miami did not. Syracuse football was 5-3 in ACC competition and 5-0 in non-league play. The Hurricanes were 6-2 in ACC games and 4-1 in non-conference affairs.
Here's the sticking point, if I may. Miami's losses are so much "better." In its three setbacks, the Hurricanes fell by a combined 10 points, with two of those contests on the road and the third at a neutral site.
The Orange lost at home to a sub-par Stanford group. The 'Cuse also fell to Boston College on the road by six points and got blown out at Pittsburgh. Both of those squads finished at 7-6 overall.
On the flip side, though, as far as I can tell, Miami didn't beat a ranked foe this season. The Orange, meanwhile, notched three top-25 wins and a top-10 victory in 2024.
This brings me to the most important part. While Syracuse football and the Hurricanes finished with identical overall records, in the regular-season finale, at the JMA Wireless Dome in late November, the 'Cuse knocked off then-No. 6 Miami, 42-38.