Syracuse Football: Fran Brown is among top 10 most-impressive coaching performances

Other than a hiccup at home last month against Stanford, Syracuse football has taken care of business through half of its 2024 season.

As the Orange gets ready for its second and final bye week, the 'Cuse sits at 5-1 overall and 2-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. The Orange has won three in a row, including its past two on the road versus then-No. 25 UNLV and, most recently on last Saturday night, against N.C. State.

First-year head coach Fran Brown, his top-flight staff and their talented roster have six more regular-season contests left, and Syracuse football needs just one more victory to qualify for a post-season bowl for the third straight year.

Without question, though, the 'Cuse has its collective sights set on something more than just making a bowl game. The team wants to compete for an ACC title, and if the Orange can consistently compete at a high level in all three phases of this sport, then I believe Syracuse football can reach nine or 10 triumphs in the 2024 regular season.

In those half-dozen affairs, the 'Cuse will face No. 20 Pittsburgh, Boston College and California on the road, while hosting Virginia Tech, UConn and No. 6 Miami.

Syracuse football boss Fran Brown is lauded for his head-coaching performance to date this season.

In a recent article, 247Sports analyst Brad Crawford ranked his top 10 most-impressive coaching performances at the midway point of the 2024 campaign. Coming in at No. 10 on Crawford's list is Brown, who took over the 'Cuse program after most recently serving as the defensive backs coach at Georgia.

While the Orange's two-point setback to Stanford doesn't look so hot these days, given that the Cardinal has mightily struggled of late, let's not forget that Syracuse football has beaten two foes that were ranked in the major top-25 polls when the Orange prevailed - Georgia Tech in early September and UNLV earlier this month.

After its bye week, Syracuse football will battle its long-time rival Pittsburgh (6-0, 2-0 in the ACC), with this league clash scheduled for an ESPN prime-time collision on Thursday, Oct. 24. In the most recent Associated Press and Coaches top-25 polls, the 'Cuse received 13 votes in each ballot.

If the Orange is able to upset the Panthers in a week, it wouldn't surprise me one iota if Syracuse football enters the top-25 polls after that result.

I'm not saying that the 'Cuse is going to run the table and finish the 2024 regular season at 11-1 overall. Sure, the squad's offense has looked potent, but the defense has proven a bit inconsistent, and special teams need to keep improving.

At the same time, none of the Orange's six remaining opponents absolutely terrify me. Not even Miami, which is undefeated but barely won its past two encounters, at home against Virginia Tech and at Cal.

As Crawford noted in his story, "A nine-win regular season with a chance at 10 during bowl month is not out of the question for the Orange."

Naturally, Syracuse football and its fan base will take things one game at a time. However, what Fran Brown has done in his first six games on the Hill (and he's also a first-time head coach) is, as Crawford wrote in his article, most impressive.

Now let's go out and crush Pitt on the Panthers' turf!