Tennessee linebacker with a hilarious, totally inaccurate trolling of Syracuse Orange

One of the fun storylines of Syracuse football's week one opener centers on the fact that both the 'Cuse and No. 24 Tennessee are Orange-clad schools.

Except, for some reason, Tennessee players and fans seem to think that their school is the real Orange team. I'm saying all this in jest, because I actually root for the Volunteers, due to my son living primarily in Nashville, Tenn.

At the same time, the notion that Tennessee is the real Orange squad, because the Vols are in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference and, in recent years, have been a much better football program than the 'Cuse, is problematic, in my humble opinion.

Yes, the SEC is better than the Atlantic Coast Conference in football. Yes, the Volunteers made last season's College Football Playoff. I get all that. But the 'Cuse is literally called the Syracuse Orange.

I don't know how else to slice it.

A Tennessee player trolls Syracuse football.

On Monday, Volunteers junior linebacker Jeremiah Telander took a jab at the 'Cuse when he said in part that our beloved SU has "got the wrong shade of orange over there." Lol. Good one, Jeremiah.

I'm just messing around with this young man, but still: the 'Cuse is the Syracuse Orange. How can it be the wrong shade of Orange? Haha.

Gosh, I want my alma mater to win so badly, not just because it would prove a huge victory over a ranked team to kick off the 2025 campaign. Additionally, perhaps it would prevent Tennessee players and fans, moving forward, from continuing to assert that the Volunteers are the real Orange.

To that end, on Monday, Syracuse football head coach Fran Brown said in part, "Everybody is gonna have on orange. Orange is orange. ... Our guys are just going to be happy to be playing in a packed stadium."

Brown acknowledged that Tennessee will likely have more fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday afternoon. For one, the Volunteers are a much bigger school than Syracuse. Also, Knoxville, Tenn., is a lot closer to Atlanta than Central New York.

Top-25 Tennessee and Syracuse football will go toe to toe beginning at 12:00 pm this Saturday, Aug. 30, with television coverage on ABC. The Volunteers are a sizable betting favorite in this non-conference affair.