Ultimate College Football Preview-Syracuse

Welcome to the Ultimate College Football Preview for 2023. Every team in FBS Football will be covered in this daily blog release. All of your favorite teams from the ACC, AAC, Big 12, Big 10, C-USA, MAC, Mountain West, PAC 12, SEC, Sun Belt & even every Independent. Think of these daily college football previews as a cheat sheet going into next year.

2022 Recap:

The Syracuse Orange started the 2022 hot at 6-0. Then they lost the next 5 games in row. They were able to finish the year bowl eligible at 7-5 but lost the Pinstripe Bowl to Minnesota 32-23. They took care of business vs. lesser opponents early in the year. When it came time to play good teams they came up just short each time. Cuse had the 41st ranked defense and 70th ranked offense, they were always just a middle of the road team last year. If you watched the games though there were flashes of greatness and a program building.

Head Coach:

Dino Babers is a top tier coach in the ACC. While the record at Syracuse does not show it at 36-49 he is doing a lot with less. Syracuse is a program that is not going to win 9 or ten games a year. But every 3 or 4 years they will come up with a great senior lead team to hit that 9 or 10 win season. Dino won 10 games 5 years ago and a bowl game last year with a young team. I think this year Syracuse gets even a little better. The reason you can’t always judge Babers at Cuse off of his record is because it’s just hard to recruit to up state New York. They are competing for recruits in an area that does not really have great players. He has to go outside of the state to draw kids in. If he gets them to a bowl game every 2 or 3 years it is a win, until Syracuse puts football ahead of basketball.

Key Players:

They will be losing their most explosive play maker in RB Sean Tucker to the NFL Draft. However they are returning their big play maker at WR in Oronde Gadsden JR and their QB Garrett Shrader. Before getting injured in the second half of the season Shrader had a 64.8 % completion percentage. He also threw for 2,645 yards 17 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions. Shrader also did it with his legs for 444 yards and 9 more touchdowns. Remember the name Oronde Gadsden Jr, he is an absolute stud. Gadsden had 61 catches for 969 yards and 6 touchdowns last year when he was only a true sophomore. Also returning at WR is Damien Alford a Redshirt Junior, who last year had 21 catches, 429 yards and 2 touchdowns. If they can find a running back that can replace just half of what Tucker did this offense is going to be damn good. The Offensive line returns 3 starters and the defense is loaded with speed and experience. Nine of the projected eleven starters on defense are upperclassman who contributed last year. Cuse is lead by MLB Marlowe Wax who last year 91 tackles, 10.5 TFL’s and 4.5 sacks.

2023 Prediction:

I think I might be higher on Syracuse then a lot of other college football guys. They lost their best player and some people might be turned off by that. I think Baber’s defense is going to be incredible, I am guessing a top 3 in the conference. Gadsden will be a household name and up for the Biletnikoff. Also if Shrader stays healthy I think he is a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm. Their non-conference is kind of a joke playing Western Michigan, Army and Colgate at home, and Purdue away. They should win all 4 of those games as Purdue is rebuilding but should be the toughest non-conference game. They get Clemson at home so you never know what happens in the dome, but they are @ UNC and @ FSU. I see a path definitely to 9 wins and a great year to 10 if they can upset one of the big boys in conference. This team will not lose to any of the bad ACC teams, they are just a better squad.