Scheduling, recruiting, coaching and performance are separate issues. Each can affect the others. However, each must be viewed separator before combining them go draw conclusions.
Scheduling should always be respectable. We have a decent conference schedule, no doubt. However, OOC games matter, to recruits pollsters and fans. A cupcake tune up game is acceptable, no more than one. There should be one top name game, two when the Orange get back to where we should be. The remaining game(s) should be middle of the road. Never shy away from fan draws and travelling crowds. VATech was built on cream puffs and they are disdained for it outside of Virginia. Yeah, they get a few morons on TV to puff them up but fans across the country try think nothing of VATech. Their win over tOSU was their high mark. One OOC game, so what. Nobody cares. TTech, the same. Rutgers, the same. The reason that TCU is respected is because they took on all comers, winning some and losing some. That is the model to schedule if you are not an elite team.
Performance is a separate matter. Syracuse has underperformed. Plain and simple. GRob was not a good HC. Marrone did a good job but flew the coup. Shafer made some bad decisions and was not prepared. That is in the past. Through it all, we have had several kids shine. The support cast as failed to perform. Part of that is on coaching and part is on the kids.
Coaching is the weak spot. Several teams win with the same level talent, TCU, Baylor, Boise St., the list goes on. The staff has the duty to use the kids they have to perform their best. Marrone did a good job and probably would have been a lifer had he decided to stay. It is probable he would have taken the team far, too. Life happens. HCDB has a proven system. He has good to kids on the team. He has proven coaches.
Recruiting is tricky. Coaches judge the talent they want. Recruiting services are at best an attempt to rank kids but a failure on a consistent basis. Additionally, the duty to develop recruits is on the coaches and players. Getting a kid in is just step one.
Naturally, these points are just the tip of the iceberg. Each is far deeper than listed above. They all intertwine and there are other factors as well, I am only simplifying the argument for a fan board discussion and not a dissertation on team building and dynamics.
Now that the disclaimer is in place, making a cream puff schedule does nothing for the true objectives. If kids play cream puffs, they rarely improve. Coaching slacks off because they "know" they can beat these guys. Recruits have no interest in beating Albany St. on an annual basis.
Syracuse has a long-standing history and tradition of being willing to play anyone and being dangerous to play. This attitude forced Florida to stop playing tough OOC games outside of Florida. They dropped Miami, too. They tried to drop FSU but that was politically impossible to do. All at a time when the SEC was not the SEC of today! Fortunately, they had the SEC to help make their arguments to playing a decent schedule and FSU. Itnearly cost them due to the weak OOC they switched to.
Why do people fear Alabama, OU, FSU, ND, etc.? Because they will schedule tough teams. Ride the lows and build up. No need to over schedule with 4 brand names but avoiding the big boys annually is as bad or worse than losing. No one talks about Rutgers success because everyone knows they beat up cream puffs, won against down teams and cannot sustain winning against decent teams. VATech only gained in recognition AFTER joining the ACC when they played more name teams. And since Miami tanked, they get respect for beating Miami. All due to a history of feasting on cupcakes and creampuffs.
Perception does matter. We have a winning coach. Our schedule is not that tough (not even close to when it was annually rakednas one of the toughest!). There is no reason to not expect to go bowling annually. HCDB should have us in the mix regularly and coming out on top in some big games in a few years, with a shot at the ACC crown and playoffs after that.