Are we a Mid-Major in Football?

[TheCusian]

Semantics. Our play and talent over the last 15+ years has been more comparable to the Group of Five than the Power Five.

I mean the OP was basically about semantics.

No one has argued that we're in the same conversation as Bama. (Though, Clemson did only lose two games last season).

 

[SUFaninNJ]

No, just a (mostly) bad P-5 team.

 

[djorange1989]

Syracuse is not a "small private school". Our enrollment is only lower than BYU and USC in regards to Private schools that play D1 football. SU is one of the largest private schools in the country.

I meant we are small compared to the massive state schools. sorry, I was too busy ranting to be clear

 

[chugg21]

Mid-Major probably isn't the right term, but irrelevant probably is. We are just not on the radar of anyone outside of our fan base besides for 2 weekends in the last bunch of years.

 

[orangepassion]

Guess Alabama was a Mid-major for a while pre-Saban

 

[WickedOrange]

If you're receiving an annual P5 conference check and not located in New Brunswick NJ, you are not a mid-major.

 

[SoBristol]

Putting aside semantics, we know the history since 2013. 70 plus teams are invited to bowl games -- not us. In 4 seasons, 1 win in November. Label that as you will.

The question is what the SU program can be in 2018 and going forward, with a head coach who has been a winner at prior stops. Can he recruit and be successful in our program? Get us to a bowl game and the middle of our division (or better) in good seasons?

I think we are close to that, this season, when you look at how our lines compare to what we have had. Wake turned it around -- why not us?

 

[Hoo's That]

I agree with those who said that "Mid-Major" status is based on conference affiliation and not W-L record. The MAC, AAC, and Sunbelt are mid-major conferences for football. UCF's going undefeated and Kansas' going 1-11 (0-11 against D-1A teams) doesn't change that.

 

[djorange1989]

Putting aside semantics, we know the history since 2013. 70 plus teams are invited to bowl games -- not us. In 4 seasons, 1 win in November. Label that as you will.

The question is what the SU program can be in 2018 and going forward, with a head coach who has been a winner at prior stops. Can he recruit and be successful in our program? Get us to a bowl game and the middle of our division (or better) in good seasons?

I think we are close to that, this season, when you look at how our lines compare to what we have had. Wake turned it around -- why not us?

agree completely, and as far as recruiting, i think finishing 8th out of 14 teams (according to ESPN and 2 4 7) for 2018 with 4 years of pretty terrible football is pretty impressive. Question marks at WR and LB, but definitely the best we have looked in the trenches in a while. we need a bowl, we will get a bowl. I think.

 

[orange79]

I went to Su and didn't even know that many kids went there. I thought it was closer to 16k.

~15K undergrad, ~7K grad and law

 

[HOFCeluck]

This thread is moronic.

 

[Ish88888]

Mid-Major probably isn't the right term, but irrelevant probably is. We are just not on the radar of anyone outside of our fan base besides for 2 weekends in the last bunch of years.

This entire thread is rubbish let's just wipe out 75% of FBS. come on. We have a shot at the big boys every year and last year impacted the national championship playoff. Yes, Clemson still made it but it also eliminated their room for error and even made them chase style points. We have a helluva schedule built in and we haven't been blown off the field and embarrassed. Mid Major? Lol, gimme a break...

 

[chugg21]

This entire thread is rubbish let's just wipe out 75% of FBS. come on. We have a shot at the big boys every year and last year impacted the national championship playoff. Yes, Clemson still made it but it also eliminated their room for error and even made them chase style points. We have a helluva schedule built in and we haven't been blown off the field and embarrassed. Mid Major? Lol, gimme a break...

We haven't? Last season ended with 5 straight losses, last 2 by a combined score of 98-24 against 2 unranked teams.

 

[Ish88888]

We haven't? Last season ended with 5 straight losses, last 2 by a combined score of 98-24 against 2 unranked teams.

Doesn't matter, mid majors dont play and beat #1 teams. Really? Do you think we play like a mid major ? After our run vs Clemson, lsu, and Miami?

 

[chugg21]

Doesn't matter, mid majors dont play and beat #1 teams. Really? Do you think we play like a mid major ? After our run vs Clemson, lsu, and Miami?

2 of which were losses. How about MTSU in the dome? Getting waxed by Wake and BC at home?

 

[Ish88888]

2 of which were losses. How about MTSU in the dome? Getting waxed by Wake and BC at home?

Sure, thats disturbing, but those teams arent close to mid majors. Do you have season tickets UB might be your best bet if you think our schedule and brand is mid major.

 

[RandomGuy]

Listed in every publication as P5.
Listed in none as a Mid Major...

I really don't think they messed up.

 

[TheCusian]

2 of which were losses. How about MTSU in the dome? Getting waxed by Wake and BC at home?

Now you’ve lost your thread. We gave FSU, Miami real trouble that came down to the end. If you couldn’t see the difference between the Wake/BC games and the Clemson/Pitt/Miami games then I don’t know what to tell you.

With Dungey + the rebuilt secondary = close wins, without = blowout losses.

 

[chugg21]

Sure, thats disturbing, but those teams arent close to mid majors. Do you have season tickets UB might be your best bet if you think our schedule and brand is mid major.

You literally replied to a post where I said that mid-major was not a term I would use...

 

[chugg21]

Now you’ve lost your thread. We gave FSU, Miami real trouble that came down to the end. If you couldn’t see the difference between the Wake/BC games and the Clemson/Pitt/Miami games then I don’t know what to tell you.

With Dungey + the rebuilt secondary = close wins, without = blowout losses.

Ok, so how about for the previous 15 years or so? I said mid-major is not an accurate term since that generally only refers to basketball teams outside of the P5. I said irrelevant. If you think that Syracuse football is relevant on the national stage or anywhere outside of about 100 mile radius of Syracuse, NY then I don't know what to tell you. I've moved from Buffalo to San Diego to Tampa in the last 5 years and Syracuse football games were not and are not on anyones radar in any of those 3 places.

 

[NineOneSeven]

We are a basketball school.

HOT TAKE ALERT

 

[chugg21]

We are a basketball school.

HOT TAKE ALERT

That's fairly warm. Duke and UNC are not only superior in basketball but they are much better football programs as well!

 

[TheCusian]

Ok, so how about for the previous 15 years or so? I said mid-major is not an accurate term since that generally only refers to basketball teams outside of the P5. I said irrelevant. If you think that Syracuse football is relevant on the national stage or anywhere outside of about 100 mile radius of Syracuse, NY then I don't know what to tell you. I've moved from Buffalo to San Diego to Tampa in the last 5 years and Syracuse football games were not and are not on anyones radar in any of those 3 places.

I agree that "mid-major" is a term that doesn't apply. Of course we've been largely irrelevant over the past 15 years - we've sucked and most CFB teams aren't getting play in Buffalo or San Diego unless they ranked - and let's be honest - even then probably sports fans in those particular cities won't care about CFB (pro markets). The issue of relevancy is a pretty amorphous benchmark to use any ways. I think Syracuse football is more relevant than Colgate football to people from Buffalo, no?

BUT - if you want to use it and apply it to a national relevancy- I don't think you can really apply it to the last two seasons. Dino and Syracuse were all over everywhere after the VaTech win. And even more so after upsetting #2, defending champs Clemson. We didn't capitalize on those by making a bowl which would have acted like a megaphone for Dino for a couple of more weeks.

I'm not saying we've been good over the past 15 years. I don't think anyone is. I am saying that there are signs of life and relevancy nationally that you can't discount.

 

[chugg21]

I agree that "mid-major" is a term that doesn't apply. Of course we've been largely irrelevant over the past 15 years - we've sucked and most CFB teams aren't getting play in Buffalo or San Diego unless they ranked - and let's be honest - even then probably sports fans in those particular cities won't care about CFB (pro markets). The issue of relevancy is a pretty amorphous benchmark to use any ways. I think Syracuse football is more relevant than Colgate football to people from Buffalo, no?

BUT - if you want to use it and apply it to a national relevancy- I don't think you can really apply it to the last two seasons. Dino and Syracuse were all over everywhere after the VaTech win. And even more so after upsetting #2, defending champs Clemson. We didn't capitalize on those by making a bowl which would have acted like a megaphone for Dino for a couple of more weeks.

I'm not saying we've been good over the past 15 years. I don't think anyone is. I am saying that there are signs of life and relevancy nationally that you can't discount.

Nothing would make me happier. I spend time on this damn message board and following recruiting, money on traveling to games, I'm just hoping for a small return on investment with a team that can compete for mid-tier bowl games and in a good year be battling to break into the top 20. It's been such an absurdly long time since that seemed possible.

 

[Pyle]

Ok, so how about for the previous 15 years or so? I said mid-major is not an accurate term since that generally only refers to basketball teams outside of the P5. I said irrelevant. If you think that Syracuse football is relevant on the national stage or anywhere outside of about 100 mile radius of Syracuse, NY then I don't know what to tell you. I've moved from Buffalo to San Diego to Tampa in the last 5 years and Syracuse football games were not and are not on anyones radar in any of those 3 places.

Well Buffalo is a pro-town, always has been.
San Diego is on the other side of the country. I barely watch anyone from the PAC-12, I doubt many here do on a regular basis.
Tampa - A state with how many D1 programs other than Syracuse? I mean that state has 3 P5 teams alone and you expect Syracuse to be a player? Just curious, when you were in Tampa were there alot of Gopher games on anyone's radar? How about Colorada Buffaloes?

I'm not sure which radar you'd expect a NE private school to be on other than the teams in the ACC-Atlantic for the most part. We are not irrelevant, we beat Clemson last year and played in some other pretty serious brawls.

Simply put if mid-major was a football term then it would apply to G5 schools. I don't care abot W-L records, bowl appearances, Grob years, etc, etc, etc. Fact remains we get P5 money and that's what makes the determination. I wonder if you go ask USF or Eastern Michigan if we are mid-major with our facilities and TV contracts what they might say. Be careful, you might get punched.