Cuse vs. Tennessee in Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game - Atlanta 2025

[kcsu]

25 will be the year we make the playoffs.
This is a fantastic job by JW.
We are Syracuse. Not some Bs second rate school.

Final. SU 31 Vols 24

 

[Alsacs]

Syracuse football’s biggest problems have been lack of talent.
To get better talent you need bowl appearances to sell in recruiting.
Tennessee has had coaching problems. They always recruit well and get good talent.

If we get better talent I like the game but until we win we won’t get it.
Hopefully by 4 years we are better.

 

[SUFan44]

Syracuse football’s biggest problems have been lack of talent.
To get better talent you need bowl appearances to sell in recruiting.
Tennessee has had coaching problems. They always recruit well and get good talent.

If we get better talent I like the game but until we win we won’t get it.
Hopefully by 4 years we are better.

Need a top third QB in the league. All of the rest of the team is close enough to compete for wins.

When we have had above average QB play, we have been good. And competitive. Even Terrel Hunt played average in a season and we won a bowl.

We had an awful year last year for a lot of reasons, but in general the reason we haven’t won consistently is due to QB play, IMO. Hope Shrader is that guy.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

With the comments by Emmett, I’m thinking that paying players isn’t too far off… Locking in a min $5.2M payday to start the season just opened up some wiggle room to fight for four stars. High five to JW for his progressive thinking. Let’s get the next 10 years scheduled with neutral site paydays and we will be ahead of the game!

That's quite a jump in thought process. But you did make me think of something I hadn't considered - scheduling strategy could open up different NIL opportunities for our players, which could in turn create additional appeal for croots.

 

[Scooch]

Syracuse football’s biggest problems have been lack of talent.
To get better talent you need bowl appearances to sell in recruiting.
Tennessee has had coaching problems. They always recruit well and get good talent.

If we get better talent I like the game but until we win we won’t get it.
Hopefully by 4 years we are better.

Meh, kinda. To get better talent you really need competitive facilities and dynamic recruiters. I imagine Schiano is recruiting well at Rutgers, and its not like they've been crushing the bowl scene for years. We made 3 bowls in 4 years between 2010-2013, and it's not like Shafer suddenly started reeling in a class full of 4 stars.

Personally, while I think making bowls is important (I mean, it's better to be winning than losing, duh), I also think its a bit overrated. People talk about the benefits of the extra practice time and the bump in recruiting it provides, but I'm not sure that's provable quantitatively.

I could see a scenario where the allure of selling this Tennessee game to potential recruits for the next 4 years is a bigger draw then making some chump bowl against a MAC team on December 27th.

 

[syrBossHogg]

Meh, kinda. To get better talent you really need competitive facilities and dynamic recruiters. I imagine Schiano is recruiting well at Rutgers, and its not like they've been crushing the bowl scene for years. We made 3 bowls in 4 years between 2010-2013, and it's not like Shafer suddenly started reeling in a class full of 4 stars.

Personally, while I think making bowls is important (I mean, it's better to be winning than losing, duh), I also think its a bit overrated. People talk about the benefits of the extra practice time and the bump in recruiting it provides, but I'm not sure that's provable quantitatively.

I could see a scenario where the allure of selling this Tennessee game to potential recruits for the next 4 years is a bigger draw then making some chump bowl against a MAC team on December 27th.

I would also add coaching relationships/connections to those factors as well, Schiano in particular has a lot of connections at the HS level in NJ.

Making bowl games is important and it's good to schedule soft in a coach's first few years in a program, but eventually the goal should be to add a couple cool matchups such as this.

 

[elimunelson]

Meh, kinda. To get better talent you really need competitive facilities and dynamic recruiters. I imagine Schiano is recruiting well at Rutgers, and its not like they've been crushing the bowl scene for years. We made 3 bowls in 4 years between 2010-2013, and it's not like Shafer suddenly started reeling in a class full of 4 stars.

Personally, while I think making bowls is important (I mean, it's better to be winning than losing, duh), I also think its a bit overrated. People talk about the benefits of the extra practice time and the bump in recruiting it provides, but I'm not sure that's provable quantitatively.

I could see a scenario where the allure of selling this Tennessee game to potential recruits for the next 4 years is a bigger draw then making some chump bowl against a MAC team on December 27th.

I think for a school like Syracuse it's a barometer of success at this point. It means you are winning 3 games or so in division in most seasons. That shows competence within your division and conference. Our big issue is some years we are clearly outmatched in the ACC. I don't think there's a massive difference btw Syracuse, WF, Duke, NC State, BC, Pitt, Tech, UVA. What's separated us from them is we have only won more than 2 games in conference twice. That's why the bowl matters to me because it shows some degree of competitiveness in conference.

 

[Tobias Funke]

Bring your golf clubs...a long way out but as a Georgia resident I cannot wait for this game.

 

[Scooch]

I think for a school like Syracuse it's a barometer of success at this point. It means you are winning 3 games or so in division in most seasons. That shows competence within your division and conference. Our big issue is some years we are clearly outmatched in the ACC. I don't think there's a massive difference btw Syracuse, WF, Duke, NC State, BC, Pitt, Tech, UVA. What's separated us from them is we have only won more than 2 games in conference twice. That's why the bowl matters to me because it shows some degree of competitiveness in conference.

For sure, totally get it. I'm just saying that there isn't some magical recruiting fairy who sprinkles pixie dust when we make a crummy bowl game, and then voila, recruiting improves.

We've made those crummy bowl games over a 4 year stretch, and our recruiting was just as meh as it had been before. Gotta win a little AND have the staff in place that can take advantage. Honestly, I'm not sure Dino has done that post-2018.

 

[elimunelson]

For sure, totally get it. I'm just saying that there isn't some magical recruiting fairy who sprinkles pixie dust when we make a crummy bowl game, and then voila, recruiting improves.

We've made those crummy bowl games over a 4 year stretch, and our recruiting was just as meh as it had been before. Gotta win a little AND have the staff in place that can take advantage. Honestly, I'm not sure Dino has done that post-2018.

Missed your point but agreed 100%. I think the ultimate pixie dust is finding a Dungey, Flutie, McNabb type player at a northeast school that can propel the rest of the talent upward. To me the recruiting seems to be perpetually in that 35-55 range ranking wise. It may be deflated due to northern kids. Where the special sauce happens is when you do find the guy who can transcend any of it and make things happen. With McNabb, Syracuse recruited him as a whole by allowing him to play hoops too and Pasqualoni closing the deal. We beat out Nebraska for a duel threat guy. That may not happen anymore.

Flutie and Dungey to me were the more luckier situations where it just worked out b/c the player's competitiveness and drive just pushed it all upward.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

For sure, totally get it. I'm just saying that there isn't some magical recruiting fairy who sprinkles pixie dust when we make a crummy bowl game, and then voila, recruiting improves.

We've made those crummy bowl games over a 4 year stretch, and our recruiting was just as meh as it had been before. Gotta win a little AND have the staff in place that can take advantage. Honestly, I'm not sure Dino has done that post-2018.

I think you make a good point, the thing I'm just not sure about is how the coaching change impacted things.

Maybe with Marrone on a contract extension recruiting trends up in large part because we're trending toward winning?

 

[Jeremy L.]

Regardless of result, this will be cool to attend.

 

[mscanlo]

Bring your golf clubs...a long way out but as a Georgia resident I cannot wait for this game.

where are you thinking golf-wise? atlanta isn't the best in terms of public golf close to the city

 

[Jeremy L.]

where are you thinking golf-wise? atlanta isn't the best in terms of public golf close to the city

I've heard there's a nice course in Augusta

 

[Jeremy L.]

Can we focus on this game again before it becomes political?

 

[MSOrange]

Can we focus on this game again before it becomes political?

Thank you for being a voice of reason! Should be a fun matchup. I know we represent well on the road, but it will be interesting to see how many tickets we can get away from Tennessee fans with that short drive they have.

 

[SUskibum]

Need a top HALF O’LINE in the league. All of the rest of the team is close enough to compete for wins.

When we have had above average OL play, we have been good. And competitive. Even when Terrel Hunt was QB our O’line played average and we had a decent run game in a season and we won a bowl.

We had an awful year last year for a lot of reasons, but in general the reason we haven’t won consistently is due to OL play, IMO. Hope SCHMIDT is that guy.

I fixed it for you, No problem

 

[Jeremy L.]

Thank you for being a voice of reason! Should be a fun matchup. I know we represent well on the road, but it will be interesting to see how many tickets we can get away from Tennessee fans with that short drive they have.

Of course. We see enough of it in media, etc. This should be a place to escape from that.

Tennessee fans will be showing up but I wonder the same thing. While I wish it was closer, the chance to see Cuse play an SEC team doesn't happen often. Win or lose, I'm there.

 

[Eric15]

Personally, while I think making bowls is important (I mean, it's better to be winning than losing, duh), I also think its a bit overrated.

Outside of the playoff and maybe some NY5 games, I don't get the sense that anyone besides the fans of the teams actually playing in the low-tier bowl games remember at all who made a bowl in a particular year and who didn't. It's like asking who made the NIT last year. I dunno -- maybe NC State? Who knows. And I say this as someone who is obsessed with college football.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

Outside of the playoff and maybe some NY5 games, I don't get the sense that anyone besides the fans of the teams actually playing in the low-tier bowl games remember at all who made a bowl in a particular year and who didn't. It's like asking who made the NIT last year. I dunno -- maybe NC State? Who knows. And I say this as someone who is obsessed with college football.

I don’t think making a Bowl moves the recruiting needle. Consistently missing one though does. We don’t need extra negativity.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

This is awesome and will definitely help recruiting. Flight/hotel/ticket shouldn't cost too much either.

Tennessee hasn't been in many of these marquee opening weekend neutral venue games either. Both schools might bring a lot of fans if the stadium is full it will be awesome.

 

[SUFan44]

I fixed it for you, No problem

Still need a top tier QB. And I would argue there were OL’s during McNabb years that weren’t very good.

 

[orange79]

Do I really have to say it again????

In what universe is it OK to make political posts on the main board when you all have been warned 6,456,812 times?

Sheesh.

 

[SkyTopBus44]

Outside of the playoff and maybe some NY5 games, I don't get the sense that anyone besides the fans of the teams actually playing in the low-tier bowl games remember at all who made a bowl in a particular year and who didn't. It's like asking who made the NIT last year. I dunno -- maybe NC State? Who knows. And I say this as someone who is obsessed with college football.

agreed. It is hard to remember who made the ncaa final four in hoops last year nevermind who played in the Pinstripe Bowl or NIT. I tend to watch a lot of the bowls mostly because I have been picking them since my time at SU & I am also a college football nut. We do pick em contest here on syracusefan.

Nationally I would say more people remember our regular season upset of Clemson over our bowl win against West Virginia or 10 win season.

 

[Scooch]

Over the past 10 years, Tennessee has made exactly one more bowl appearance than us. They should be just as concerned that a loss in the 2025 opener keeps them from bowl eligibility as we should be.

This is like playing an extra game against a poor man’s NC State. It’ll be fine.