how close (or far) is SU from being a top 25 team?

[orangeintheacc]

Looking at the new USA Today coaches poll 4 out of our 5 losses this year were to current top 30 teams. Rutgers (20); NW (21); USC (22); and Cincy (would be 30 based on votes). Plus we have Louisville coming up at #10. The only team we lost to not in there was Minny -- our worst game of the season IMO. The point is we haven't exactly been playing a bunch of patsies. All of those games we were within 5-6 plays made or not made of pulling out a win. Reasons for failure have run the gamut from bad special teams to turnovers to dropped passes to penalties, etc. etc. I fully understand we are still losing these games, but no one can deny those were all winnable late into the game.

To answer my own question, I think we are close... obviously it won't happen this season, but soon. Maybe sometimes in life (and football) you have to learn the hard way and have some short term pain for the long term gain.

 

[Whitey23]

considering we aren't even close now and are due to lose some key pieces in the offseason i'd say pretty far.

 

[xc84]

I'll play the middle. Close is still far. Every game except USC was winnable and could have gone our way. We win those and we're in the top 15. That and a buck still won't get me a coffee at Starbucks.

 

[omniorange]

While I agree we had some winnable games this season, as the old saying goes, you are what your record says you are.

And if we assume a Top 25 team is at worse 8-4 but more likely 9-3 and that we are likely at best finishing 6-6, we still have a ways to go.

LGO!!!

Cheers,
Neil

 

[orangeintheacc]

I'll play the middle. Close is still far. Every game except USC was winnable and could have gone our way. We win those and we're in the top 15. That and a buck still won't get me a coffee at Starbucks.

I agree!

 

[ImperialOrange]

considering we aren't even close now and are due to lose some key pieces in the offseason i'd say pretty far.

Nassib, Goggins, #Shamarko, Lemon, and Sales. All will be tough shoes to fill but we'll have some guys to fill in everywhere except the big looming QB ?. Having Funderburke at WR next year really helps us out there. Not sure the status on Ron Thompson but if he plays thats huge. Also, Raymon on the dline should play out nicely as well. Aside from QB, I'm not expecting a huge drop off anywhere else.

Regardless, at least we are past the point of relying on incoming freshman to have to play immediately.

 

[javadoc]

2 years. Our 2nd year in the ACC.

 

[MaxwellCuse]

We're mediocre. That means we're closer to the Top 25 than when when we sucked. But we have a ways to go. I think we'll still be mediocre next year, and possibly the next. I'm counting on a decent replacement QB for Nassib by 2015 if not sooner. But until we get one we'll be no better than mediocre.

 

[Cuseregular]

we're one mobile athletic qb away from that. Or should I say we have that qb but we'll have to wait to see if he's as good as I think he is.

 

[Orangello]

I'd say pretty far given the pieces we lose next year, likely same staff and a step up in competition week in and week out in the ACC.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

We're pretty far. Performance is a part of it, but so is perception. I don't think we're at a point yet when we beat a team and people say there's no shame in it, or that when we lose to teams it catches people by surprise.

I will say this. We're moving in that direction.

 

[kingtidge]

We're mediocre. That means we're closer to the Top 25 than when when we sucked. But we have a ways to go. I think we'll still be mediocre next year, and possibly the next. I'm counting on a decent replacement QB for Nassib by 2015 if not sooner. But until we get one we'll be no better than mediocre.

Zach Allen is supposed to be that replacement, no?

http://blog.syracuse.com/orangefootball/2012/06/espns_trent_dilfer_on_syracuse.html

I know the proof is in the pudding, but he seems to be passing the eye tests...

 

[orangeintheacc]

I understand that we are what our record says we are, but we are at worst hanging with these top 25ish teams for 80-90 percent of the games. A few times we have dominated significant parts of games (NW & RU) only to give it all back in a couple of big plays. According to Doug this years freshman class is the best he has had and by my count we only lose 4 starters on offense and 3? On defense next year. We need a good QB to replace Nassib and to eliminate at least some of the mistakes from this year and we need to figure out how to finish games.

 

[Chris02M]

with our schedule this year we are about 2 games from being ranked,if we would of beat northwestern and rutgers we would be ranked

 

[Avatusstone28]

Amazing how Kansas State has risen up the polls, after we beat them in the Pinstripe Bowl and the Orange are still mired in mediocrity.

I'm tired of it.

 

[MadNY3]

We are Top 50. Closed the gap from being one of the Bottom 10 a few years back, which is good, but closing the gap from here on in only becomes harder.