Dark Horse: Syracuse
The Orange are listed as only the fifth-best national title choice from the ACC at 200-to-1, but Syracuse – unlike the rest of the ACC – has shown it can compete with Clemson. Last year, Syracuse nearly won at Clemson and in 2017, stunned Clemson in the Carrier Dome.
Syracuse should breeze through its non-conference slate with games at Liberty and Maryland and home vs. Western Michigan and Holy Cross.
The Orange must replace quarterback Eric Dungey, with Tommy DeVito expected to get the nod. Because of Syracuse’s emphasis on its rushing game, that might not be a tough transition. In Dino Babers’ first year with Syracuse in 2016, the Orange averaged only 119 yards per game on the ground. Last year, the Orange averaged more than 200 yards rushing per game.
With Babers, the Orange are definitely trending in the right direction. After only eight victories the first two years, Syracuse won 10 games last season for the first time since 2001, capped with a 34-18 win against West Virginia in the Camping World Bowl.
We’ll know early if Syracuse is a legit contender when defending national champion Clemson visits on Sept. 24. It will be Clemson’s first trip back to the Dome since the Orange stunned Clemson 27-24 in 2017.