No way NC is 23 points better than SU

[CNY in Miami]

I’m amazed that no one gives Syracuse any chance of winning this game. We are not playing Alabama, NC is not a powerhouse and I believe our talent has been steadily improving, we will win this game in a route on the way to a 9 win season.

 

[corpjet]

I’m afraid they may be more than that with what we will be using for our O-Line.

Tommy can be a more than serviceable QB but we can’t have another O-line performance like last year. He won’t make it past 3 games.

 

[FasterCuse]

Man, I hope your right. A lot of the talking heads on the ACC network though think UNC is the second best team in the conference this year. I don't see it, but then again, I'm not an expert. I think it all depends on if our offense can stay on the field and sustain drives. Let's hope our O line is uo to the task.

 

[Cusefan78]

This could get ugly with our line

 

[AAM62]

Man, I hope your right. A lot of the talking heads on the ACC network though think UNC is the second best team in the conference this year. I don't see it, but then again, I'm not an expert. I think it all depends on if our offense can stay on the field and sustain drives. Let's hope our O line is uo to the task.

Watch some of howell’s work last year as a true frosh. Kid is the real deal and they have skill player talent.

 

[TheCusian]

They should be favored, should win.

But this year is weird and I like playing with house money

 

[sufandu]

There was no way Maryland was 23 points better.

 

[Steelerswan]

I’m amazed that no one gives Syracuse any chance of winning this game. We are not playing Alabama, NC is not a powerhouse and I believe our talent has been steadily improving, we will win this game in a route on the way to a 9 win season.

I like your optimism but NC is talented with a qb who is easily top 10 in the nation and athletes, proven targets all around him. Something we lack. OL aside, we have question Mark's at 3/4 reciever positions minus harris. We are unveiling a new D seeing live action for the first time against a qb who is smart and can spin it. We need to be at least +2 in the turnover column to stay in it. I hope you are right but this is a tough game out of the gate.

 

[orangenauburn]

It's based on hype and a legit QB

They have a lot of line question marks on both sides.

We will see if old adage that the game is won upfront holds true

 

[UpstateSM]

UNC reminds me us going into last season. All the hype in the world but some serious question marks that most people are overlooking because of unexpected success the season before. I won’t be surprised if we lose by 20+ or if we lead wire to wire.

After the games tonight I’m just pumped to have football

 

[Bulldog04]

It may not be 23 points better but other than the secondary, they are better at every position unfortunately and I think the “hype” is real and deserved. Their classes have been ridiculous and mack knows how to coach ... but if there’s a time to play them it’s game 1 I think if SU wants any chance

 

[bnoro]

All I know is I'm not touching that line... But the O65.5? I might dabble.

 

[Orangezoo]

How is UNC's OL this year? Last year Howell was sacked 36 times not that far behind TDs 44. Can the 3-3-5 and throwing some things they haven't seen on tape, at least not from SU get in the backfield enough to be a big factor?

 

[OttosDad]

I think 23 is about right. Mac brought in a top 15 recruiting class in the country and they already have some really nice players especially at the skill positions on offense. It could get real ugly IMO.

 

[Alsacs]

If our defense doesn’t play well they will cover.
UNC will score atleast 35 points.
Our OL is why I have no faith we can win this game.
I wouldn’t touch the point spread because the defense hasn’t even played together yet and had no spring practices.

 

[orangenauburn]

How is UNC's OL this year? Last year Howell was sacked 36 times not that far behind TDs 44. Can the 3-3-5 and throwing some things they haven't seen on tape, at least not from SU get in the backfield enough to be a big factor?

I thought I saw somewhere on here that UNC is missing people on both lines, and that their OL depth is worse shape than ours

 

[JRHEETER]

Ehhhhhh unfortunately we are in the position where we have “prove it” to not be a massive underdog to a top 25 team who may have one of the best qbs in college football this season.

I can see why the experts have us as 24 point underdogs. We have an OL that on paper looks like Swiss cheese.

hopefully tomorrow we will all be proven wrong!

 

[Trueblue25]

Oh no OP’s like to post ratio is respectable so it must be true

 

[sufandu]

UNC reminds me us going into last season. All the hype in the world but some serious question marks that most people are overlooking because of unexpected success the season before. I won’t be surprised if we lose by 20+ or if we lead wire to wire.

After the games tonight I’m just pumped to have football

The biggest difference is that they return a QB and many of his favorite targets that had success a year ago. We were breaking in a new QB and had lost our leading receiver. Of course, nobody foresaw the debacle that was the defense.

 

[WoadBlue]

Man, I hope your right. A lot of the talking heads on the ACC network though think UNC is the second best team in the conference this year. I don't see it, but then again, I'm not an expert. I think it all depends on if our offense can stay on the field and sustain drives. Let's hope our O line is uo to the task.

There has been a very big upgrade in talent, but most of it remains Soph and Frosh. Brown also has done a good job of getting more out of the players that he has than Fedora ever hoped to, save for 1 very lucky season in which everything was perfect, from the schedule to the fact that the team had almost no injuries.

If this UNC team has the kind of lucky season we did in 2015, it could play Clemson for the Championship once again. If injuries hit, with the OL especially vulnerable because of no proven depth, and confidence gets shaken, the team could limp to 7-4.

 

[WoadBlue]

I thought I saw somewhere on here that UNC is missing people on both lines, and that their OL depth is worse shape than ours

The OL is a major issue. Brown has been rather open about the fact that the staff feels that now only 6 guys are fully ready to play. And the lack of depth is not about injuries. 1 RS Frosh who was expected to be 2nd team C is hobbled - that's the only OL injury.

Making it worse, Billy Ross is not playing this fall, and will graduate and play elsewhere in 2021. Ross as RS Frosh in 2018 started 11 games. He was no Frosh All-American, but for a Frosh he was sound and showed glimpses of better things. Mack's OL coach Stacy Searels immediately demoted Ross in Spring 2019, even though the OL in 2019 would be young and inexperienced. Ross barely played the first half of the season.

Before UNC, Searles was OL coach at Miami for 3 seasons. Before that he was OL coach at VT for 2 seasons. Fans at both places were unimpressed with Searles, complaining about his failure to develop talent, his failure to develop OL depth, and his choices for both starters and players off the bench, as well as his recruiting, the recruits he was focused on and those he was willing to pass on.

 

[kcsu]

I give SU a 75% chance to cover. 30% Chance to win.
Head: 31-17
Heart: 27-24

 

[PhatOrange]

It's based on hype and a legit QB

They have a lot of line question marks on both sides.

We will see if old adage that the game is won upfront holds true

I looked at their depth chart. A lot of youth on the OL.

 

[kcsu]

I looked at their depth chart. A lot of youth on the OL.

D usually has the edge in early games. I want us playing downhill all game. Make thier QB and wides beat our secondary.

 

[Orangezoo]

The OL is a major issue. Brown has been rather open about the fact that the staff feels that now only 6 guys are fully ready to play. And the lack of depth is not about injuries. 1 RS Frosh who was expected to be 2nd team C is hobbled - that's the only OL injury.

Making it worse, Billy Ross is not playing this fall, and will graduate and play elsewhere in 2021. Ross as RS Frosh in 2018 started 11 games. He was no Frosh All-American, but for a Frosh he was sound and showed glimpses of better things. Mack's OL coach Stacy Searels immediately demoted Ross in Spring 2019, even though the OL in 2019 would be young and inexperienced. Ross barely played the first half of the season.

Before UNC, Searles was OL coach at Miami for 3 seasons. Before that he was OL coach at VT for 2 seasons. Fans at both places were unimpressed with Searles, complaining about his failure to develop talent, his failure to develop OL depth, and his choices for both starters and players off the bench, as well as his recruiting, the recruits he was focused on and those he was willing to pass on.

Sounds like this could be a really sloppy game based on both teams OL issue. Not sure that changes the outcome when you compare skill position talent but sloppy either way.