Realistic Expectations

[RF2044]

The Vegas preseason over/under for regular season wins was 5.5.

I have always thought that was a reasonably objective place to start when thinking about talent, coaching, and SOS. The people who risk millions of dollars on that type of analysis thought we would be a 5 or 6 win team. I still think that's what we are.

I think that is a very realistic assessment of the talent on this team, relative to other P5 programs. Especially with this year's SOS.

 

[Cuse'91]

Ok we are half way through the season. We need to do the opposite of our 2-4 start to fight to bowl eligibility once again. Here is everyone's chance to change their predictions.

How do we finish the 2nd half of the season?

As much as I want to go with 6-6 I don't think we will be consistent enough on offense so i'll go with 5-7.

Wake - Win 24-10
Clemson - Loss 31-10
NC ST - Win 27-24
Duke - Loss 31-24
Pitt - Win 21-20
BC - Loss 21-17

Is it cheating to answer this after WF? Because if we don't freakin' flip a helmet over next week the rest of this season is pre-spring practice. Burn all the RSs and play all the freshman...

 

[Upstate]

Does the loss of Clemson's starting QB make it possible to go to there and win?

Absolutely. This isn't last year's, or any of the immediate past's Clemson team.

 

[anomander]

Absolutely. This isn't last year's, or any of the immediate past's Clemson team.

Offensively they aren't, but their defense may be better then in years past. I'll be happy if we get to double digits.

 

[Longtimesu]

That I will live another day!!!!!!

 

[sufandu]

Is it cheating to answer this after WF? Because if we don't freakin' flip a helmet over next week the rest of this season is pre-spring practice. Burn all the RSs and play all the freshman...

So it would be worth losing a full year so that they can essentially get 5 additional practices for the year?:crazy:

 

[dinosaurbbq]

Wake - Win 31-7
Clemson - Loss 24-21 with 2 missed FGs
NC ST - Win 24-14
Duke - Loss 31-30
Pitt - Win 24-14
BC - Win 24-10

Every year it seems like we wasted weeks and games early that should have been wins because we hadn't yet figured out something basic. Last year it was starting Drew Allen instead of Hunt in early weeks and losing to Penn State and then losing badly to Northwestern. This year it looks right now like it was staying with Hunt and McDonald too long and losing to Louisville and Maryland, both of whom we could have beaten with a half way decent offense. If the schedule and games run like I've predicted above, that is what we will all be feeling like at the end of this season. Obviously, if we lose more than we win from here on out, losing those games early wasn't an error that going to AJ Long and Lester would've fixed anyway.

 

[sutomcat]

Duke,and Clemson took a page out of the Rutgers school of scheduling, they played no-one out of conference, so who knows if either team is any good.

Clemson started with Georgia and ends their season with another OOC game against South Carolina. That would correlate to about 100 years of OOC scheduling for the Scarlet Knights.

 

[anglerman]

They are good enough to win all those games. I say they go 5-1 and end up 7-5. The last 4 weeks the schedule was just brutal. Replacing HUnt and MacDonald will make the offense much more prolific. I expect big things going forward.

 

[OrangePA]

Injuries are becoming a huge issue. With word that Kimble is banged up, there might be no one behind Long this weekend..

I think Wake and NC State are must-win games and Pitt is the next most likely win. At this point, 6-6 and a bowl would be a success.

The amount of injuries we are experiencing seems unprecedented.

 

[Crusty]

We need everyone healthy for the last four games.

 

[Chris02M]

@ Wake Forest -- win 23-13
@ Clemson - lose 17-7
NC State- win 35-20
Duke-win 28-27
@ Pittsburgh -lose 23-21
@ Boston College - win 27-17

6-6

 

[AZOrange]

The amount of injuries we are experiencing seems unprecedented.

Saturday was ridiculous. It seemed like there was a guy on the turf every snap.

 

[GoSU96]

The amount of injuries we are experiencing seems unprecedented.

2002 was worse, in particular the defense.

2011 was bad as well.

 

[baggerbob]

So they didn't play Georgia the first week of the season?

Meant Georgia Tech in place of Clemson, corrected the post

 

[SUinNYC]

My heart says 7-5.

My head says 6-6.

My gut says 5-7.

My fear is 4-8.

I think BC is going to be a really tough game for us to win.

 

[Orangetradition44]

4-8. Just don't see us winning on the road late. Too many injuries.

 

[FAL]

O-line playing well. Keep 'em healthy and anything can happen.

 

[orange79]

While I am a big Austin Wilson fan, I think AJ is a real leader, brash to be sure, but sometimes that is exactly what is needed. I think Wake is his real coming out party and I think he will shine.

After that, I think there is a good chance that we scare Clemson and then run the table. AJ gets better every game and makes everybody around him better.

This program has needed a real transformative player for some time - AJ could be the one. After all, he got a freakin Syracuse tattoo!

Finish 5-1 for a 7-5 season and then we beat the crap out of some B1G school in a bowl. 8-5!

Watch out world - here we come!

I'll have what he's having

 

[CuseOnly]

4-8. Just don't see us winning on the road late. Too many injuries.

We have a Bye before Pitt and BC. We should win both of those IMO.

 

[JJReddawg]

Per AJ Long:

 

[CuseFan]

My heard says 6-6, (but my head says 5-7). Go with the heart!

@ Wake Forest -- win 30-13
@ Clemson - lose 35-10
NC State- win 24-20
Duke - lose 28-17
@ Pittsburgh - win 28-21
@ Boston College - win 27-24

I expect all games except WF and Clemson to be close.

 

[Opus]

Since this is Syracuse football, I can see us winning the rest of the games or losing the rest of the games. I'll guess 3-3 with wins vs Wake, Pitt and BC.

 

[Crusty]

I'll have what he's having

I'm telling AJ.

 

[Chip]

2002 was worse, in particular the defense.

2011 was bad as well.

Wasn't 2011 more backloaded? Felt like we were thin the last half of the season. 2002 felt like more of the injuries were early, I recall by the VT game when Maurice McLain returned that everyone was back healthy, but the mental damage had been done.

This year, seems like we're peeling off a few each game. On offense we've lost someone for at least a game at every single position. Hopefully the 4 on offense that have missed the past couple weeks will be back Saturday (Estime, Broyld, Foy, Moore).