Syracuse’s potential under Fran Brown

[tep624]

Yepo. So is Michigan(colder). We need to stop that excuse. I guess it frustrates me, because recruits and their families read these boards. Old farts like to talk about the weather. Its not freaking bad, AT ALL.

Some posts on here make Cuse look like its north of the Arctic circle, and your piss will freeze before it hits the snow. Its not. Not, at ALL. Its, ya know, nicer than Minnesota, Michigan and many others. Its a terrible, untrue, EXCUSE. No way Fran is going to embrace it. That would be DUMB.

We have a DOME! What is weather? Lol

 

[orangefog]

Haha, I was referring to the waves and surfers.

I was in Daytona Beach last weekend and I haven't seen waves like that in a while. It's probably good surfing, so long as you don't mind surfing into the sea wall.

 

[RandomGuy]

Haha, I was referring to the waves and surfers.

I know. Its insanely FUN. Its more insane to think that a recruit will skip the right school because of weather. ;-)

I was in Daytona Beach last weekend and I haven't seen waves like that in a while. It's probably good surfing, so long as you don't mind surfing into the sea wall.

We get that a lot. Here's a 50 year old guy, last week, at my beach. Not as big, but the water looks cold...haha. it was insanely huge, the last 3 days. (20 foot faces) Our best surf is often in the Winter.

My entire point of ANY of this? A 20 year old kid can do CRAZY cool stuff - stuff he never thought of- in the winter. Any southern kid should embrace the experience. Winter has a LOT to offer, should one embrace it.

Cold is an Excuse. If Fran builds it? The sky is the limit!

 

[Cusesky8214]

 

[Cusesky8214]

 

[RandomGuy]

Top four, here.

Woot!!!!

 

[rocklloyd]

Top four, here.

Woot!!!!

Yet somehow a “C” hire? perplexing

 

[Doc5120]

I think our potential is a lot better than it was under the old regime. I haven't followed recruiting very closely in over a decade, actually probably closer to 2 at this point. Now I'm constantly on this board reading up on prospects, because I legitimately think we can land anyone we go after. Whereas before, it was almost hopeless that we'd pull in a 4 or 5*.

I have high hopes for the future, but I don't think it can be overstated how important 2024 is. The schedule is soft - we can win A LOT of games. And if we do, recruits will take notice. 2025 looks like an absolute bear of a schedule, so while in theory we could be a better team by then, it's pretty likely we have a worse record. 2024 has to be our year!

 

[sufandu]

Fran Brown for SI Sportsperson of the Year in 2024!



We can warm ourselves with the blown-up narrative!

Nah. They've already picked that one. It was the person they had the stock photo of.

 

[shu 49]

I know. Its insanely FUN. Its more insane to think that a recruit will skip the right school because of weather. ;-)


We get that a lot. Here's a 50 year old guy, last week, at my beach. Not as big, but the water looks cold...haha. it was insanely huge, the last 3 days. (20 foot faces) Our best surf is often in the Winter.
View attachment 235581

My entire point of ANY of this? A 20 year old kid can do CRAZY cool stuff - stuff he never thought of- in the winter. Any southern kid should embrace the experience. Winter has a LOT to offer, should one embrace it.

Cold is an Excuse. If Fran builds it? The sky is the limit!

He looks like a seal. nice grab for the sharks. is he in crazy.

 

[pokercuse08]

I know that just a few weeks with Fran as HC has changed my perspective on what our potential is, and I would argue I was probably one of the more optimistic Syracuse football fans before. I used to think a realistic best case scenario was bowl games like 6 or 7 times a decade, one special season per decade contending for an ACC title (not even necessarily making the title game), and a few seasons a decade going like 5-7 4-8 etc.

Obviously I was wrong, based on this recruiting. Now I think a realistic best case scenario is a bowl game 8+ times per decade, and consistently being a top-3 ACC team, which makes us an ACC title contender and thus a playoff contender more often than not. Now plenty of times those won't pan out, we'll lose the game we need to win in the regular season or whatever. But we should end up in some ACC title games.

A really simple way to put it is "What if Penn State were in the ACC in our place, what would their potential be?" because I think we can start recruiting on their level now. Over the 2021 to 2024 cycles, they have 3 five stars, 55 four stars, and 31 three stars per Rivals. 3.3% 5 star, 62% 4 star, 35% 3 star. After three weeks of Fran, anyone doubting we can recruit like that?

 

[SWC75]

I know that just a few weeks with Fran as HC has changed my perspective on what our potential is, and I would argue I was probably one of the more optimistic Syracuse football fans before. I used to think a realistic best case scenario was bowl games like 6 or 7 times a decade, one special season per decade contending for an ACC title (not even necessarily making the title game), and a few seasons a decade going like 5-7 4-8 etc.

Obviously I was wrong, based on this recruiting. Now I think a realistic best case scenario is a bowl game 8+ times per decade, and consistently being a top-3 ACC team, which makes us an ACC title contender and thus a playoff contender more often than not. Now plenty of times those won't pan out, we'll lose the game we need to win in the regular season or whatever. But we should end up in some ACC title games.

A really simple way to put it is "What if Penn State were in the ACC in our place, what would their potential be?" because I think we can start recruiting on their level now. Over the 2021 to 2024 cycles, they have 3 five stars, 55 four stars, and 31 three stars per Rivals. 3.3% 5 star, 62% 4 star, 35% 3 star. After three weeks of Fran, anyone doubting we can recruit like that?

I'm all in favor of it and will believe it when I see it. He's going to have to win to keep the momentum going and that's going to require depth and a good offensive line.

 

[Irt4su]

In what way are we not the biggest winners? Every school on there was likely in the conversation before fran. No one was even guessing SU. We win!

 

[TheCusian]

One thing to watch is because Fran is trying to revitalize a program outside of the new P2 footprint, there will be a lot of shills (not just Finebaum) who will be dirty in their coverage. If he’s taking good recruits from traditional powers the knives will come out.

Deion had some of that last year.

It will feel like us against the world for a while, IMO. But I like you guys so let’s go

 

[tep624]

One thing to watch is because Fran is trying to revitalize a program outside of the new P2 footprint, there will be a lot of shills (not just Finebaum) who will be dirty in their coverage. If he’s taking good recruits from traditional powers the knives will come out.

Deion had some of that last year.

It will feel like us against the world for a while, IMO. But I like you guys so let’s go

We’re putting our best foot forward for a B1G invite. Wildhack isn’t stupid, it’s the long term end game here. That’s why the investment being made into the program right now will put us on par staff/facilities/talent wise with most of those schools.

 

[richard levy]

Ill add that ive lived in Syracuse my entire life, besides a 3 year stint in Boston. Boston winter was leagues colder than Syracuse has ever been. When that ocean wind smacks you in the face when you walk out of your door in the morning its the worst feeling ever. Ill take more snow and less cold anyday of the week. Chicago is another area that is way worse in the winter. All of the cold without the reward of beautiful snow.

Chicago defines the term wind chill. Turn a a corner and have the liquid in your eyes freeze. They put scaffolding on the sidewalks next to buildings to protect pedestrians from getting hit by ice chunks falling off the buildings. However, nothing better than a summer day spent at Wrigley in July/August

 

[orangenauburn]

We've definitely heard this narrative forever... so I thought it would be interesting to compare actual climate data for some other northern P5 teams to Syracuse. I put the following locations into a website that compares climate data for different locations. I think it's pretty interesting. Unfortunately the site only lets you compare up to 6 locations so these are the ones I kept. Hopefully the link works for everyone else!

Weather Comparison

Syracuse, NY
Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)
Notre Dame (South Bend, IN)
Iowa (Iowa City, IA)
Penn State (State College, PA)
Wisconsin (Madison, WI)

View attachment 235552

Ok, so we are cloudier and thus, have a little more snow (not much overall)

Other places are colder and windier

 

[Sherman20]

i hope Fran blows up this narrative:
"The reality, though, is that Syracuse is one of the toughest jobs in the country when it comes to recruiting. It’s very cold. And it’s not close to areas that produce a lot of Power 5-quality players. New Jersey is sneaky talented, but Syracuse is still three-plus hours away from Bergen County"

I almost got suckered into believing it over the past 10 or 15 years. Then you see what's happened over the past 2 weeks and where some of these Jersey guys rank nationally and say "it can be done". And the weather thing is such a lazy comment. Do they write the same about Minnesota and Wisconsin? It's not like we play outside. We play in an indoor stadium. Geez..

Syracuse gets more snow than other areas. That’s it’s and not that big of a deal. It’s colder and snows also a lot in most of the Midwest/Great Plains, most of the Big 10 and Big 12 country. Legitimately. Penn State, just a few hours south, is just as cold as Syracuse. This narrative drives me bonkers.

 

[Sherman20]

We've definitely heard this narrative forever... so I thought it would be interesting to compare actual climate data for some other northern P5 teams to Syracuse. I put the following locations into a website that compares climate data for different locations. I think it's pretty interesting. Unfortunately the site only lets you compare up to 6 locations so these are the ones I kept. Hopefully the link works for everyone else!

Weather Comparison

Syracuse, NY
Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)
Notre Dame (South Bend, IN)
Iowa (Iowa City, IA)
Penn State (State College, PA)
Wisconsin (Madison, WI)

View attachment 235552

This is great. And I think you’d find something similar for most of the Midwest and Great Plains—Lincoln Nebraska, Ames Iowa, Lawrence Kansas, Bloomington Indiana, Columbus Ohio, Champaign Illinois, Columbia Missouri, Morgantown West Virginia, Boulder Colorado.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

I know. Its insanely FUN. Its more insane to think that a recruit will skip the right school because of weather. ;-)


We get that a lot. Here's a 50 year old guy, last week, at my beach. Not as big, but the water looks cold...haha. it was insanely huge, the last 3 days. (20 foot faces) Our best surf is often in the Winter.
View attachment 235581

My entire point of ANY of this? A 20 year old kid can do CRAZY cool stuff - stuff he never thought of- in the winter. Any southern kid should embrace the experience. Winter has a LOT to offer, should one embrace it.

Cold is an Excuse. If Fran builds it? The sky is the limit!

You make it sound like they have time. Most D1 athletes have very little free time in their schedule.
1. MUST go to classes and team study activities, as well as self study. Some players have team projects due for classes, which require additional meetings during the week. If a serious student, that’s 40-60 hours a week.
2. MUST lift and do conditioning.
3. When in season, must also attend practices, games, and trainer’s sessions. Then there is travel.
4. A lot of the players have tutors they must see each week.
5. Need a car and $$ to go do “Crazy cool” stuff.
(Not as big an issue with NIL)
6. Not sure coach is going to want players trying to learn to ski or snowboard while they are on scholarship.

 

[DuxburyO]

I'm north of Boston. We surf all winter. Its cold. So we put on stuff.. Thats it. No big deal. I work outside- all winter. Its better than when its hot in the summer. Because I own CLOTHES. (Hint. This is the answer)

Winters in Boston are cold, but the sun shines a whole lot more than in upstate. That was a big difference for me. Oh that and there’s an ocean to the east.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Ok, so we are cloudier and thus, have a little more snow (not much overall)

Other places are colder and windier

We are bordered by two Great Lakes. That is why we get more snow.
If you are a winter person and don’t mind grey skies, this is a great place.
If you like sunshine, don't care for snow, and don’t engage in winter activities, it’s not a great place (weather wise).

 

[SWC75]

We are bordered by two Great Lakes. That is why we get more snow.
If you are a winter person and don’t mind grey skies, this is a great place.
If you like sunshine, don't care for snow, and don’t engage in winter activities, it’s not a great place (weather wise).

Or, as Jim Boeheim always said: We've got the best weather in the country for 8 months. The rest of the time, we've got basketball.

 

[RandomGuy]

There are 189 NFL players that grew up within 5/6 hours of Cuse. Thats more than massive Texas(154), or Michigan.

Top kids have been picking the SEC, or B10. Fran owning NJ is a great start. Winning can help change the perception of other NE kids. I'm REALLY hoping the ACC does great in the Playoffs! That'll help, too.

Fran has the potential to be relevant in the Northeast - and that should help keep a lot of kids closer to home. We were a pretty good choice 20 some years ago. He may just bring that back.

 

[RandomGuy]

You make it sound like they have time. Most D1 athletes have very little free time in their schedule.
1. MUST go to classes and team study activities, as well as self study. Some players have team projects due for classes, which require additional meetings during the week. If a serious student, that’s 40-60 hours a week.
2. MUST lift and do conditioning.
3. When in season, must also attend practices, games, and trainer’s sessions. Then there is travel.
4. A lot of the players have tutors they must see each week.
5. Need a car and $$ to go do “Crazy cool” stuff.
(Not as big an issue with NIL)
6. Not sure coach is going to want players trying to learn to ski or snowboard while they are on scholarship.

Very true. Some will have a day that they might ski/snowboard, though. They have some time before spring ball. For kids that have never been in a snowy environment, they at least get a taste. I've seen southern guys post picks of sledding with their GF's at Sky Top. Just stuff you can't do down south. That alone is cool. They've never done it before.