Syracuse football is starting to get its respect back in these early bowl projections

[Alsacs]

The last few seasons since 2010 even though we have been pretty much an average football team(which is a hell of an improvement from the Greg Robinson years) we haven't got much respect from the pundits in preseason bowl selections. Now that we have been to a bowl 3 times in the last 4 seasons we are getting more respect. Both of the ESPN guys Brett McMurphy and Mark Schlabach (along Jerry Palm on CBSSports had Syracuse bowling) have Syracuse in a bowl in their post-spring projections.

This is good and shows that the Marrone/Shafer have Syracuse on an upward trajectory. I think 2015 will be our year to really do some damage, but next year we have more and more talent/depth to improve on our 7-6 season.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/10978089/post-spring-bowl-projections-2014-season

 

[Chip]

If my math is right, they each have 10 of the 14 ACC teams (excluding ND) in a bowl game. Of those they predict will miss out, 3 of the 4 are in our division, BC, Wake, NC State. Guess that bodes well for us. Too bad UVA at home isn't our crossover.

 

[djorange1989]

Sporting News has us in a bowl game too, Detroit Bowl just like everyone else. However, they predict us to finish 5th in the Atlantic behind BC. Considering the two teams play a pretty equally tough schedule and they lose a ton of guys, I find it a bit puzzling. Then again, they don't pick Pitt to go to any bowl, and that makes no sense at all. I took a quick look at Lindy's preview issue, I didn't see specific bowl projections but it looked like they had us in that 6-7 win minor bowl area like the others.

 

[Franz69]

I wouldn't mind beating the crap out of Illinois.

 

[cuseinchina]

The last few seasons since 2010 even though we have been pretty much an average football team(which is a hell of an improvement from the Greg Robinson years) we haven't got much respect from the pundits in preseason bowl selections. Now that we have been to a bowl 3 times in the last 4 seasons we are getting more respect. Both of the ESPN guys Brett McMurphy and Mark Schlabach (along Jerry Palm on CBSSports had Syracuse bowling) have Syracuse in a bowl in their post-spring projections.

This is good and shows that the Marrone/Shafer have Syracuse on an upward trajectory. I think 2015 will be our year to really do some damage, but next year we have more and more talent/depth to improve on our 7-6 season.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/10978089/post-spring-bowl-projections-2014-season

at least say Shafer/Marrone instead of the other way around.

 

[Alsacs]

We should be better as a team this year, but I would take 7-5, 8-4 type season right now. I don't mind any bowl game right now and if we get a BCS opponent its even better. 2015 with Hunt as Sr. and more experience and depth we could challenge in the Atlantic if Florida State doesn't have a Winston replacement already lined up now.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

This is one of the effects of stringing together bowl appearances, for sure.

I think we're well positioned to put together a nice run here.

 

[Alsacs]

at least say Shafer/Marrone instead of the other way around.

Fair enough, I was just typing the coaches in order. Giving Marrone the respect for turning around the rebuild and Shafer getting 7 wins last year in a season a lot of us fans had no idea what to expect replacing basically our entire offense except the RBs.

 

[cuseinchina]

Fair enough, I was just typing the coaches in order. Giving Marrone the respect for turning around the rebuild and Shafer getting 7 wins last year in a season a lot of us fans had no idea what to expect replacing basically our entire offense except the RBs.

I know. I'm just on a renewed anti-Marrone sentiment kick after reading that terrible terrible thread regarding his treatment of ex-players and potential star recruits. But credit is due non-the-less.

 

[Alsacs]

I know. I'm just on a renewed anti-Marrone sentiment kick after reading that terrible terrible thread regarding his treatment of ex-players and potential star recruits. But credit is due non-the-less.

Marrone just wasn't a good fit for college football. The guy can coach up the talent he is given and if you give close to equal talent on the field I think he can out Xs-Os most opposing coaches. He hated having to kiss 18-19 yr old prima donnas to get them to play for him when in the NFL they are getting paid and atleast have to listen unless they are elite talents. I didn't like a lot of what Marrone did after he left, but he turned around the program even though a lot of the talent that helped him do so were Greg Robinson recruits.

Marrone didn't leave the cupboard empty of talent for Shafer, but he left when a lot of talent on offense was leaving. Shafer has picked up the pieces and looks to have things going upward more but without Marrone righting the ship in 2009-2010 our football team could still be pathetic and for that I won't carry a grudge against Marrone. He coached at SU like he was coaching in the NFL the whole time with a lot of his decisions. For the record which thread are you talking about?

 

[SU2NASA]

Sugar Bowl against newly-accepted Big Ten member Oklahoma.

 

[GoSU96]

I'd hope so. 10 ACC bowl tie ins. 6-6 gets you in a bowl. BFD.

 

[SWFLCUSE]

I wouldn't mind beating the crap out of Illinois.

Once we beat them on the field all of the recruits that they offered after we did will come to the realization that Syracuse is the superior Orange team.

 

[texascpa]

UConn in the Military Bowl against UNC? Uh, no.

 

[Jeepers]

I'm going to throw out a gut prediction. Belk Bowl.

 

[Trueblue25]

I would very much enjoy beating Illinois.

 

[BlackKnight76]

UConn in the Military Bowl against UNC? Uh, no.

Seriously. I'm not even taking gratuitous shots at UConn when I say that I have no idea where the bowl predictions for them are coming from. Diaco should be a coaching upgrade, but they weren't just "better coaching" away from a bowl last year. He needs time to turn over that roster.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I'd hope so. 10 ACC bowl tie ins. 6-6 gets you in a bowl. BFD.

Bowls are still BFD for us.

 

[anomander]

For now this is acceptable. We are still not that far away from the bowl drought. But after this year just making these type of bowls will start to grow old, and the want for more prestigious bowls should increase. I'm really hoping for a better bowl this year, but we will see. The good thing is the future is bright. imo we signed a very strong 2014 class, and are on pace for an even better 2015 class. This type of recruiting will only increase our projectory. Recruiting is what wins you games, and we are on our way in that department.

 

[GoSU96]

Bowls are still BFD for us.

Something like 35 bowls, 10 ACC bowl slots. It's not that big a deal to be picked to finish in the 1oth spot.

What's with the low expectations all of a sudden?

 

[Full_Rebar]

Nothing wrong with trying to be realistic going into a season. Still concerned about the depth at OL/DT and in the secondary. It's also going to take time for some of these play-makers to get ready to go.

 

[orange79]

Have we progressed far enough that I can say, "Detroit Bowl? Yuck!"

 

[OrangeCrush22]

Have we progressed far enough that I can say, "Detroit Bowl? Yuck!"

It's a decent bowl with middle of the road ACC vs middle of the road B1G. Above the Texas Bowl, about on par with the Pinstripe.

 

[orange79]

It's a decent bowl with middle of the road ACC vs middle of the road B1G. Above the Texas Bowl, about on par with the Pinstripe.

My point was not the payout, or the opponent. My 'Yuck!' went to the location. Sorry, DC

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Something like 35 bowls, 10 ACC bowl slots. It's not that big a deal to be picked to finish in the 1oth spot.

What's with the low expectations all of a sudden?

Meh, I don't see it as a low expectation. We're getting better. I'm confident in that. We have been playing with fire though. In this run we white knuckled our way in to a bowl, which wasn't sustainable and that was proven the following year. Then the stars aligned to have an all around good team but we played a difficult schedule and it wasn't a sure thing heading in to the last three games of the season how it would turn out. Thankfully, it did. Then last year we squeaked our way in to bowl qualification, and could have easily lost our bowl game.

I'm actually really optimistic for this coming season, but our actual performance doesn't need to meet my optimistic expectation in order to feel this upcoming season will be successful. Seeing a better football product with a similar win total to last season would be progress.