Three magazines pick Syracuse sixth, one predicts fifth and one seventh

[Orangeyes]

http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootb...racuse_football_will_finish.html#incart_river

 

[Libero2]

People will probably be upset, but the comment by Phil Steele rings pretty true IMO, only 12 returning starters, new coach, new QB, tougher competition against teams you aren't familiar with.

It's not exactly an ideal situation. But we do have a chance to play well especially if either Drew Allen or Terrell Hunt is a capable starter (or dare I say better than that). I firmly believe if we commit to the ground game, we will have one of the nations best rushing attacks (as i think we have 2 backs who can get drafted into the NFL in PTG and Smith) and that alone will win us games, assuming we can throw it when we need to.

 

[gbo]

People will probably be upset, but the comment by Phil Steele rings pretty true IMO, only 12 returning starters, new coach, new QB, tougher competition against teams you aren't familiar with.

It's not exactly an ideal situation. But we do have a chance to play well especially if either Drew Allen or Terrell Hunt is a capable starter (or dare I say better than that). I firmly believe if we commit to the ground game, we will have one of the nations best rushing attacks (as i think we have 2 backs who can get drafted into the NFL in PTG and Smith) and that alone will win us games, assuming we can throw it when we need to.

I think Phil Steele is losing it. He has VT in the top 15. Not going to happen.

 

[nocoffee]

People will probably be upset, but the comment by Phil Steele rings pretty true IMO, only 12 returning starters, new coach, new QB, tougher competition against teams you aren't familiar with.

It's not exactly an ideal situation. But we do have a chance to play well especially if either Drew Allen or Terrell Hunt is a capable starter (or dare I say better than that). I firmly believe if we commit to the ground game, we will have one of the nations best rushing attacks (as i think we have 2 backs who can get drafted into the NFL in PTG and Smith) and that alone will win us games, assuming we can throw it when we need to.

Can't wait to see what Syracuse can accomplish on the field this year. One thing to keep in mind. If we are unfamiliar with them, then they are most likely unfamiliar with us. Works both ways. I am sure the coaching staff will have them ready.

 

[Libero2]

Can't wait to see what Syracuse can accomplish on the field this year. One thing to keep in mind. If we are unfamiliar with them, then they are most likely unfamiliar with us. Works both ways. I am sure the coaching staff will have them ready.

Well sure. But those teams are only unfamiliar with us (1 team on their schedule) we are pretty much unfamiliar with everybody in our division. That makes the prep work infinitely harder on us (season long) than it is on them.

 

[OrangeCrush22]

Third place in the Atlantic is right there for the taking. We can definitely beat NCSU, WF, UMD, and BC.

 

[longtimefan]

Well sure. But those teams are only unfamiliar with us (1 team on their schedule) we are pretty much unfamiliar with everybody in our division. That makes the prep work infinitely harder on us (season long) than it is on them.

You only prepare for, and play, one game per week. Both sides are equally unfamiliar with their opponent.

 

[nocoffee]

Well sure. But those teams are only unfamiliar with us (1 team on their schedule) we are pretty much unfamiliar with everybody in our division. That makes the prep work infinitely harder on us (season long) than it is on them.

Or every team that plays us is unfamiliar with us and we are unfamiliar with them. I only care about our schedule.

 

[OrangePA]

I just think we are more athletic than we have been in a long time.

Even at QB I think we are more athletic. Whether we are smarter/savvier at that position than last year is questionable of course.

But at every other position it seems that we are bigger and faster.

I have to believe that that will translate well on the field.

 

[JoeSU]

Did any of these publications pick SU to be co-BE champs last year? I think not.

Personally, I'd rather see us entering a new league underrated and an unknown commodity, than trying to live up to lofty expectations.

 

[PhatOrange]

People will probably be upset, but the comment by Phil Steele rings pretty true IMO, only 12 returning starters, new coach, new QB, tougher competition against teams you aren't familiar with.

It's not exactly an ideal situation. But we do have a chance to play well especially if either Drew Allen or Terrell Hunt is a capable starter (or dare I say better than that). I firmly believe if we commit to the ground game, we will have one of the nations best rushing attacks (as i think we have 2 backs who can get drafted into the NFL in PTG and Smith) and that alone will win us games, assuming we can throw it when we need to.

While I don't disagree we do return a good percentage of players off the 2 deep. Most everyone in fact. We should be pretty stout on defense. If our DEnds hold up we could have the best defensive team we've had here in awhile.

The only position where we are breaking in new players is at QB. Albeit that's arguably the most important position.

I would disagree with the notion that the competition is tougher. It's not.

 

[Texas Otto]

Go ahead underrate us I love it cause in 43 days we start to shck the world baaaabbbbyyyyyy!

 

[HtownOrange]

Keep lowering everyone's expectation of Syracuse. See what happens. This defense will probably be among the three most physical defenses and may be the most physical in the ACC. We have a ways to go to be the fastest, but our hitting will match up or beat anyone in the ACC.

Our offense is fundamentally sound with much of the O-line intact and what is one of the best running back tandems (we may have two of the best running back tandems!) in the conference. We only need solid caretaker performance from our QB, but I have a gut feeling our QB and receivers will perform much better than the pre-pre-pre-season prognosticators think.

Sure, I wish we were returning more starters, but our two deep is pretty good and we are still rebuilding.

I think we make third in the Atlantic with a chance to upset one of Clemson or FSU a real possibility. Clemson's Defense was not championship caliber, if our offense can get moving, we can stay in the game. Tahj Boyd is for real, but we have faced great QBs the last several seasons. FSU has Fisher coaching and he always has one or two bad game-day coaching days per season, though if we catch him on one of his good days, we may be hurting.

 

[Cadillac]

A year ago we would have been 7 across the board and I'm sure someone would have put us 8th, har har freakin' har.

 

[syr02esq]

We had a tough non-conference schedule to help us prepare for the rigors of ACC football. We'll be ok.

 

[Scooch]

You guys are funny. Mark me down as someone who'd always rather have crazy high expectations. Because that'd probably mean we've been really friggin' good in the recent past.

 

[ImperialOrange]

I think we're +15 wins over what Steele has predicted the past 3 seasons. We even won a few that he gave us less than 10% chance of winning preseason.