Why a Win Friday Would Mean So Much

[bnoro]

Let me preface this by saying I am a Senior at SU living in NYC right now working a 12 credit internship. I meet a lot of people from many backgrounds at my job. Many people ask me where I go to school, and when I answer it's always "great basketball but that football team sucks, right?"

The issue is the perception of Syracuse football has not changed yet in the mind of the casual fan, as the team has not done anything to do so yet. While we have won a few big games over the last 2 years (at a ranked WVU team, the bowl game against KState) we haven't had a game where the whole country saw it and said "that team's for real, they have some youth, they are going to be good." Our best opportunity was the Pitt game last year, and the K-State game would have been nice too if people talked about anything besides the salute.

While I hate to make the comparison, we need our "Rutgers over Louisville win". This friday is our chance for that. We are on ESPN (coincidentally, RU vs. Lville is on the deuce). We will be playing a WVU team that could move up close to the top 10, as G-Tech and Michigan lost, and as I am writing Oregon is in a tie game. The whole college football world will most likely be watching.

Now, if we completely the bed, nothing changes, it's "same old syracuse". But if we beat a WVU team that analysts love because of Holgy, with their high flying spread offense, people will be talking, and those fans that don't care about us otherwise will remember our whole season on one win, even if we lose out.

Now I'm not saying we are going to win, but I think we keep it close. If we successfully defend the Schwartzwalder Trophy, we gain respect in the minds of NCAA FB fans, recruits, and coaches. This is when you see our recruiting go on the upswing, and that's how we get back into the top 25.

 

[kingottoiii]

Nah. People will think it is a fluke unless we go 5-2 in the BE. While it is possible to go 4-1 over our last 5, I don't think we are consistant enough to do so. In addition I think a lot less people will be watching because of our loss to RU, If we were at 5-1 there would be more interest. In that case beating WV would put SU in the Top 25, meaning we were back. Not to mention 5-1 would have been nice for Marrone to have as he recruited last week. The RU game was a huge wasted opportunity. Not because it was Ru but because 5-1 is a whole lot different than 4-2.

 

[Cuseman78]

Let me preface this by saying I am a Senior at SU living in NYC right now working a 12 credit internship. I meet a lot of people from many backgrounds at my job. Many people ask me where I go to school, and when I answer it's always "great basketball but that football team sucks, right?"

The issue is the perception of Syracuse football has not changed yet in the mind of the casual fan, as the team has not done anything to do so yet. While we have won a few big games over the last 2 years (at a ranked WVU team, the bowl game against KState) we haven't had a game where the whole country saw it and said "that team's for real, they have some youth, they are going to be good." Our best opportunity was the Pitt game last year, and the K-State game would have been nice too if people talked about anything besides the salute.

While I hate to make the comparison, we need our "Rutgers over Louisville win". This friday is our chance for that. We are on ESPN (coincidentally, RU vs. Lville is on the deuce). We will be playing a WVU team that could move up close to the top 10, as G-Tech and Michigan lost, and as I am writing Oregon is in a tie game. The whole college football world will most likely be watching.

Now, if we completely the bed, nothing changes, it's "same old syracuse". But if we beat a WVU team that analysts love because of Holgy, with their high flying spread offense, people will be talking, and those fans that don't care about us otherwise will remember our whole season on one win, even if we lose out.

Now I'm not saying we are going to win, but I think we keep it close. If we successfully defend the Schwartzwalder Trophy, we gain respect in the minds of NCAA FB fans, recruits, and coaches. This is when you see our recruiting go on the upswing, and that's how we get back into the top 25.

I have no doubt that we are eventually going to have our "moment" where the CFB world remembers that we are not just a basketball school. I just have a hard time believing that its going to come this weekend. Lets hope I'm wrong because I agree that it would be a pretty big win.

 

[MikeSU02]

Let me preface this by saying I am a Senior at SU living in NYC right now working a 12 credit internship. I meet a lot of people from many backgrounds at my job. Many people ask me where I go to school, and when I answer it's always "great basketball but that football team sucks, right?"

The issue is the perception of Syracuse football has not changed yet in the mind of the casual fan, as the team has not done anything to do so yet. While we have won a few big games over the last 2 years (at a ranked WVU team, the bowl game against KState) we haven't had a game where the whole country saw it and said "that team's for real, they have some youth, they are going to be good." Our best opportunity was the Pitt game last year, and the K-State game would have been nice too if people talked about anything besides the salute.

While I hate to make the comparison, we need our "Rutgers over Louisville win". This friday is our chance for that. We are on ESPN (coincidentally, RU vs. Lville is on the deuce). We will be playing a WVU team that could move up close to the top 10, as G-Tech and Michigan lost, and as I am writing Oregon is in a tie game. The whole college football world will most likely be watching.

Now, if we completely the bed, nothing changes, it's "same old syracuse". But if we beat a WVU team that analysts love because of Holgy, with their high flying spread offense, people will be talking, and those fans that don't care about us otherwise will remember our whole season on one win, even if we lose out.

Now I'm not saying we are going to win, but I think we keep it close. If we successfully defend the Schwartzwalder Trophy, we gain respect in the minds of NCAA FB fans, recruits, and coaches. This is when you see our recruiting go on the upswing, and that's how we get back into the top 25.

RU was undefeated and #15 in the country playing the #3 team in the country who was on a path to have a legit shot at getting to the national title game and had just come off beating a WVU game in a huge game the week before.

The national impact of us beating WVU will be more a commentary on the quality of the big east, rather than on our football program's rise.

 

[kcsu]

National game on Friday is huge and i agree with our intern. I just hope that we put on a good show. WVU has the ability to destroy teams if they get hot. We will need our best effort on both sides of the ball to have a chance

 

[Blaster]

Well the best thing that could come out of beating WVU is getting a more positive mention on ESPN and CFB Live. Thats about it but recruits watch that stuff so it might help a little.

 

[ForCuseSake]

The national impact of us beating WVU will be more a commentary on the quality of the big east, rather than on our football program's rise.

Agree. While the WVU game is big because of national TV, it's not going to announce to the country that SU football no longer sucks. Only a few years of top 25 caliber play can do that.

 

[Fjoinkay]

Yes, hypothetically, it would be a huge win for the national perception. I think it would also be a huge win for the home fans at the Dome. A big win at home over a highly ranked BE team could be just what the doctor ordered for a consistent improvement in home attendance- a jump to a consistent 40k per game or something like that. Big IFs...

 

[billorange44]

Let me preface this by saying I am a Senior at SU living in NYC right now working a 12 credit internship. I meet a lot of people from many backgrounds at my job. Many people ask me where I go to school, and when I answer it's always "great basketball but that football team sucks, right?"

The issue is the perception of Syracuse football has not changed yet in the mind of the casual fan, as the team has not done anything to do so yet. While we have won a few big games over the last 2 years (at a ranked WVU team, the bowl game against KState) we haven't had a game where the whole country saw it and said "that team's for real, they have some youth, they are going to be good." Our best opportunity was the Pitt game last year, and the K-State game would have been nice too if people talked about anything besides the salute.

While I hate to make the comparison, we need our "Rutgers over Louisville win". This friday is our chance for that. We are on ESPN (coincidentally, RU vs. Lville is on the deuce). We will be playing a WVU team that could move up close to the top 10, as G-Tech and Michigan lost, and as I am writing Oregon is in a tie game. The whole college football world will most likely be watching.

Now, if we completely the bed, nothing changes, it's "same old syracuse". But if we beat a WVU team that analysts love because of Holgy, with their high flying spread offense, people will be talking, and those fans that don't care about us otherwise will remember our whole season on one win, even if we lose out.

Now I'm not saying we are going to win, but I think we keep it close. If we successfully defend the Schwartzwalder Trophy, we gain respect in the minds of NCAA FB fans, recruits, and coaches. This is when you see our recruiting go on the upswing, and that's how we get back into the top 25.

It will take more than a win over WVU to make people quit feeling the way they do about SU Football. You were to young to remember, but it took the 1987 season to make people forget about how bad we were under Frank Maloney back in the 70's. Even when we were 6-0 and heading into the Penn State game that year, everyone was saying and or thinking, well, after that game we will be 6-1 and start sliding back to nothingness.

It will take more than one game and may take a few seasons.

 

[007]

Good post bnoro. However, I think a blow out loss is much more likely to entrench our national perception as a team that still has a very, very long way to go, than a win will change national perception to "this team is for real." I think this because our performance this year would justify the perception that a blow out loss would bring..."SU has been lucky; they still suck."

 

[bnoro]

I think a lot less people will be watching because of our loss to RU

I disagree, I always watch the Thurs/Fri games and I know a lot of college fb fans do as well because they are the only games on. The fact that WVU is ranked #11 also will create a lot of viewership. There will be a good national audience for this game.

 

[MadNY3]

A couple years ago, we would all scoff at a Thursday or Friday game. Reality is these are GREAT opportunities to showcase the program and brand (or bad if we don't do well).

Where are you interning?

 

[bnoro]

A couple years ago, we would all scoff at a Thursday or Friday game. Reality is these are GREAT opportunities to showcase the program and brand (or bad if we don't do well).

Where are you interning?

Madison Square Garden

 

[690West]

RU was undefeated and #15 in the country playing the #3 team in the country who was on a path to have a legit shot at getting to the national title game and had just come off beating a WVU game in a huge game the week before.

The national impact of us beating WVU will be more a commentary on the quality of the big east, rather than on our football program's rise.

Lol. That #15 ranking still makes me laugh...hard

 

[Cadillac]

Let me preface this by saying I am a Senior at SU living in NYC right now working a 12 credit internship. I meet a lot of people from many backgrounds at my job. Many people ask me where I go to school, and when I answer it's always "great basketball but that football team sucks, right?"

The issue is the perception of Syracuse football has not changed yet in the mind of the casual fan, as the team has not done anything to do so yet. While we have won a few big games over the last 2 years (at a ranked WVU team, the bowl game against KState) we haven't had a game where the whole country saw it and said "that team's for real, they have some youth, they are going to be good." Our best opportunity was the Pitt game last year, and the K-State game would have been nice too if people talked about anything besides the salute.

While I hate to make the comparison, we need our "Rutgers over Louisville win". This friday is our chance for that. We are on ESPN (coincidentally, RU vs. Lville is on the deuce). We will be playing a WVU team that could move up close to the top 10, as G-Tech and Michigan lost, and as I am writing Oregon is in a tie game. The whole college football world will most likely be watching.

Now, if we completely the bed, nothing changes, it's "same old syracuse". But if we beat a WVU team that analysts love because of Holgy, with their high flying spread offense, people will be talking, and those fans that don't care about us otherwise will remember our whole season on one win, even if we lose out.

Now I'm not saying we are going to win, but I think we keep it close. If we successfully defend the Schwartzwalder Trophy, we gain respect in the minds of NCAA FB fans, recruits, and coaches. This is when you see our recruiting go on the upswing, and that's how we get back into the top 25.

Bump.

 

[DNABB5]

Bump.

Thanks for finding this. I referenced it in another thread.

Wins like this are stuff of lore.

 

[Avatusstone28]

The national impact of us beating WVU will be more a commentary on the quality of the big east, rather than on our football program's rise.

Sadly, I completely agree.

This team will need to show some consistency, week to week, until it is seriously considered as a strong, national program.