Syracuse’s season started like fire under new head coach Fran Brown.
Each win brought a sense of bravado. The offense was humming under transfer quarterback Kyle McCord. Even an inexplicable loss to Stanford didn’t dim the light of wins over Georgia Tech and UNLV.
Syracuse was in a position to compete for the ACC regular season title. After taking care of NC State, the most important ACC game of the weekend would take place in Pittsburgh. A win over the then-undefeated Panthers would send a statement to SMU, Clemson, and Miami that would read, “We have arrived.”
It was a message that was never delivered. McCord would throw for five interceptions in the 41-13 loss to the Panthers. It was a game highlighted by Pittsburgh’s three pick-sixes.
It was the official ending of the hype train.
Since the loss to Pitt, Syracuse has gone 3-1. The lone loss came at Boston College.
Miami has experienced some of the same treatment, just not as extreme. Quarterback Cam Ward was a legitimate Heisman candidate. He led an incredible comeback at Cal in what turned out to be the ACC version of “Pac 10 After Dark.”
Ward followed a 437-yard passing performance against the Bears with a four-touchdown pass game in a 52-45 win at Louisville.
The Canes hype train came to a grinding stop a few weeks later with a listless loss to Georgia Tech. Ward for Heisman was now a dead campaign, and the Canes were in a dogfight to appear in the ACC Championship game.
The way this season has played out explains why the Canes’ trip to Syracuse is an under-the-radar critical game for the ACC and the College Football Playoff.
According to CBSSports.com, here are the ACC scenarios at play this weekend:
Clinched: SMU has secured a berth in the title game.
Scenarios: Miami can clinch with a win at Syracuse next week. Clemson needs Miami to lose to Syracuse to secure their spot.
Miami could go from a playoff shoo-in to entirely out of the playoff in one game. There are only so many scenarios with the ACC getting two teams in, and for that scenario to play out, at the very least, the team has to be in the ACC Championship game.
Sorry, ACC, you aren’t the SEC or Big Ten.
For Syracuse, a win would be the best ending for a season that started with so much promise.
Other ACC Games:
Stanford at San Jose St. (Fri)
Georgia Tech at Georgia (Fri)
South Carolina at Clemson
Louisville at Kentucky
Duke at Wake Forest
Pitt at Boston College
Cal at SMU
NC State at North Carolina
Florida at Florida State
Virginia at Virginia Tech
