With Syracuse on a bye, the rest of the ACC’s weekend slate still has plenty for Orange fans to track - especially with a few future opponents and a couple of league tests that could ripple through the standings.
Clemson already put one result in the books, taking care of California 24-10 on the road. It was the kind of game that showed exactly what this Tigers team is right now: not the same group that was rolling into the College Football Playoff years ago, but still tough, still irritating to play against, and still good enough to make life miserable for an opponent drive after drive.
Cal was comfortable for almost nothing after the opening quarter, and Clemson walked out with a big conference road win. That result also sharpens the picture for next week, when Miami goes to Death Valley.
The Hurricanes will be favored, but the source of Clemson’s early-season loss to LSU now looks more like an outlier than a full read on what this team can do. Syracuse will see Dabo’s group later in the season, and that game will demand the Orange’s best.
One of the more interesting games on Saturday is Wake Forest at No. 16 Louisville at noon on ESPN.
Wake Forest gave Miami a real fight last Friday, with Gio Lopez and company keeping things close and making the Hurricanes work in the second half. Louisville, though, has been rolling on offense, scoring at least 38 points in each of its first three games.
If Wake Forest can force a few early stops, this has the feel of another week where the Demon Deacons make a top ACC team sweat for four quarters. Syracuse doesn’t play Wake Forest, but it does host Louisville in the Dome on October 17, so there’s some value here for the Orange in seeing how Wake Forest tries to handle that kind of firepower.
Pittsburgh’s noon game against Bucknell on ACCNX doesn’t require much unpacking. It’s basically a bye for the Panthers, who are on track to start 4-0 for just the second time since 2000.
The noon slot on ACCN brings a stranger one: Virginia Tech at Boston College. James Franklin has the Hokies looking excellent so far - dominant, really - and on paper this looks like a good spot for Virginia Tech to open ACC play.
But Chestnut Hill may not cooperate. A Nor’easter is expected to move through Massachusetts, with cold temperatures, heavy rain and strong winds all in play.
That kind of weather could tilt the game toward Boston College’s preferred style and make things far less comfortable for the Hokies. That’s enough to put Virginia Tech on HIGH ALERT upset watch.
Syracuse will have its own reasons to watch that one. The Orange go to Boston College in late November after a rough performance against the Eagles last season, and this game could say a lot about BC’s ceiling - or its floor. With Syracuse now chasing bowl eligibility, Boston College is clearly one of the games the Orange will have circled.
Florida State gets Central Arkansas at 3 p.m. on ACCN. Syracuse doesn’t play the Seminoles this season, but Mike Norvell better hope he can win this one...
At 3:30 p.m. on ACCNX, Duke hosts William and Mary. The Tribe are a respectable FCS team, but still an FCS team.
Walker Eget has looked solid and Nate Sheppard has been a mad man for the Blue Devils. Syracuse won’t see Duke this year either.
Virginia gets Delaware at 6 p.m. on ACCN, and that one matters a bit more for Orange fans because the Cavaliers are Syracuse’s next ACC opponent after the Orange’s tough loss to West Virginia last week. Virginia should be looking to bounce back in a big way.
The question is how healthy the Cavaliers can stay over the next two weeks, since they have to go to Tallahassee in Week 5 before facing Syracuse in Week 6. That stretch is worth monitoring closely.
Miami continues its easier run at 6:30 p.m. on The CW against Central Michigan. Malachi Toney is -350 to find the back of the endzone.
Mark Fletcher Jr. is -500. After last week’s scare, the schedule stays friendly for the Hurricanes.
At 7:30 p.m. on ESPNU, NC State takes on Appalachian State. CJ Bailey had some soul searching to do after last Saturday’s disaster in Nashville, and App State is no automatic breather. The Mountaineers are gritty, and Syracuse would love to see NC State take more damage this season before the Orange meet the Wolfpack in mid-November.
SMU closes in on the night at 9 p.m. on ACCN against Missouri State, and points should come in bunches - especially from the Mustangs. Syracuse will need a plan for Kevin Jennings when SMU comes to the Dome on Halloween night, and this game won’t offer much comfort if the Orange are looking for a blueprint.
The late-night window ends with Georgia Tech at Stanford at 10:30 p.m. on ESPN. Both teams are 1-2, Stanford is already 0-2 in ACC play, and Georgia Tech hasn’t played a conference game yet while still looking uneven through three weeks.
It’s also a little odd to see one team making its third conference start against a team that hasn’t played one, even if the schedule was set long ago. The cross-country trip and late kickoff make this one feel like a possible Stanford upset.
Syracuse won’t play either team this season, but both are teams the Orange would want to finish ahead of in the ACC standings.
In Other News...
Syracuses New Staff Just Gave Orange Fans Another Reason To Believe
Ben Lees first offseason on the Syracuse staff has already brought a little outside validation. The Orange assistant was named to Hoop Heralds list of 35 assistant coaches under 35, a nod that reflects both his reputation on the bench and the recruiting reach he brings with him after stops at Siena and the University of Washington.
For a program trying to keep momentum building under a new-look staff, that kind of recognition matters because it signals there is more here than just a fresh face in the room. Syracuse has been looking for every edge it can find on the recruiting trail and in player development, and Lees network and background give the Orange another staffer with a profile that suggests he can help in both areas. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Just Landed A New York Recruiting Win Fans Will Love
Syracuse added a pair of promising New York prospects to its future pipeline, a welcome development for a program that has long sold itself as a state-first destination. The Orange landed 2027 five-star wing Moussa Kamissoko out of the Bronx, giving the mens program a high-end local commitment, while the womens side also picked up a pledge from 2027 point guard Josephine Pinnock of Middle Village.
For a fan base that always pays close attention to who decides to stay home, the timing and geography of these commitments matter just as much as the talent. Having both players officially choose Syracuse gives the Orange a strong recruiting talking point in-state, and it also raises the obvious next question: how much more local momentum can the program build from here? [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Still Has One Big 2027 Recruiting Question After 5-Star Pledge
Syracuses 2027 recruiting board already has some real shape to it after the pledge from five-star wing Moussa Kamissoko, with three-star wing Jack Donohue also in the fold. Even with those two commitments, the Orange are still working through what the rest of that class could look like, and the focus has started to narrow around the wings rather than spreading across multiple positions.
One name worth watching is four-star wing Ahmed Nur, who has already taken official visits to Syracuse and other schools. The Orange are also not viewed as a likely frontrunner for five-star point guard Nasir Anderson, which only adds to the sense that this class may stay small given the way the 2026-27 roster is expected to take shape. Syracuse can still supplement through the transfer portal and international markets, but the bigger question now is whether it lands one more high-end high school piece or simply leans into a compact recruiting class. [Read more 🡒]