Syracuse heads into Week 7 still waiting on its first conference win, and the numbers around the Orange are all over the map after a tight loss to Virginia. The latest rankings give a pretty clear picture of where college football sees Syracuse right now: somewhere in the middle, with no real consensus and plenty of movement after mid-October results.
The biggest shift came in ESPN’s SP+ rankings, where Syracuse slid four spots from No. 68 to No. 72.
The Orange are sitting at 86th on offense, 66th on defense, and 78th on special teams. Louisville checks in much higher at No. 25 overall.
ESPN’s College Football Power Index was a little kinder to Syracuse, bumping the Orange up three spots to No. 63.
Syracuse is 2-3, with a projected win total that ranges from 4.4 to 7.6. The Orange also have just under a one-in-five chance of getting to six wins.
Louisville moved up 12 spots in that model to No. 24.
CBS Sports was less impressed with Syracuse, dropping the Orange 11 spots to No. 83 in its latest FBS rankings. Louisville also took a hit there, falling nine spots to No. 47.
The Athletic kept Syracuse steady at No. 76 in its updated rankings, while Louisville climbed from No. 54 to No. 41.
College Football News had a slightly different read on Syracuse, moving the Orange from No. 85 to No. 80.
Louisville slipped a bit there as well, going from No. 35 to No. 39.
In the local writers’ rankings, Syracuse is 16th this week ahead of Stanford, while Louisville sits at No. 6.
Neither Syracuse nor Louisville received any votes in the AP poll or the coaches poll.
The Orange also return to the JMA Wireless Dome this weekend for the first time in over a month, with Louisville coming in after a busy ACC Week 6 slate. Florida State fell to Louisville 20-44, Stanford lost to Notre Dame 7-58, North Carolina beat Pittsburgh 21-17, Wake Forest handled NC State 38-14, Georgia Tech edged Duke 28-25, Virginia Tech lost to California 20-25, and Syracuse dropped its game at Virginia 25-28.
The ACC Week 7 schedule includes Florida State vs. Miami, Virginia vs.
SMU, Charleston Southern vs. Clemson, Pittsburgh vs.
Boston College, Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech, North Carolina vs.
Duke, Elon vs. Stanford, and Louisville vs.
Syracuse, all on Saturday.
In Other News...
Syracuse Has A Kicking Problem Fran Brown Cant Ignore
Syracuses kicking game has become one of the clearest problem spots in a season where little margin already exists. The Orange have missed more field goals per game than anyone in the Football Bowl Subdivision this season, and the issue showed up again in a recent loss that included missed kicks and a botched punt. Fran Brown said after the game that the special teams struggles were part of what went wrong, and the staff is now trying to steady a unit that has repeatedly left points on the field.
Freshman Shay Barker has been named the starting kicker going forward, giving Syracuse at least some clarity at a position that has been in flux. Even with that decision, the bigger question is whether the Orange can turn enough of those scoring chances into points to change outcomes in close games. In a season where every possession matters, the kicking game has stopped being a side note and become something Brown cant afford to keep watching unfold. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Heads Into Louisville With One Problem Nobody Trusts
The pregame conversation around Syracuses trip to Louisville has centered on two things that can tilt a college football Saturday in a hurry: quarterback stability and whether the Orange can keep up with a Cardinals offense that has earned plenty of respect. A panel of sports reporters and analysts leaned heavily toward Louisville in their predictions, and the concern for Syracuse was not just winning straight up but even staying close enough to cover the spread.
For Syracuse, that kind of consensus puts the spotlight on a problem that has lingered all season. The quarterback situation has been unsettled, and against a Louisville team viewed as dangerous on offense, every small mistake becomes a larger issue. It leaves the Orange heading into the matchup with little outside confidence and a lot to prove before anyone is willing to trust them in a game like this. [Read more 🡒]
Carmelo Anthony Just Gave Syracuse Fans Another Reason To Feel Close
Carmelo Anthony keeps finding ways to stay connected to Central New York, and his latest move feels especially personal. The former Syracuse star recently bought a nearly 60-acre property in Brookfield, New York, giving him a rural retreat that includes a farmhouse, cabins, a chalet and a large pond with recreational features.
Anthony shared a video giving fans a look at the place, and his son Kiyan said the purchase was meant to serve as a family retreat. For Syracuse supporters who still claim Carmelo as one of their own, it is another reminder that the bond between Anthony and the region has never really gone away. [Read more 🡒]