Syracuse football is back in the bowl conversation, and the latest projections reflect that shift after a pair of tight, momentum-building wins.
The Orange has strung together consecutive one-score victories, beating then-No. 19 SMU by three points last Saturday at the JMA Wireless Dome and edging North Carolina by one point in overtime the week before on the road. That run has put Syracuse back on the radar for several national bowl experts.
At 4-4 overall and 2-4 in the ACC, Syracuse still has work to do in the 2026 regular season. Four games remain: Clemson at home, then road trips to N.C.
State and Boston College, before the regular-season finale against No. 4 Notre Dame at home.
To become bowl eligible for the second time in head coach Fran Brown’s three seasons leading the program, SU needs two more wins.
The next hurdle is Clemson, which enters at 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the ACC. FanDuel has the Tigers as a 2.5-point favorite, but this is still very much the kind of conference game Syracuse can grab.
For now, the bowl projections are starting to come in.
ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura has Syracuse facing Marshall in the inaugural TransPerfect San Juan Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 16, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Marshall, from the Sun Belt Conference, is 5-3 overall.
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach has the Orange in a pair of different projections: against Minnesota in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl on Friday, Dec. 18, in Tampa, Fla., and against Auburn in the JLab Birmingham Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 29, in Birmingham, Ala. Minnesota, a Big Ten team, is 5-3 overall, while Auburn, from the SEC, is 4-4 overall.
Schlabach also projects Syracuse against Georgia Southern in the TransPerfect San Juan Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 16, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Georgia Southern, also from the Sun Belt, is 4-4 overall.
Steven Lassan of Athlon Sports has Syracuse first in his “just missing the projections” category. The Orange also is absent from the current bowl predictions of Erick Smith of USA Today, Bryan Fischer of Sports Illustrated and Pete Fiutak of collegefootballnews.com.
Still, if Syracuse beats Clemson on Saturday and moves to 5-4, the bowl picture should get a lot clearer. At that point, it would be hard to imagine the Orange staying out of even more projections.
In Other News...
Clemsons Injury Trouble Could Change Everything For Syracuse Saturday
Syracuses matchup with Clemson took on a different look after Dabo Swinney said several Tigers starters were injured in the loss to Florida State and are expected to miss Saturdays game in the Dome. Among the players sidelined are running back Gideon Davidson, left guard Elyjah Thurmon, center Harris Sewell and linebacker Kobe McCloud, a cluster of absences that hits both the offensive line and the defensive front of one of the ACCs most physical teams.
For Syracuse, the timing matters. Clemson is already turning to backup players to fill those spots, and the Orange now get a chance to test a reshuffled opponent in a game that could carry real weight in the conference race. The injuries do not guarantee anything, but they do change the margin for error and add another layer of intrigue to a matchup that had already been important. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Made An Early Impression On A Quarterback Fans Should Watch
Zymere Weavers visit to Syracuse for the game against SMU gave the 2028 quarterback a close look at what the Orange can offer on a big fall Saturday. The trip included a chance to soak in the game-day atmosphere at the JMA Wireless Dome, and Weaver came away impressed by the way Syracuse carried itself on the field, especially the discipline it showed throughout the game.
Weaver also spent time with Syracuse coaches, talking through his own high school season and the style of play he brings to the position. He had plenty to notice from Steve Angelis performance as well, and the visit appears to have given Syracuse an early foothold with a quarterback fans will want to keep an eye on as his recruitment develops. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Bowl Hopes Are Back With One Big December Question
Syracuse has put itself back in the bowl conversation, but the margin for error is still thin. With four games left, the Orange need two more wins to reach bowl eligibility, and that has kept the seasons late stretch meaningful even as different outlets have started mapping out possible December destinations.
The projections have been all over the place, with some sending Syracuse to the San Juan Bowl against Marshall or Georgia Southern, others linking the Orange to the Gasparilla Bowl against Minnesota or the Birmingham Bowl against Auburn. Still, there is no consensus, and some analysts are not projecting a bowl trip at all, which leaves the final month with plenty riding on how Syracuse closes. [Read more 🡒]