College Football Predictions – Syracuse Orange 2020 College Football Preview
August 15, 2020
2019 Recap
Record – 5-7
ATS – 4-8
Syracuse had high hopes for the season after bagging ten (!) wins in 2018, but after an opening victory over Liberty, they got their teeth kicked in at Maryland (L 63-20), and that set the tone for the remainder of the campaign. That makes three losing seasons in four years under the watch of HC Dino Babers who now has a mark of 23-26 in four seasons with the Orange. Is it possible he’s on the hot seat?
2020 MEGALOCKS Opening Power Rating
ACC – #14
<Note: In 2020, the top two teams in the ACC advance to the conference title game regardless of division. That includes Notre Dame.>
Syracuse Orange 2020 Outlook
OFFENSE
The offense took a major fall last year as they went from averaging 40.2 PPG in 2018 to a mere 28.3 (#8 ACC). Not much worked (#7 ACC rushing, #8 passing) and that was largely attributable to horrifyingly bad offensive line play. The Orange allowed an impossible 50 (!) sacks and ranked #128 in the FBS in sacks allowed per game.
QB Tommy DeVito somehow survived the ONSLAUGHT (sacked 44 times) (!) and is back for his junior season. Last year DeVito had a decent 19-5 TD to INT ratio in 337 attempts but he’ll need to do more if the Orange are to make any noise in the conference. #1 RB Moe Neal has departed and the hope is that one of the remaining guys can grab the bull by the horns and put up much needed rushing yards. It just might be Oklahoma transfer (!) Abdul Adams. Improvement will be required from the offensive line if anything is going to work consistently, and maybe they can build around the three returning starters? The Orange will have to replace their fine 1,000-yard WR Trishton Jackson (1,023, 11 TD) and there’s only one player on the roster that had more than 300 receiving yards last year (Taj Harris – 559).
We’re skeptical about the prospects for the offense. It looks like an average unit on paper BUT it’s possible that new OC Sterlin Gilbert can make a difference.
DEFENSE
The Orange finished last campaign 2nd last in the ACC in total defense (464 YPG) and changes had to be made. New DC Tony White comes over from Arizona St and will implement a 3-3-5 scheme that will take some getting used to. Only four starters return on this side of the ball and that makes things look even more sketchy. Syracuse will need to replace almost the entire starting DL and LB groups but the secondary should be pretty good. FS Andre Cisco is one of the best safeties in the ACC (12 INT in two years) and they also have a pair of solid and experienced CBs. We worry about the pass rush as the Orange only managed to bag 30 sacks LY (#11 ACC) and lose their top three sack leaders.
This looks like one of the weaker defenses in the conference on paper, and it didn’t help that they got very limited practice time during the spring.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Orange boast one of the best kickers in college football in Andre Szmyt who has hit an impossible 47/54 FG attempts in two years including 4/4 from 50+ yards. He’s also 100/101 on extra point attempts. There’s bad news on the punting front as they lose their ace who enabled them to finish #3 in net punting and do very well in the field position battle.
Schedule Analysis
Overall – There revised schedule is set. Liberty is still on the docket as their non-ACC foe and they have a NASTY road slate (UNC, Clemson, Irish, Cards, Pitt).
Potential ATS Trouble Spot – at UNC (September 12th)
This is a tough way to open the season, yo. The Tar Heels look loaded and we won’t be on the dog in this spot, even though they’ll be catching a lot of points.
Season Win Total
Over 5 +120
Under 5 -150
<per BetOnline, September 3rd>
MEGALOCKS says:
We expected it to open in the neighborhood of Over 3.5 -110, Under 3.5 -110. Definitely lean to the under at the BOL price.
MEGAmazing Tidbits
Syracuse has two players in the top-15 of ESPN’s 150 greatest college football players of all time. The incomparable Jim Brown is #1 and the great RB Ernie Davis is #15. Davis is the only Syracuse player to win the Heisman Trophy (1961).
MEGALOCKS Outlook:
This feels like a retooling year for the Orange. It’s unclear how potent they can be on offense and a defense that was mediocre a season ago moves to a new scheme without much returning starting experience. We’ll call for the fourth losing season in five years.
Want more Syracuse football ?
WEBSITE
https://cuse.com/sports/football
FORUM
http://syracusefan.com/forums/syracuse-football-board.3/
https://syracuse.forums.rivals.com/forums/cuse-council.12/
NEWS
http://www.nunesmagician.com/syracuse-football
https://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/183/syracuse-orange
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