In Dino Babers first two years at Syracuse, the Orange have finished 4-8. While SU has brought excitement to the Carrier Dome with a win over a ranked opponent in each of the last two seasons, the season has fallen off in the month of November. The Daily Orange Sports Staff football writers took a look at SU’s schedule for this season and predicted win totals for the season.

See what the beat writers had to say:

Andrew Graham

Bowl me over

Record: 6-6

MVP: Eric Dungey

X-Factor: Wide receivers

I’ll start by saying this: Syracuse will, or at least should, play in a bowl game this season. That is, of course, predicated on quarterback Eric Dungey playing the entire season for the first time in his career. If he does, the biggest question is which receiver takes charge. There are options on the roster, but no one has been able to step up as a No. 1 option. If and when that happens, this offense, behind an experienced offensive line, could catch fire. Even still, in a brutal Atlantic Coast Conference, SU will still need to scrap for six wins and beat one of Boston College, Louisville or North Carolina State to get there. None of those teams are easy outs, but with the Wolfpack and Cardinals coming to the Dome, I expect the Orange can sneak a win and play a 13th game.

Matt Liberman

Bowling For Soup

Record: 6-6

MVP: Eric Dungey

X-Factor: Offensive Line

The losses at wide receiver and linebacker from last year’s group are so deafening that they have silenced the fact that both sides of the trenches have improved from last season, the secondary is deeper than it’s been in a long time, the running backs have another year under their belt and Eric Dungey is back and healthy again. With all that said, this is a team that has the ceiling to win eight games, but also a floor that could produce just four wins. A Dino Babers’ coached offense with Dungey at its helm has potential to light up a scoreboard as the team averaged 27.4 points per game last season. The wide receiver corps will come to fruition, as it should on any team that passes the ball so often must. The season will be won or lost with the offensive line. Can that line compete with defenses like Clemson to keep Dungey healthy and allow for growth in the running game? With a veteran group this year, I believe they can, and it will make the difference in making a bowl.

Josh Schafer

Bowling Green again

Record: 6-6

MVP: Eric Dungey

X-Factor: Defense

Syracuse hasn’t won a game in November under Dino Babers. When that finally changes this season, SU can make it back to a bowl game. Looking at the Orange’s schedule, it will likely have five wins in the first two months of the season. That’s before it plays Wake Forest on the road on Nov. 3 for its sixth. In the last two seasons, Syracuse has improved in scoring both offensively (25.7 in 2016 to 27.4 in 2017) and defensively (38.6 in 2016 to 32.2 in 2017). In 2016, Syracuse upset a then-No.17 Virginia Tech. In 2017, SU beat then-No. 2 Clemson and played then-No. 8 Miami within eight points. The team has improved from Year 1 to Year 2 and there’s no debating that. With a healthy Eric Dungey, the Orange makes a bowl game, just not one you’ve heard of.

Published on August 31, 2018 at 12:28 pm