Editor’s note: On Tuesday, the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season listed Syracuse as No. 19. The Daily Orange will reflect the rankings of the College Football Playoff and not the Associated Press for the remainder of the season.

No. 19 Syracuse (6-2, 3-2 Atlantic Coast), kicks-off with Wake Forest (4-4, 1-3) at noon on Saturday. Last week, Syracuse defeated North Carolina State, 51-41, qualifying for its first bowl game since 2013. The Orange also made their inaugural appearance in the College Football Playoff rankings. In the Demon Deacons most recent matchup, running back Matt Colburn thrashed Louisville for 243 yards in a 56-35 Wake Forest win.

Below, The Daily Orange beat writers predict Syracuse’s Week 9 matchup with Wake Forest.

Josh Schafer (7-1)
Defeating Demons
Syracuse 41 Wake Forest 31

This season has seen Syracuse buck the trend of many narratives. For the first time in 17 years, SU cracked the AP Poll. The Orange ended a five-year bowl drought and made their inaugural appearance in the CFP rankings. Now, they will take the next step and defeat an ACC opponent on the road for just the second time in three years. Wake Forest’s defense ranks 125th out of 129 teams in yards allowed per game. Syracuse’s offense ranks 14th in yards gained. Simply put, the Orange should have a field day on Saturday. As long as the defense provides some help with occasional stops on a strong Wake rushing attack, the Orange should prevail.

Andrew Graham (6-2)
Clear cut
Syracuse 37, Wake Forest 21

Syracuse enters its noon matchup with Wake Forest already bowl eligible — for the first time since 2013 — and ranked No. 19 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings. Wake Forest picked up its first Power 5 win of the season last week. (Against Louisville, which doesn’t have a Power 5 win, yet.) Yes, Syracuse has struggled on the road under Dino Babers, particularly in conference games. But this year’s iteration of Syracuse is clearly different and clearly much better than whatever team Wake Forest can put on the field. Greg Dortch and Matt Colburn are the two WFU weapons SU needs to keep in check, but the offense should have little to no trouble marching up and down the field on a beat up and porous Demon Deacons defense. Syracuse gets out quickly and cruises to an easy win.

Matt Liberman (6-2)
Battle Road
Syracuse 38, Wake Forest 33

If there is anything that has stuck with Syracuse this season from the past two, it is that this team somehow can’t figure out how to win on the road. The Orange should’ve beaten a more than disappointing Pitt squad in a game that about 7,000 people showed up for, not exactly a crazy 12th man. Yet this game feels different. SU is in territory it hasn’t been in for five years, and Eric Dungey is coming off the game of his life after being benched the week before. Wake has only beaten one Power 5 team in Louisville on the back of Matt Colburn’s career day. He should certainly see his fair share of touches to blow by the Orange, but the SU offense will keep pace and pull ahead when it matters most.

Published on November 2, 2018 at 1:28 pm