Syracuse football made a significant improvement in 2021 from an abysmal 1-10 2020 season. It finished one win shy of bowl game eligibility, but couldn’t overcome superior Atlantic Coast Conference competition. A star running back emerged and the Orange’s quarterback outlook underwent a major midseason transition. And with an inconsistent performance from its secondary, SU ended the previous season with many unanswered questions.

The upcoming campaign may not answer all the unknowns, but if approached correctly, it could lead to promise that will pan out for Syracuse in the long-run. This season, the team will face five opponents who are nationally ranked in the preseason, something the Orange haven’t been since the beginning of the 2019 season. But with new systems in place and much familiarity among its personnel, a leap towards an improved season isn’t completely out of the question.

Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse will perform in 2022:

Alex Cirino
Not quite, but getting there
Record: 5-7
MVP: Sean Tucker
X-Factor: Defense

Simply put, Syracuse’s schedule is tough. And that’s fine. It will be a test for a young Orange squad that may be finding their identity. They won’t necessarily rise above their disappointing performances from their last two seasons and overcome a majority of their ACC opponents, but having many returning players on both sides of the ball should give SU a chance in tough situations.

Offensively, SU is already built around running back Sean Tucker, who finished the 2021 season with the sixth-most rushing yards in Division I. This gives it a reliable offensive option should its pass-centric experiment fail. But defensively, the Orange are deeper than they’ve been in recent years and headlined by experience in Garrett Williams, who returns this season after nearly entering the NFL draft, as well as former high school teammates Duce Chestnut and transfer Alijah Clark. 

A mixture of coaching changes, new systems and another challenging schedule will see the Orange finish with the same record as last season, but showing an important amount of promise.

Connor Smith
Progress, yet decline
Record: 4-8
MVP: Sean Tucker 
X-Factor: Passing game 

Syracuse has a brutal schedule, headlined by five games (four of which will be played consecutively) against ranked teams, including preseason No. 4 Clemson and No. 5 Notre Dame. Louisville and Florida State have also proved to be tough opponents for the Orange since they joined the ACC in 2013. Virginia, Boston College and Purdue were all bowl eligible last year. Even with an improved coaching staff, offense and numerous key starters returning, SU will still take a step back this season — at least record wise.

There’s reason to be optimistic, though. Sean Tucker is back, and assuming he stays healthy, could put up another historic season. Garrett Williams and Mikel Jones spurned the NFL Draft to come back, and Syracuse gained three strong athletes through the transfer portal in Alijah Clark, Dan Villari and Carlos Del Rio-Wilson. Garrett Shrader’s passing, behind new coaches Robert Anae and Jason Beck, should take a big leap. 

At the end of the day, a schedule this tough will produce the Orange’s fourth straight season without a bowl berth, and more questions about Dino Babers’ job status. 

Anthony Alandt
Sold a Bill of Goods
Record: 3-9
MVP: Garrett Williams
X-Factor: Robert Anae

This season hinges on whether Shrader can take a huge leap as a passer, especially on deep balls. The book is out on Sean Tucker as one of the nation’s best pass rushers, and Syracuse will still rely on him as much as it can. But one man can’t change the tides of an entire offense that struggled mightily last year and is in the first year of installing Robert Anae’s playbook. Will the Orange show signs of progress on offense throughout each game? Of course. It’s hard to get worse than last year, when they were one of the least productive offenses in the ACC.

That does not mean they’re going to overwhelm enough teams and make enough progress to enter December with a record of .500 or better. The receiving unit is still relatively unproven aside from Damien Alford, and it’s going to take time for transfers like D’Marcus Adams and Devaughn Cooper to settle in and make a tangible difference. The offensive line got shaken up, though versatility might prove beneficial should someone go down injured.

The defense, especially the secondary, could and should garner national attention. I just don’t have enough faith in what the personnel has shown to believe SU will overcome many teams on its gauntlet of a schedule. Oh, and don’t worry about Babers’ job. He has $10 million stacked between him and any kind of hot seat.

Published on September 1, 2022 at 1:20 am