The big Syracuse Orange football season preview!

·1 hr 6 min·5 clips

Why does Christian believe Syracuse could win anywhere from three to nine games this season?

The episode begins with casual banter before transitioning into a season preview for Syracuse football. The hosts introduce themselves and note the team's schedule includes a Week Zero Europe game, though Syracuse is staying stateside. They discuss the upcoming Chick-fil-A Labor Day kickoff and dome renovations. The core analysis starts with a question about optimism for making a bowl game, with Christian rating it a 4 out of 10, Steve a 7, and Andy also optimistic. Christian explains his lower rating stems from major uncertainty on the offensive line, which is replacing three starters including Matthew Bergeron and Carlos Vettorello. He cites conflicting projected depth charts from beat reporters Emily Leiker and Mike McAllister as a concern. Historical context is given, comparing the situation to the 2019 season where a talented team went 5-7 due to offensive line collapse. Steve and Andy are more optimistic, pointing to a soft non-conference schedule (Colgate, Western Michigan) giving the line time to gel, and improved depth at skill positions and defense. They break down the schedule, identifying a brutal three-game stretch against Clemson, North Carolina, and Florida State, followed by a bye and a more manageable back half. The conversation then pivots to the job security of head coach Dino Babers. The hosts agree a losing season (5-7 or worse) likely means he is fired, while an 8-4 record would secure an extension. The murky middle (6-6 or 7-5) is debated, considering financial constraints from ongoing dome renovations and the football complex project. They reference reporting from Nate Mink about tension between the coaching staff and administration after last season. A hypothetical contract extension scenario, similar to Missouri's deal with Eli Drinkwitz, is discussed to manage buyout costs. The hosts give final win total predictions: Steve and Andy around 7-5, Christian between 5-7 and 6-6, citing road games at Virginia Tech and Wake Forest as potential losses. They end by briefly discussing the Syracuse soccer team's opening win and promoting their weekly live show on Twitch.

As heard by us

A Syracuse schedule preview where road games, Yankee Stadium, and 8-4 hope keep pressing against each other.

This Syracuse football season preview works best as a schedule argument built around one pressure point: whether the Orange can travel well enough to make 8-4 feel realistic.

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Why you'd press play

You want a Syracuse forecast that sees 8-4 as in play, then keeps circling back to the road-game problem.

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