Syracuse Has No Shot In ACC Football In 2016

There are some upperclassmen on the Syracuse Orange roster who are being introduced to their third head coach, and that alone demonstrates the type of inconsistency the football program has seen recently. Redshirt seniors, like offensive lineman Omari Palmer are being introduced to their fourth offense. That could be seen as alarming, but seeing as how we’re also aware of the fact that Dino Babers has a system that doesn’t actually include a playbook, it also becomes a decent conversational piece

You can’t knock Babers’ track record or his 37-16 record as a head coach. The system has obviously worked, and now, we’re all waiting to see if that translates to success in the ACC, a conference that features some of the high-powered offenses in the country.

The Orange will, most likely, start a sophomore at quarterback who was forced into duty when Terrel Hunt saw his season end with injury. There’s no reason for Eric Dungey to look over his shoulder, though. There isn’t a better option on the roster, and even though Babers hasn’t officially named his starting quarterback, there’s no reason to think Dungey won’t improve on his 16 total touchdowns and 60 percent completion percentage if given the reins. He’ll have to.

Again, the ACC boasts some of the most talented offense juggernauts in the country. To put it in perspective, Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson put up 47 total touchdowns, and North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Marquise Williams was responsible for 37 scores through the air and on the ground. The Orange are going to have to find some offense from somewhere to be relevant.

Dungey can rely on standout wide receiver Steve Ishmael, and he’ll also have running back Moe Neal. Some are still wondering how the Orange acquired Neal in recruiting, but he’s got the talent to pass what they already have on the depth chart at the position where they have everything from talent to weight issues.

To make long stories short, Syracuse has some talent. They just don’t have enough to compete on the football field yet. They’ve got the right man at head coach, but this is a university known for basketball and they haven’t shown the same attention to the football program. Look for the Orange to finish at the bottom of the conference.