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Three Key Syracuse Football Games for 2024

We are here. Syracuse football. Fran Brown. Hype and expectations. Recruits visiting with 3 and 4 and 5 stars on their high school resume. Social media going bananas all Summer. CNY getting pumped for football, not just basketball. The transfer portal community looking at Syracuse as much as any school in the country. The Orange on the national football map thanks to new faces in a new place, both on the player and coaching sides.

I looked at the schedule, one that doesn’t have Florida State or Notre Dame or Clemson, and selected three crucial games that could make or break this season. Because of the weak schedule and all the hype and expectations, Syracuse must go at least 7-5 this year, earn a solid bowl spot and play well mostly all year to build the football house and sustainability on The Hill.

What does all that do? It’s simple. The Fran Brown train keeps chugging and NIL keeps coming in and recruits keep visiting and committing, as well as players from elsewhere in the transfer portal. Honestly, though, 8-4 or 9-3 would really be ideal. Now, let’s look at those games.

1. 9-7-24. vs. Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets return plenty this year as well and present a challenge on offense with moving parts and plays and heavy RPO. Kyle McCord and Hanes King at QB? Yes, please. Plus, that aforementioned GT offense against the new 4-2-5 Orange defense should be a fun chess match. The reality is, however, that Syracuse can go 4-0 if they win this game thanks to a favorable home schedule in the first four. Early conference games are even more unpredictable. Win this one, and it sets up even more later on.

2. 11-2-24. vs. Virginia Tech

This has always been a good, interesting matchup. Like the Orange, VT has huge expectations for the season. The Hokies and Orange both bring back a ton from last season on both sides of the ball. This game features another spectacular QB matchup with McCord for the home team and Kyron Drones for the visitors. Drones threw 22 touchdowns last year and keeps plays alive constantly. This is the hard part of the SU schedule, with a bunch of road games, this being the only home game over the course of a month plus and two immediate tests before this game away from the Dome (NC State and Pitt). It’s also alumni weekend. This is a crucial game with the last quarter of the season to follow.

3. 11-30-24. vs. Miami

Death, taxes and Hurricane expectations. Miami enters the season at #19 and all we are hearing about is how they are potentially dominant on both sides of the ball and that QB Cam Ward is a Heisman finalist in waiting. Slooow down, everyone. Their secondary is overrated, we have seen this act before and the season is long from over. Miami played Florida during the “bye week” as of this writing. Having said all that, let’s have some fun. What if Miami is at least 9-2 heading into this game at the Dome and the Orange is at least 8-3? Syracuse would have an amazing chance at a big time win and a signature victory early in the Fran Brown era. This is also a chance for fans to pack the building, end the season on a great note (opposite of the Dino Babers era) and punch a ticket to a big time bowl. This is the first time hosting Miami since 2002. This game is over Thanksgiving break so few students will be around. The community will need to carry the load. Imagine a huge win to end the season and a packed house, clinching an upper echelon bowl game. It wouldn’t just be “basketball season” the day before December.

(written before the 8-31 home opener against Ohio)