It's hard to imagine after SU went just 3-9 in 2025, but there's certainly a path to it happening.
The College Football Playoff schedule for the 2026/2027 season was released on Monday and now the question is: Will the Syracuse football team be a part of it?
After going 3-9 in 2025, it feels silly to think about SU playing for the national championship, but when you think about it, it's really not that farfetched.
Let's break down what you need to know:
The schedule itself
While there's talk of expanding the college football playoff to 24 teams, right now, we are still at 12. That means that eight teams will have to play in a first round game with four getting a first-round bye.
Those four first-round games will take place at campus sites on Dec. 18 and 19. The quarterfinals will take place nearly two weeks later, on Dec. 30 and Jan. 1, 2027, skipping out on New Year's Eve and giving college football a prominent piece of the New Year's Day programming.
The semifinals will take place on Jan. 14 and 15, with the College Football Playoff title game happening on Jan. 25. Once upon a time, the college football schedule ended shortly after New Year's Day. Not anymore.
Outlook for the Orange in 2026
Syracuse went 3-9 last season, but they appear primed for a turnaround. First off, quarterback Steve Angeli, who played in only four games last season, should be back healthy after tearing his Achilles. Secondly, the Orange have an experienced group of quarterbacks behind him that should be capable of stepping in should anything happen to Angeli again this season.
The Orange also re-worked their coaching staff, bringing in defensive coordinator Vince Kehres of Toledo, while also landing several experienced players in the transfer portal.
The Orange begin their season on Sept. 5 against the University of New Hampshire at the JMA Wireless Dome.
And remember: The ACC features no real powers at the moment, giving Syracuse a chance to sneak into the league's title game.
Syracuse Head Coach Fran Brown answers questions from the media during ACC Media days at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Jim Dedmon-Imagn ImagesWho Syracuse has gained in the transfer portal
(with help from cfbdepth.com)
Ahmad Miller, RB (Jackson State)
Jartavius Flounoy, DT (Georgia State)
Cole Weaver, WR (Miami of Ohio)
Ju'Juan Johnson, RB (LSU)
Chris D'Appolonia, LB (Toledo)
Elijah Moore, WR (Florida State)
Keyshawn Johnson, Edge (UT-Martin)
Dillan Fontus, DL (Maryland)
Amari Odom, QB (Kennesaw State)
Amare Snowden, DB (Toledo)
Tunmise Adeleye, DE (UNLV)
Nazir Ward, DB (Western Kentucky)
Matthew Outten, WR (Penn State)
Danny Lauter, QB (Georgetown)
Jai Eugene, DB (Western Kentucky)
Oluwafunto Akinshilo, OL (UCLA)
We'll also have live coverage from Syracuse football this season, maintaining our presence at SU home games.
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