The preseason poll was officially released on Monday morning.
With less than three weeks remaining until the opening of the 2026 college football season, the offseason is running out of time.
The Syracuse football team began its third week of training camp on Monday in preparation for its season opener on Sept. 5 against New Hampshire at the JMA Wireless Dome.
The Orange are coming off a 3-9 season in 2025, but there's renewed hope around this team because of the health of quarterback Steve Angeli, who is back from a torn Achilles that cost him eight games a season ago.
While the optimism around Syracuse isn't high enough to earn them a spot in the AP Top 25 poll, the poll was released on Monday, and the Orange will have three opponents this season who earned a spot in the rankings.
Here's what you need to know.
No. 24 Louisville, Oct. 17
The Cardinals will visit the Orange at the halfway point of the season, and they'll do so coming off a 9-4 campaign that got them a trip to the Boca Raton Bowl of Beans. They beat Toledo 27-22 in that contest.
No. 19 SMU, Oct. 31
The Mustangs, who were picked to finish second in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) this preseason, will visit the JMA Wireless Dome on Halloween, though a game time has not been released yet.
SMU went 9-4 a season ago, beating Arizona in the Holiday Bowl.
No. 4 Notre Dame, Nov. 28
The final regular season game of the year for the Orange has a chance to be the best home game in years for Syracuse fans. Notre Dame was 10-2 a season ago, though they were left out of the College Football Playoff. They put a 70-7 pummeling on Syracuse with Angeli out of the lineup.
Angeli played at Notre Dame before Syracuse, so it's certainly a game he'll have circled. The Irish have lost their top two offensive weapons to the NFL in running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price
Syracuse Orange running back Davion Kerr (20) is pushed out of bounds by Notre Dame Fighting Irish defenders during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Michael Caterina-Imagn ImagesNews and notes
You couldn't have asked for a more advantageous schedule if you are Syracuse. Only 25 percent of the schedule features ranked teams, and all three games are at home.
All three are in the back half of the schedule, which means SU will have a chance to build up some momentum early on. Can they do it?
That remains to be seen, but again, the optimism is up heading into the new year.
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