The Orange were picked to finish 14th in the 17-team ACC by the media recently.
Syracuse University football coach Fran Brown pushed back against the idea that his team is going to finish 14th in the 17-team Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) this season on Tuesday, saying "They said I wasn’t supposed to be the head coach at Syracuse. I beat the odds on that.”
Syracuse was picked 14th in the ACC Media Poll, which was recently released. Miami, who got to the College Football Playoff title game last season, was picked to win the league.
The Orange finished 3-9 last season, losing eight straight games at the end of the campaign in the wake of Steve Angeli's season-ending Achilles injury, so it's understandable why the media is down on them, but we certainly believe Syracuse is capable of outplaying those expectations.
We have said, repeatedly, that we believe that Syracuse's expectations should be able to go at least 6-6 and earn bowl eligibility. We also believe that that they can finish above .500 at least 7-5.
While a difficult task because of so many new faces via the transfer portal, and the serious injury to Calvin Russell III, a healthy Angeli goes a long way toward our confidence.
Angeli had the Orange out to a 3-1 start last season, throwing for 10 touchdowns vs. just two interceptions. He threw for 1,317 yards. Syracuse earned a big win against Clemson with him healthy, so that counts for something too.
The Orange will open up the regular season on Sept. 5 at home against the University of New Hampshire. That game will kickoff at noon ET and we will have coverage all season long of SU football.
Syracuse head coach Fran Brown speaks to the media during Media Day at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Jim Dedmon-Imagn ImagesElsewhere in Syracuse news
In addition to building for the present, new Syracuse basketball coach Gerry McNamara continues to build for the future as well.
And that future got a little brighter on Monday, Syracuse inked recruit Jack Donohue from the Class of 2027.
Listed at 6-foot-8, McNamara originally played at Christian Brothers Academy (Albany) before transferring to a prep school in Massachusetts. As noted by 247 Sports, he's a three-star prospect and the No. 4 player in Massachusetts. He has a reputation as a good shooter. It's unclear at this point how he'll fit into the future roster, as so much can change between the NBA Draft and the transfer portal.
The Orange went 15-17 a year ago and haven't been to the NCAA Tournament in five years. Syracuse will open up its season on Nov. 2 at home against New Haven. It will be McNamara's first game as the head coach of his alma mater.
