Orange Watch: Syracuse in ACC state of mind

acc
The ACC can't come soon enough

Item: This lame duck season in the Big East has us yearning for the ACC.

It’s the final go-round in a wide-open Big East football race (and make no mistake, neither Syracuse or Pittsburgh are going to get any favors from the Big East office and new commissioner Mike Aresco from now until May 2013), with a BCS bid there for the taking and perhaps Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida the early clubhouse favorites heading into week two of the football season.

acc
The ACC can’t come soon enough

While all Orange eyes are cast upon Met Life Stadium Saturday afternoon to get a chance to measure just how SU might fare in its Big East swan song by taking on ultra-talented, second-ranked Southern California, our focus has been directed southward when it comes to which conference we’re following closely each week in addition to the Orange’s scheduled opponents.

» Related: ‘Orange’ you glad SU is going to the ACC?

To us, it’s not so much about the Cardinals, Bearcats or Bulls as it is about Florida State, Clemson, Virginia Tech, and Georgia Tech, the highest ranked ACC teams this week, two of which, the number 6 Seminoles and the number 12 Tigers, will become annual conference foes.

In addition, depending on the luck of the computer, there could be seasons in which one or both of the aforementioned “Techs” are on the slate as well. That’s a tough schedule.

What an overall upgrade moving to the ACC Atlantic with the ‘Noles and Death Valley Tigers added to N.C. State. Boston College, Wake Forest, Maryland and Pittsburgh guaranteed each season.

» Related: No time to reminisce as Big East time winds down

Throw in the additional two teams from the Coastal (besides the Hokies and Yellow Jackets) among Miami, Virginia, North Carolina and Duke making a difficult path to navigate to a bowl game and to be consistently in the top half (1st through 7th) of the league standings.

At least the ‘Cuse knows it will have five ACC home games in 2013 (odd years) and four on the road, and we can’t wait until it gets started next season.

For more Syracuse coverage, Like our Facebook page and follow us @TheJuiceOnline.

Avatar photo
About Brad Bierman 848 Articles
Now in his sixth decade of covering SU sports, Brad was sports director of WSYR radio for eight years into the early 1990s, then wrote the Orange Watch column for The Big Orange/The Juice print publication for 18 years. A Syracuse University graduate, Brad currently runs his own media consulting business in the Philadelphia suburbs. Follow him on Twitter @BradBierman.