Schedule Analysis — 2016 Syracuse Football preview

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Syracuse defends against UCONN. Mandatory Photo Credit: Kicia Sears, The Juice Online.
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UCONN and Syracuse rekindle their rivalry in football this season

With Syracuse less than a week away from kickoff, The Juice Online will be doing its annual week-long football preview. Check back in tomorrow as Jim Stechschulte gives his overall outlook and predictions. 

For the second straight campaign, the Orange open with three consecutive home contests, including a Friday night debut against an FCS team. The second game of the season, when #23 Louisville comes to the Carrier Dome, will be the unveiling of Dino Babers’ new offense at SU in front of a national television audience. That third game is a revenge opportunity for Syracuse, as they lost at USF last season. The game against the Bulls will also be a contest against a team that is on a same general level as the Orange, but has very good athleticism. It could be the bellwether for the rest of the year.

Three straight games away from the Carrier Dome follows that opening stretch, including the first of three games against preseason top-ten teams. Notre Dame is that first top-ten team, as the Irish enter the season ranked #9 in the country. The other two games in that stretch classify as winnable, even for a team working in new systems on both sides of the ball.

The back half of the season is not easy, highlighted by a trip to #2 Clemson and a visit from #4 Florida State in a three-week span. Syracuse was game against the Tigers last year at home, but a trip south is a different story. The trip to Boston College is one of the easier ACC matchups, as the Orange defeated a punchless BC team to close 2015. Games with Virginia Tech, North Carolina State, and Pitt will show how far the SU offense has come over the course of the season.

» Related: Special Teams — 2016 Syracuse Football preview

DATE TIME OPPONENT TELEVISION
Fri, Sep 2 7:00pm COLGATE ESPN3
Fri, Sep 9 8:00pm LOUISVILLE ESPN2
Sat, Sep 17 3:30pm SOUTH FLORIDA ESPN3
Sat, Sep 24 TBD at Connecticut TBD
Sat, Oct 1 TBD vs Notre Dame (East Rutherford NJ) TBD
Sat, Oct 8 TBD at Wake Forest TBD
Sat, Oct 15 TBD VIRGINIA TECH TBD
Sat, Oct 22 TBD at Boston College TBD
Sat, Nov 5 TBD at Clemson TBD
Sat, Nov 12 TBD NORTH CAROLINA STATE TBD
Sat, Nov 19 TBD FLORIDA STATE TBD
Sat, Nov 26 TBD at Pittsburgh TBD

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About Jim Stechschulte 894 Articles
A 1996 graduate of Syracuse University, Jim has reported on Syracuse sports for the Syracuse University Alumni Club of Southern California on nearly a decade. He has also written a fantasy basketball column published by NBA.com. He currently resides in Syracuse.