SYRACUSE - Syracuse has one game left in what has turned into another so-so season, and yet the Orange still have something to play for at this late stage.
Although Syracuse has not been to a bowl game since 2001, a win at Boston College in the season finale would give the Orange a winning record and make them eligible for the postseason.
"There's a lot of football to be played," Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni said during his weekly Big East Conference call with the media.
Syracuse is 5-5 overall and tied for third in the Big East with Pitt at 3-2. The Orange are off this weekend, then close the regular season on Nov. 27 against the 19th-ranked Eagles (7-2), who play at Temple this week.
West Virginia leads the Big East at 4-1 and Boston College is second at 3-1, so if Pitt beats the Mountaineers on Thanksgiving night and Syracuse defeats BC in two weeks, that could set up a four-way tie for the Big East title.
Possible, yes. But the way Syracuse has played away from the Carrier Dome in the last three years, it's highly unlikely. Since upsetting fifth-ranked Virginia Tech 22-14 on Oct. 27 in 2001, the Orange are 0-10 on the road against Big East teams.
"Unfortunately, we get away from the Dome, the turf and the fans, we have a tendency to let down," senior wide receiver Jared Jones said. "It's a shame."
That's especially true of the 34-24 loss to lowly Temple on Saturday. That was Syracuse's second straight road loss to the Owls and surely the low point of Pasqualoni's 14 years as head coach. The Owls, who have won just 13 games in their Big East history, are leaving the conference after this season to play as an independent because the league no longer wants them.
"I understand everything that's out there," Pasqualoni said. "My focus is to try to do what I can to help this team win."
And if the Orange do win and Pitt does beat West Virginia, according to league rules, a mini-conference would be created among the four schools. They would be ranked according to their records against each other, and Syracuse and Pitt would finish tied at 2-1, while West Virginia and BC would finish tied at 1-2.
The tie between Pitt and Syracuse would be broken based on BCS rankings. Even though the Orange beat the Panthers 38-31 in double overtime at the Carrier Dome, Pitt would receive the BCS bowl bid as long as its BCS ranking remains higher than Syracuse's.
League officials say they're confident the Orange will land in a bowl somewhere if they finish at 6-5. In the meantime, Pasqualoni said he was thankful for the team's second bye week this season.
"We have a week off. We're a little bumped up. I think we're a little bit tired," he said. "This will give us a chance, hopefully, to refresh ourselves. We've got to try and bounce back from this thing."
"There's a lot of football to be played," Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni said during his weekly Big East Conference call with the media.
Syracuse is 5-5 overall and tied for third in the Big East with Pitt at 3-2. The Orange are off this weekend, then close the regular season on Nov. 27 against the 19th-ranked Eagles (7-2), who play at Temple this week.
West Virginia leads the Big East at 4-1 and Boston College is second at 3-1, so if Pitt beats the Mountaineers on Thanksgiving night and Syracuse defeats BC in two weeks, that could set up a four-way tie for the Big East title.
Possible, yes. But the way Syracuse has played away from the Carrier Dome in the last three years, it's highly unlikely. Since upsetting fifth-ranked Virginia Tech 22-14 on Oct. 27 in 2001, the Orange are 0-10 on the road against Big East teams.
"Unfortunately, we get away from the Dome, the turf and the fans, we have a tendency to let down," senior wide receiver Jared Jones said. "It's a shame."
That's especially true of the 34-24 loss to lowly Temple on Saturday. That was Syracuse's second straight road loss to the Owls and surely the low point of Pasqualoni's 14 years as head coach. The Owls, who have won just 13 games in their Big East history, are leaving the conference after this season to play as an independent because the league no longer wants them.
"I understand everything that's out there," Pasqualoni said. "My focus is to try to do what I can to help this team win."
And if the Orange do win and Pitt does beat West Virginia, according to league rules, a mini-conference would be created among the four schools. They would be ranked according to their records against each other, and Syracuse and Pitt would finish tied at 2-1, while West Virginia and BC would finish tied at 1-2.
The tie between Pitt and Syracuse would be broken based on BCS rankings. Even though the Orange beat the Panthers 38-31 in double overtime at the Carrier Dome, Pitt would receive the BCS bowl bid as long as its BCS ranking remains higher than Syracuse's.
League officials say they're confident the Orange will land in a bowl somewhere if they finish at 6-5. In the meantime, Pasqualoni said he was thankful for the team's second bye week this season.
"We have a week off. We're a little bumped up. I think we're a little bit tired," he said. "This will give us a chance, hopefully, to refresh ourselves. We've got to try and bounce back from this thing."
The Citizens' Say
There are No comments posted.