Syracuse Football: Can Cuse move to ACC middle class?

2018 isn’t a make or break season for Dino Babers, but some progress would help. Unfortunately, Syracuse football may not have the talent for that yet.

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Syracuse is still adjusting to their move from the Big East to the ACC. After being consistently decent under Paul Pasqualoni for more than a decade, the Orange have hit a rough stretch.

The days of Donovan McNabb, Troy Nunes and even Ryan Nassib are firmly in the rearview mirror. The Orange have failed to make a bowl game each of the past four seasons, winning three games in 2014 and four games in each of the past three seasons.

Doug Marrone’s jump to the NFL in 2012 led to Scott Shafer. Just three years later, Dino Babers was brought in to return Syracuse from 3-9 and 4-8 back to the middle of the pack in their new conference. So far, he’s answered the call with two four-win seasons of his own.

The table seems set for a bounce back in 2018, however. Syracuse improved on both sides of the ball in 2017. They return a three-year starter at quarterback, and quite a bit of other production. Their offense is watchable again, which it wasn’t under Shafer.

Syracuse was one of the most volatile teams in the country last year. That’s evidenced by their loss to Middle Tennessee State, followed a month later with a win over Clemson. If they can control themselves a bit more this year, and continue improving on both sides of the ball, it could be a big season for Syracuse. It’ll take a lot of work, however.