Lauren Long/Syracuse Post-Standard

  By Steve Schaefer  

Throughout this series, the stable of writers at Otto’s Army has made it clear that this is a crucial season for the entire Syracuse program. Everyone from Daryl Gross to Delone Carter, Doug Marrone to the waterboy. With that in mind, the 12-game schedule facing the Orange is like a Rohrschach test: anybody who analyzes may see something different.  

One thing is for certain, there are a handful of land mines lurking on the calendar that can either serve as enormous stepping stones for a program still in transition or blow up a promising season and send the Orange spinning out of control.  

Pittsburgh and sophomore star Dion Lewis come to the Carrier Dome Oct. 16, and will be looking to send the Homecoming crowd home early, while West Virginia and running back Noel Devine may be playing to save coach Bill Stewart’s job when the Orange visit Morgantown the following week.  

Those two games mark a pivotal stretch for the Orange, coming in between road games against South Florida and Cincinnati. A high hurdle to be sure, but possibly a major opportunity as well, depending on your perspective.  

Here’s a look at the season’s schedule from three different points of view. Next week you can see where me and the rest of the Otto’s Army team fall when we release our season predictions throughout the week.  

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The Optimist  

A cake September schedule (Sept. 11 at Washington poses the only threat) should let the Orange hit the bye week 3-1 even while breaking in a new quarterback and plenty of young players on both sides of the ball.  

Three difficult games follow against South Florida, Pitt and West Virginia, but Brian Kelly-less Cincinnati should prove beatable even on the road and Syracuse could hit November 4-4.  

Then comes make-or-break time with home games against Louiville and Connecticut sandwiched around a tilt with Rutgers in Piscataway before the season-ending renewal of the rivalry with Boston College at the Dome. Sweeping those four (or three out of four with an upset earlier in the year against Washington, South Florida or West Virginia) puts the Orange at 8-4 and bowling.  

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The Pessimist  

If being Syracuse football fans over the last decade has taught us anything it’s the immutable rigidity of Murphy’s Law – whatever can go wrong will go wrong. Forget an upset of Washington, Syracuse could easily blow the opener against the Zips or the home game against Maine. A 2-2 September will have the Orange back on their heels and fighting an uphill battle toward bowl eligibility.  

That’s no condition to be in with three out of four October games on the road, and after a Pittsburgh drubbing in the Dome Oct. 16 a tailspin into November sees the Cuse sitting at 2-6 when Louisville comes calling Nov. 6. Even with a win there, losses to Rutgers, Connecticut and Boston College, the latter two at home, to close the season put the Orange at 3-9 and Marrone squarely on the hot seat.   

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The Realist  

Taking down a Heisman Trophy candidate in his first home game won’t happen, so take any hopes of beating Jake Locker and Washington off the board. Still, the Orange finish September 3-1.  

That has confidence high coming out of the bye week, and the if Syracuse manages to win one of its next four (South Florida, Pitt, West Virginia, Cincinnati) 4-4 heading into November looks pretty good. Barring a complete collapse down the stretch, the Orange should be able to finish on the right side of .500. If everything falls right a 7-5 record and bowl eligibility is not out of the realm of possibility.  

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Follow along in the Otto’s Army Football Friday series.  Here is what we already wrote about and the upcoming schedule: