Frank Ordonez / The Post-Standard

Staff

As we continue along with the OttosArmy.com 2010 football recap, we take a look at the individual games that encompassed the overall season.  The Pinstripe Bowl was a gigantic win in terms of putting the program back on the bowl map, but other games throughout the season stick out as well, in terms of being both important and memorable.   With that, we asked our writers to offer their thoughts on what they think was the most memorable game of the 2010 season?

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Steve Schaefer, Otto’s Army

Other than the Pinstripe Bowl, the game of the year for me was the win at West Virginia. Beating South Florida for Doug Marrone’s first Big East win was great, and edging Rutgers to become bowl eligible was just as memorable, but hanging with a Mountaineer team that had abused the Orange in recent years and winning a game in the tough environs of Morgantown was the year’s biggest highlight for me.

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Dave Cooperman, Otto’s Army

The impulse is to select the Pinstripe Bowl but bowl wins are somewhat hollow.  Yes, it is great to play in them but how can you compare knocking off K-State to wins against West Virginia, South Florida and Rutgers?

I am going with the Rutgers win for the game of the year because even though the Orange were far from their best that day, going into Piscataway and getting bowl eligible at the expense of our rivals was truly sweet.  I happened to be in attendance which absolutely contributes to my overall feeling about the game and nothing was better than waiting for the shuttle to the parking lot and listening to Rutgers fans grumble about their lost season as we celebrated our victory.

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Euclid 419er, Otto’s Army

Week 1 @ Akron

I previously stated that the win at West Virginia was the team’s high point of the season.  But for game of the year, I’m going with the week 1 win at Akron as my game of the year, and mostly for personal reasons. 

OA writer, Tim Schlittner, some friends of the Army and I had road-tripped to the campus on the Cuyahoga and kicked off the season in style.  A proper tailgate in Lot 14, cornhole with Robert “Father of Delone” Carter and a solid victory (to relive my memories, read my travelogue from the trip).  Maybe it was because we were there in person to witness it, but there was something about that win that made us all believe, right then and there, that this season would be different than the misery that had preceded it. 

Syracuse hadn’t won a season opener in years and it was a tremendous feeling to be in the W column right off the bat.  The game got the season of success started and that’s why it is my Syracuse Football Game of the Year.

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Brandon Matthews, Otto’s Army

Syracuse 19 West Virginia 14

Dozens of media members crowded around a single TV in a press box watching Syracuse football.  SYRACUSE FOOTBALL!  All of them with hands on mouths or heads exclaiming, “I can’t believe Syracuse is going to beat West Virginia”.  WVU was 5-1, the class of the Big East, and at home.  This was a colossal upset and a seismic shift for the conference.  To be able to watch with pride as the clock expired was simply incredible.  This was not your undergraduate Syracuse University Football team.

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Tom Sullivan, Otto’s Army

Syracuse 13 South Florida 9

Sure, the Orange had some sexier wins this year (at WVU, Pinstripe Bowl) but none was more important to the 2010 season than opening up Big East play with a win in Tampa. With it, the Orange got a few monkeys off their back. It was the first win over USF since the Bulls had joined the Big East, the first quality conference win for Syracuse since beating Louisville when Brian Brohm was at quarterback for the Cardinals and it provided the confidence the Orange would need the rest of the season.

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Tim Schlittner, Otto’s Army

Akron and the Pinstripe Bowl in person were the most fun. West Virginia and South Florida were the most impressive. Cincinnati was the most dominant. But for me the game of the year was Syracuse’s 13-10 win in Rutgers to achieve bowl eligibility for the first time since 2004.

The victory made two major statements. 1) Doug Marrone’s plan is ahead of schedule and the Syracuse football program is on the rise. 2) Syracuse is better than Rutgers.  Not sure which one makes me happier.

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2010 Football Recap

Offensive MVP

Defensive MVP

Most Improved

Most Disappointing Player