Have the Orange done enough to earn a toaster-pastry appearance?
It wasn’t easy by any means, but the Syracuse Orange fended off the UConn Huskies 31-24 last Saturday afternoon, keeping their foot on the gas to a potential Pop-Tarts Bowl berth.
Quarterback Kyle McCord tossed a career-high 470 passing yards while adding two touchdown passes in the win. SU’s gunslinger also entered the history books, becoming SU’s all-time leading passer in a single season with 3,946 yards through the air.
Let’s see how the win over the Huskies reflects on our weekly Pop-Tart Bowl O’Meter:
With eight wins on the season, Fran Brown is also making history of his own in his inaugural season as head coach. Thisis Syracuse’s first eight-win season since 2018 and the best by a rookie head coach since Paul Pasqualoni in 1991 (10-2).
Around the ACC, wins by No. 6 Notre Dame, No. 8 Miami, No. 13 SMU and No. 17 Clemson all helped improve the Orange’s Pop-Tart chances. Why? Because these teams all still have a shot at making the College Football Playoff, leaving more open spots for the ACC-designated, non-CFP Bowl Games.
If Syracuse upsets the Hurricanes this week, the Orange will almost certainly get a post-New Year’s bowl game (Mayo Bowl, Gator Bowl). If the Orange lose, expect a wider range of outcomes (Pop-Tarts Bowl included).
Here’s where the “experts” project Syracuse to compete in the postseason with time winding down in the regular season:
ESPN – Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl vs Minnesota Golden Gophers – Schlabach
Lots of questions with this pick… I don’t know how the win over the Huskies drops the Orange back in the bowl rankings, but here we are. Also, I’d be shocked if SU ended up against Minny again.
Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs Michigan Wolverines – Bonagura
While his counterpart moves Syracuse down, this prediction elevates the Orange from the Gator Bowl to the infamous Mayo contest. Even though the Wolverines (6-5) have struggled this year, a matchup against last year’s national champions is a huge win.
Brett McMurphy – The Action Network
Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs Nebraska Cornhuskers
While it’s still not a Pop-Tart prediction, this is another excellent opportunity for the Syracuse program. After a four-game skid, the Cornhuskers earned bowl eligibility with a win over Wisconsin last week. Regardless, A match-up with Nebraska would put the Orange offense against Tony White’s defense
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl vs Nebraska Cornhuskers
CFN unfortunately pivoted from its Pop-Tart pick, but oddly enough, we get Nebraska again in an entirely different game. Again, I feel like eight (or even nine) wins puts the Orange above the Bronx tier, but maybe the geographical ties are stronger than I think.
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl vs USC Trojans
Fittingly, Jerry Palm catapults the Orange up from the Fenway Bowl to the Sun Bowl against a Big-10 newcomer. Currently 6-5 and facing Notre Dame next week, I find it hard to believe that the Trojans will play in this big of a post-season game. (Editor note: last summer it was agreed that the 10 schools leaving the Pac-12 will still play in Pac-12 affiliated bowls the next two seasons)
DIRECTV Holiday Bowl vs Washington State Cougars
Not a marquee opponent, but a trip to San Diego would be a nice Christmas gift for a successful season for the team. Would Syracuse fans feel the same way?
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With only one more week to go, where do you think SU will play in Bowl Season after Week 13?