Ok, so maybe I’m stretching things, considering that SU has topped Richmond twice in convincing fashion since that debacle and this season is only one game old. I’ll also concede that I lack a little perspective since, as young lad, I was probably more concerned with finding my Ninja Turtle action figures than fathoming how Curtis Blair and Co. were able to tear up the zone in College Park (don’t worry, Raphael and Michelangelo were under the couch). Still, I have a good feeling that there are some SU fans who still don’t have closure. For all I know, even assistant coach Mike Hopkins, who played in that game, isn’t over it yet. You’ve gotta figure that if there’s one person on the SU bench who doesn’t want to lose to Richmond Tuesday night, it’s Hop.

The Spiders of the Atlantic-10 handily topped the D-3 Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets last Saturday (and you thought putting a D-2 team like LeMoyne on the slate was suspect scheduling). The Spiders relied on a collective effort of three-point shooting, with six different players sinking treys, and stifling D that forced a 33.3% shooting night from the Yellow Jackets.

The Orange played very well against LeMoyne, but at times lost interest, perhaps in part to playing a weak opponent without challenging big guys. That won’t be an excuse against the Spiders, as they played five guys who are 6’8″ or taller in their season opener. Richmond’s key contributors, much like Syracuse’s, are mostly sophomores and juniors. Redshirt freshman/Australian Josh Duinker had 13 points, 9 rebounds and a block in 21 minutes of action, despite not starting. The Spiders will be without Dan Geriot, their leading scorer of the last two seasons, as he tore an ACL before the season started (sound familiar?). The key guards for Richmond are junior Kevin Anderson and sophomore David Gonzalvez.

The A-10 isn’t to be taken lightly, as they sent three teams to last year’s NCAA tournament, and one of those teams, Xavier, made it to the Elite Eight.  I’d keep an eye on the Orange’s post attack; if it isn’t effective in the early going, the ‘Cuse may have to switch to a faster, guard-heavy attack with more long range shooting, a move to which Andy Rautins and others will happily oblige. I’m also curious to see if Kris Joseph continues to get a long look from Jim Boeheim. In Joseph, I saw on Sunday night a young guy, but with a lot of poise and a more methodical court sense than what we’re used to seeing from an SU player.

There were a lot of impressions of sluggishness to take from the LeMoyne game, which is hard to imagine since the game was so one-sided. When games effectively end in the first ten minutes, however, some take their focus off the score and zoom in on the minutiae of each posession, not that that’s a bad thing – observant fans should be able to do both. ‘Cuse Nation appears to be divided in terms of the reasons behind the more lackadaisical stretches. One camp thinks they were due to a lack of motivation after building such a huge lead, the other a lack of cohesiveness, focus and direction. Call me a fence-sitter, but I personally don’t think these two camps are mutually exclusive, and it was likely some combination of both. Tuesday’s matchup should be more helpful in shedding some light on what drives the Orange.

The title here says it all, so let’s get going.

SF – Paul Harris:
2007-2008 Key Stats: 36.1 MPG, 14.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.7 SPG

2007-08 Recap:
TFG: Harris started just one game in 2006-07, but his athleticism had fans foaming at the mouth at the idea of him logging big minutes. The Orange faithful got what they wanted in 2007-08, as Harris led the team in minutes per contest with 36.1, good for third in the Big East. Harris also got to the free throw line a lot. A whole lot. In fact, his 237 attempts not only led the league, but no player since Hakim Warrick in 2004-05 made more trips to the line than Harris in one season (Hak had 310 that year). Paul also added an improved shooting touch beyond the arc to his repertoire, going 11-34 last season compared to an ugly 5% (1-20) in his freshman campaign. While I don’t see him being an everyday three point threat like Devendorf, Rautins and Flynn are, Harris now has one more dimension to his game to use in keeping defenders honest.

After the ACL injuries, Harris was forced over from the three to the two spot, though it didn’t change his style of play all that much. Just ask Villanova’s Dante Cunningham. A lockdown defender to boot, Harris tallied 1.7 steals per game, including a six-game span in conference play where he tallied 18 swipes. My biggest knock on Harris is his ball control, which was epitomized by his crushing gaffe against Pittsburgh in March. As good as he is on defense, he displayed an alarming propensity to cough the ball up himself. He turned the ball over more than anyone in the Big East except for Eugene Harvey of Seton Hall, but Harris was just one behind.

2008-09 Outlook: Harris causes more matchup problems for opponents than just about any player I’ve seen. You can’t put a forward on him because he’ll blow right by him to the rack, and 230 pounds of Paul is a lot for a guard to handle. Harris, along with Devendorf and Flynn, make for a three-headed monster of scoring threats who are capable of slashing all the way from the three-point line to the basket. As mentioned above, the biggest key for Harris this season will be for him to cut down on his turnovers. You’re bound to lose the ball once in a while when you drive through traffic as much as Harris does, but there were 16 games last season where he committed at least four turnovers, which to me suggests that he didn’t make a concerted effort to take better care of the ball as the season wore on.

I don’t think anyone’s worried about Harris slipping on offense. If anything, the return of Rautins and Devendorf should take some attention away from Harris, allowing him to be even more of a force. As for his rebounding ability, the Big East’s cast of imposing forwards and centers could spell trouble for his rebounding numbers if he isn’t proactive on the glass again.

As a side note, Harris cut his body fat percentage from 6.5% to 5.5% this offseason. Paul needs to cut his body fat like John Daly needs another drink, but I thought I’d point it out anyway.

When He’s Not On The Court: It’s not often that we come across a player with such a unique build as Harris, nor did we see Paul take to the bench very often last season, so this is a tougher nut to crack. With some easier opponents on tap in the first few weeks of the schedule, freshman Kris Joseph should get some minutes to establish his role. If this part of the puzzle remains unsolved, Boeheim may want to go big with Rick Jackson (which would bump Ongenaet to the 3) or, if the team needs to shoot itself back into the game, Andy Rautins or Mookie Jones.

LVO: Paul Harris can do it all.  Don’t believe me?  Check out this thread from last year.  I really loved seeing his progression last season.  His midrange game is much improved, giving him another option when breaking down defenders.  I really like the matchup problems that teams will be faced with when dealing with Syracuse.  A healthy Devo means that there will be 3 players capable of breaking down defenders one on one in the man to man and that will put pressure on any defense.  The spacing that this creates will also give AO plently of room to roam in the paint and open up three point shooting.

TFG and I really don’t have much deviation on the statline for Paul.  I think he will pretty much roll out the same scoring as last season, but probably get a few more minutes because, really, JB still loves his starters.  I agree with TFG that the biggest improvement I want to see out of Paul is limiting his turnovers and his overall decision making.  We were really just one more win away from qualifying for the tourney last year and the Pitt game epitomized the struggles that Paul had with ball security.  I also thought that he tends to hang on to the rock at the end of ball games instead of finding more reliable foul shooters.   I expect him to improve his overall in-game awareness this season.

2008-09 Stat Predictions:
TFG: 30 MPG, 16.0 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.0 SPG

LVO: 34 MPG, 16.2 PPG, 8.0 RPG,  2.0 SPG

PF – Kristof Ongenaet:
2007-2008 Key Stats: 19.2 MPG, 4.5 PPG, 4.5 Reb, 51.5 FG%.

2007-08 Recap:
LVO: Kristof Ongenaet joined the Syracuse Orange last year as a rare junior college transfer.  The Belgium native played sparingly early in the season, but the injuries to Eric Devendorf and suspension of Scoop Jardine opened the door to increased playing time.    By season’s end, KO had started 15 games and was a major contributor, averaging better than 6 points and almost 6 rebounds a game in those 15 games versus 4.5 pts/4.5 reb overall.  Gone was the November deer in the head lights look of a new comer, replaced by a gritty determined player with a nifty penchant for converting reverse layups in traffic by season’s end.  In the heat of the Big East battles, Ongenaet produced some of his best games.  He managed to score a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds against Seton Hall.  KO earned the fans’ respect with his grinding, hustling, floor-burn style and aggressive defense.  A direct 180 degree opposite of the man who’s spot he will replace in the lineup – the enigmatic Donte Greene.

2008-09 Outlook: The starting four spot is all but assured as the season opens.  Last season, KO was asked to do a little bit of everything.  This year Kristof should return to a more defined role of rebounder and energy guy.  While his overall minutes played should equal last season’s numbers, it is highly likely that his numbers won’t approach the 38 minute max he played against Georgetown last season.  Still this does not diminish the importance of KO’s role.  He will still be asked to do the little things, scrap for loose balls, man the backside of the zone, rebound with abandon and clean up with second chance points on the offensive end.  While no one expects major offensive numbers, KO has three point range that could open things up for the slashing of Devo, Flynn and PH.  Maintaining proper spacing, floor balance and experience will be valued as the team looks to reverse two years of NCAA futility.  His presence will lesson the pressures of talented froshes Kris Joseph and Mookie Jones and give this duo time to develop.  Based on last season’s performance, one should expect a slight uptick in overall numbers of minutes, points and rebounds.

When He’s Not On The Court: There are a number of possible scenarios when Kristof heads to the bench.  JB could choose to go big and insert Rick Jackson.  Most likely we will see one of the freshman on the floor in his spot.  In the early practices, Mookie Jones was working more with the guards, so the prevailing thought here is that Kris Joseph is inline to gobble up some of these minutes and could possibly supplant KO in the starting lineup if he really develops.  But that may be highly unlikely given past history, last year notwithstanding.  Boeheim could also choose to go small and shift Paul Harris to the four although one would suspect that this type of scenario would present all sorts of problems in the zone as length would really be an issue.  It would not be surprising to see our Hall of Fame coach revert to his favorite 8 man rotation once Big East play begins and that will just about guarantee KO major minutes.

TFG: Ongenaet wasn’t exactly a blue-chip recruit; His courtship was necessitated when Arinze Onuaku had surgery to repair his left knee. In case you haven’t heard this theory elsewhere, here are a few signs:

1. He didn’t commit until May of 2007, a time usually reserved for top talent who can make even the most hard-nosed recruiters sweat it out for their services. Such players are not found in the JC ranks.
2. The Orange had the #2 power forward recruit in the country coming to campus in Donte Greene, plus another body for the back of the zone in Rick Jackson
3. KO would only be around for two years as a JUCO transfer, and it’s uncommon for such players to be very impactful for a program as reputable as Syracuse.

Going into the 2007-08 season, Ongenaet looked like merely an insurance policy in case AO couldn’t return to form or if someone else went down. Sure enough, to bastardize an oft-quoted phrase, the best-laid plans of mice and hungry relatives of backup guards often go awry. While 4.5 and 4.5 isn’t exactly what you look for out of a starter, just imagine where this team would have been without Ongenaet last season. Not bad at all for a last-minute find.

With this team’s scoring potential, all Boeheim will ask of KO this year is to provide some consistent rebounding and size on the defensive end, though he’s bound to pick up some garbage points around the rim. I doubt we’ll see him set up around the perimeter on offense, mostly because I think opposing defenses will devote more attention to Onuaku than they did last year. His size is also favorable for setting screens to get his teammates open.

I’m going to disagree with your implying that the freshmen will be the preferred subs for Ongenaet. With the exception of highly-touted recruits like Flynn, Greene and Anthony, Boeheim favors experience over youth when given the choice. Should he regress, I’d actually look for Jackson to take more of his minutes than either freshman.

2008-09 Stat Predictions:
LVO: 22 MPG  5.2 PPG, 5.5 Reb, 53 FG%
TFG: 25 MPG, 6.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 58 FG%, 1.8 SPG

C – Arinze Onuaku:
2007-2008 Key Stats: 30.6 MPG, 12.7 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 62.8 FG%, 44.5 FT%, down to 7.5% body fat

2007-08 Recap:
TFG: Onuaku had surgery to repair his left knee after his freshman season, forcing him to take a redshirt in 2006-07. He spent the year bulking up and went on to enjoy one of the biggest breakout seasons in the conference, finishing second in the conference in FG% to Randall Hanke of Providence. Onuaku’s broad frame allowed him to muscle his way by forwards and centers for close buckets. His build also was a factor in him snagging 8.1 rebounds per game, which ranked sixth in the conference. He performed great against lesser counterparts, but I think he lost focus at times against some of the Big East’s top big men like Hasheem Thabeet, Roy Hibbert and Kentrell Gransberry.  AO was one of many players whose workload increased after the ACL injuries to Devendorf and Rautins set in, as he averaged 30 minutes per game. I think fatigue brought on by playing so many minutes combined with his size to make him slow getting up and down the court.

2008-09 Outlook: Reports are that AO looks slimmer, but he actually put on 20 pounds in reducing his body fat. With quick-footed players like Harris, Flynn and Devendorf, Onuaku needs to be able to keep up on offense, but his improved conditioning should allay concerns and enable to him to be even more dominant in the low post. The biggest need for improvement out of Onuaku is from the free throw department. He’s going to take a lot of contact, which means he’ll get to the line very often, and he has to convert those chances, pure and simple. 44.5%, only slightly better than Ben Wallace’s career average at the pro level, is inexcusable. He doesn’t have to be Steve Nash from the line, but I can deal with something in the neighborhood of 55%. Cutting down on fouls while staying physical on defense will also be a point of focus for AO. He won’t be able to assert himself as an offensive force if he has to go to the bench with two fouls less than five minutes into games.

When He’s Not On The Court: Rick Jackson will fill in for Onuaku as well as Kristof Ongenaet. If Kris Joseph proves himself capable, he could see some time down low as well. Some of Boeheim’s quotes have led me to believe that Sean Williams is still years away from contributing, if he will at all in his career. AO is the most consistent option in the paint, so look for him to continue to shoulder a sizable load of minutes, but Ongenaet, Jackson, Harris and Kris Joseph are each big enough to play in the back of the zone. That’s a lot of fouls to give, so against more physical opponents, there could be a lot of shuffling with the Orange’s big bodies.

LVO: Arinze Onuaku was such an unknown quantity heading into last season.  He looked like a rebounding beast in his limited time on the floor as a freshman.  Coming back from the surgery, no one really knew what to expect offensively.  Well to me, Arinze was probably the most pleasant surprise to emerge from last season’s long list of unknowns.  He outplayed or played to a standoff more established players like Kentrell Gransbury, Roy Hibbert and Hasheem Thabeet.  Having a logged a ton of minutes and having a raw freshman for a backup may have limited his aggressiveness.  I fully expect AO to log about 5 minutes a game less than last year but be more productive in those minutes.  Rick Jackson looks much better behind him as well and that will just allow AO to play with more abandon.

One place I think we all would love to see improvement out of Arinze is at the charity stripe.  I believe he will continue to shoot a high FG percentage, much like we saw in the exhibition opener, but he has to do better from the line than last year’s 73 for 164, 44.5%.  If he raises that number to match his FG percentage, look out!  Otherwise, teams that are deep in the frontcourt are going to employ the KO-the-AO strategy and see if he can make his free throws.

2008-09 Stat Predictions:
TFG: 29 MPG, 13.5 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 1.5 BPG

LVO: 25 MPG, 15.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.0 BPG, 65% FG, 55% FT

We’ll rehash last season’s stats and give extensive outlooks and expectations for each of the starters. We’ll even try to grow a pair and predict some stats, which we may revisit throughout the season. As always, feel free to tell us how unbelievably wrong and shrewd we are in the comments section.

PG – Jonny Flynn:
2007-2008 Key Stats: 35.5 MPG, 15.7 PPG, 5.3 APG, 34.8 3PT%.

Comments:
TFG: As part of the much-heralded class of 2007, Flynn didn’t take long to make a splash, scoring 28 points in his debut, edging out Carmelo Anthony for the most points by an SU freshman in his first career game. In the second game of the season, Flynn’s only basket was a go-ahead three-pointer with 5.8 seconds left that proved to be the difference against St. Joseph’s. He would go on to take the Big East by storm, scoring in double figures in 27 of the team’s final 31 games. It can be argued that the offense relied more on Flynn than it did on Donte’ Greene – Jonny was the Orange’s iron man, at one point not seeing the bench for 313 minutes, including seven complete games. On top of that, Flynn went the distance in four other contests, though the streak speaks to his endurance as much as it does to Scoop Jardine’s flakiness and inconsistency. For his strong performance, he was named Big East Co-Rookie of the Year, alongside DeJuan Blair of Pitt.

2008-09 Outlook: Flynn will be relieved to have Devendorf and Rautins returning as scoring options after shouldering so much of the scoring load last season. Jonny, arguably the top point guard in the country, can run an offense as efficiently as anyone in the game and brings with him amazing quickness that allows him to drive on opposing guards, or fake a drive to create space for an easier shot or pass. One overlooked benefit to his quickness is that it allows him to get back on defense rather easily, which will be huge for those times when Ongenaet, AO and Harris get beat on the glass. Staying on defense, Flynn experienced a slight up-tick in steals per game once conference play hit (1.46 SPG in non-con; 1.66 in Big East play). One of the Orange’s most expressive players, Flynn had no setbacks to speak of over the summer and should be raring to go. I expect his scoring average to go down slightly, but that’s largely a product of having more scorers available and a decrease in playing time. However, the return of two big scoring threats in Rautins and Devendorf should result in an increase in assists. Flynn has all the tools needed to lead this team and himself to great places, and barring something drastic, he won’t have anything left to prove to the college basketball world after this season. If not to the NBA, to the professional ping-pong ranks.

When He’s Not On The Court: On the limited occasions when Flynn left the court last season, Jardine subbed in and opposing defenses often seized the dropoff to get back into the game if they were losing or build the lead if they were winning. Scoop had a clearly defined role, but despite his redshirting the upcoming season, Boeheim will have a good deal of flexibility here. The Orange will have a much more productive bench to go to than it did last year (how could they not?). I think we’ll see Andy Rautins and Mookie Jones sub in for Flynn, but that doesn’t mean that either will play his position; Devendorf will slide over to the point on most occasions when Jonny gets a breather, opening up the 2-hole for the aforementioned bench guys. In other words, don’t expect the pace of the game to drop like it did last year when Flynn went to the sidelines. One thing we can be sure of is that the availability of solid options will close the curtain on Justin Thomas playing meaningful minutes.

LVO: I agree with TFG that Jonny’s PPG will drop from last year, just slightly more than he does. That number is offset by a bigger spike in assists as I expect Jonny to be among the nation’s leader in that category and defer his offense to his teammates. As for minutes played, I expect him to be on the floor a lot. Not like last year, but no way he averages under 30 minutes. This is still Jim Boeheim we are talking about. I will say that as of right now, I think Flynn will not test the draft waters at season’s end. The NBA has never favored undersized guys as high lottery picks. So I think he will end up staying 3 seasons minimum.

2008-09 Stat Predictions:
TFG: 28 MPG, 14.0 PPG, 6.3 APG, 228 AST/80 TO, 1 EDD (Early Draft Declaration)
LVO: 34 MPG 12.3 PPG, 7.2 APG, 252 AST/85 TO

SG – Eric Devendorf:

2007-2008 Key Stats: 34.2 MPG, 15.7 PPG, 3.9 APG, 40.7 3PT% (10 games)

Comments:

LVO: Well last season sure didn’t go as planned for Eric Devendorf. As the lone returning starter from the 2006-07 season, Eric was about to assume the mantle as leader to a young and inexperienced squad. All of that quickly changed with an awkward landing on a typical Devendorf slash to the hoop against East Tennessee St. The result, an ACL tear, halted his junior season (regained via medical redshirt) and forced a young squad to mature in a hurry. That the team was able to reach 20+ wins last season is a testament to the talent and resiliency of this squad.

2008-09 Outlook: Based on reports from initial practices, Eric is acting like the Eric of old, with aggressive forays into the paint. Conventional wisdom states that Eric will be eased into the lineup early in the season and his playing time will be limited. He should, in time, take over the scoring burden that was carried by the departed Donte Greene. He will again be expected to shoulder some leadership duties, but they won’t be nearly as great as a season ago now that Flynn, Paul Harris and Arinze Onuaku have logged major minutes of Big East action. He should see some time at the point to spell iron man Jonny Flynn, giving the Orange another solid ball handler that can breakdown a press, hit free throws late in games and find the open man; he did average almost four assists before going down. Devendorf will also add another dimension by bringing in his trademark swagger and trash talking. He will most certainly not back down from the Memphises and Kansases on our schedule.

When He’s Not On The Court: Look for Andy Rautins to snap up the majority of meaningful minutes when Eric is not on the floor. The other option when Eric sits is to move Paul Harris into the 2 slot where he excelled at slashing to the tin and locking down on defenders from the top of the zone. This would allow the Cuse to go big with either Jackson or Joseph at the 4 spot. In the early part of the season, you might see Mookie Jones manning the two to see how his arm span alters the complexion of the zone. By the time the Big East portion of the schedule rolls around, Eric should be back in full swing averaging better than 30 minutes per contest. No matter how the substitution patterns sorts itself out, there will be experienced guys moving in and that can only benefit this club, especially with the collective strength of the Big East this season.

TFG: I was especially saddened to hear about Devo going down at the tail end of the non-conference schedule; Not just because the game was already in hand, but because he seemed to improve his ball-handling skills so much through that point. Things like dribbling the ball high and making stupid passing decisions became things of the past, and I think correcting those fundamental mistakes was a key factor in Devo’s spikes in shooting and 3-pt. percentage (both up 5.4% from 2006-07) in curtailed time.

At the team’s media day a couple weeks ago, Boeheim said that Devendorf was still a few weeks away from full recovery. We could talk at great length about whether or not he’s going to start from day one, but with the glut of capable guards at Boeheim’s disposal, it’s a pretty meaningless argument, even with Scoop Jardine redshirting. I think it depends on whether Boeheim wants to keep things small with Rautins, which is more of a straight-up substitution, or get big with Rick Jackson, which would also mean bumping Paul Harris to the front of the zone. Once Eric is fully recovered, I think we’ll be seeing plenty of him. If both a healthy Devendorf and Jonny Flynn are off the court at the same time, then something is either terribly wrong or Syracuse is up 25+ with four to go.

Devendorf’s fiery attitude, incendiary temperament and skills to match make him capable of preventing the team from going into tailspins like it did in the back end of last season’s conference schedule. I’m a firm believer in the notion that missing extended time and being forced to watch from the bench can be a good thing in the long run, because the game slows down just enough for you to watch other players and learn their nuances from a different perspective. He’s always struck me as the type who isn’t the least bit keen on school, yet he’s highly cognizant of his potential as a basketball player, so the possibility of him leaving early will be in the back of my mind. Ultimately, though, I think he’ll return for 2010.

2008-09 Stat Predictions:
LVO: 33 MPG, 18.5 PPG, 3.1 APG, 38.8 3PT%
TFG: 32 MPG, 17.0 PPG, 3.5 APG, 37.0 3PT% – Similar to LVO, so here’s some boldness – 3 Technical Fouls!

We apologize for not having a preview available for Monday night’s exhibition opener against a tough Bruins team fresh off its second straight Final Four appearance, but…wait, what’s that? It’s Cal-State Los Angeles, not UCLA? You mean they’re two completely different schools and this one isn’t even a D-1 program? Aw, screw it. SU over CS-LA 93-58, yay for Stevie Thompson being in the Loud House.

Since we’re doing individual player pieces later on, you won’t see a lot in this post about the torn ACL’s, shattered backboards, early draft declarations and consecutive minutes played streaks. Finally, once the season gets underway, we’ll look (and maybe to you!) to post some game previews and recaps. Let’s dig in!

For some, it’s the sting of yet another disappointing SU football season with little hope for the second half. For others, simply the leaves changing color. Either way, both are signs that college basketball season is upon us.

2007-08 In Review

TFG: This story has been told time and time again, but I find it to be therapeutic. It began with four new starters and fantastic performances from Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris on an exciting opening night against Siena, easily the most thrilling first game since Carmelo Anthony’s debut. As it would turn out, Syracuse’s M.O. would be a mix of bad luck and a lack of poise brought on by fatigue and inexperience that mixed to create a constant struggle to put teams away late in the game, particularly ones like Rhode Island and UMass that had no business sticking with the Orange’s talent as long as they did.

Devendorf’s ACL tear in the second half of a game that SU won by 50 left the Orange scrambling for quality minutes from its newcomer reserves, which it didn’t always get. Kristof Ongenaet and Scoop Jardine, the primary beneficiaries of minutes made available by the ACL injuries to Devendorf and Rautins, were immediately called on to contribute, but weren’t exactly put in a position to succeed, having to learn very quickly and against tough and more experienced Big East competition.

After dropping four of five Big East games, including an overtime loss on the road at Georgetown, the team seemed to hit something of a stride, taking its next three contests. At that point, the team had a decent-but-not-good 6-4 conference record. But with a backloaded schedule (six of its last eight opponents would finish the season ranked), there were plenty of chances for the team to redeem itself and arrive at the dance. Aside from its fourth consecutive home Georgetown victory, and second consecutive court-storming after a Georgetown home victory, SU stumbled through the second half of conference play, finishing with a .500 conference record that rendered its opening-round matchup against Villanova in the conference tournament a de facto play-in game. A victory would all but punch a tournament ticket, but alas, as we’ve seen numerous times, a conference foe caught fire from beyond the arc and sent SU to its second straight Not Interesting Tournament appearance.

LVO: Boy, that sure sums up last season neatly. There were high expectations on this board based on Jim Boeheim’s highest-ranked recruiting class since the NC and those raw rookies were looking to replace a class that just didn’t live up to expectations. But the losses of Rautins and Devo to injuries turned our biggest recruit into a perplexing enigma. Donte Greene, a multi-dimensional player out of the city that brought us Carmelo, was forced to take on the outside shooter role of three point threat. Much to the consternation of the fans, he settled for long range jumpers, many at inopportune times, instead of breaking down his opponent with dribble penetration. His defense, or should we say lack thereof, also drew the ire of many. At season’s end, it was about a 50-50 split for the multi-talented star to stay or leave for the NBA. With a first round pick all but guaranteed, he left.

The lasting feeling was that this was a disappointing season. Signs of trouble emerged in the 107-100 loss to UMass and it was the same Minutemen squad that put a close to our team’s NIT run and season. A team that was supposed to relieve us of the football debacle, only added to Cuse fans suffering with a second straight season missing the Big Dance.

2008-09 Preview

LVO: If you look at the previews coming out of the national media, the road back to the NCAA tournament will again be a steep one. The Big East is absolutely loaded. Eight teams, (that’s right, eight!), are ranked in top 25 by Rivals and not one of them is Syracuse. The good news is that most pundits have us near or in the Top 25 as well. Could this finally be the year that the Big East gets nine bids?

The Orange have all the ingredients to make a statement. Versatile and charismatic guard Eric Devendorf returns to give the Orange leadership and swagger. Iron man Jonny Flynn has the potential to be the best point in the nation. Arinze Onuaku mans the inside. Paul Harris has the tools to “do it all”. Andy Rautins, Kristof Ongenaet, Rick Jackson are capable role players. Kris Joseph and Mookie Jones are promising frosh. How well they gel will determine how far Syracuse can advance in the brutal Big East.

TFG: You hit this one pretty well on the head, Steve. As we see some of the rankings make their way onto the internet, a majority of them have SU positioned as a fringe Top 25 team to start the season. Many fans are surprised that a team with as much skill and experience as SU is ranked so low. The thing about rankings is that they’re inherently relative to the rest of the country, and it just so happens that the rest of the country, and particularly the Big East, has some major talent as well. While some may have all the confidence in the world in this team’s ability and potential, the fact of the matter is that until proven otherwise, Andy and Devo are question marks as they return from their injuries.

The strength of the Big East is also a big factor in SU’s status to start the season. To start the season, most prognosticators will have North Carolina as the clear-cut team to beat at the top, followed by UConn and Louisville, with Pitt not too far behind. It’s tough, if not impossible, to find a season in which the Big East was as stacked as it appears to be this year. You get the feeling that in any other season, a team with as much talent returning as SU would be unanimously picked at the beginning of the campaign to finish in the top three of the conference, and even that may be a little modest.

The starters to begin the season won’t be an issue: AO, Ongenaet, Do-It-All Paul, Devendorf and Flynn. which makes for one less problem to solve. There’s been some talk amongst the fan base that Rautins and Jackson may crack the starting lineup, but I just don’t see it happening, at least not to start the year. One of the major keys will be to utilize the squad’s depth and ease the bench into their roles in the early going.

The offseason had a few interesting developments for us to discuss. The highlight was Jim Boeheim returning from the Beijing Olympics with a gold medal, having served as an assistant on Mike Krzyzewksi’s staff. In Beijing, Boeheim was reunited with a certain one-time freshman sensation who apparently did some pretty notable things for his school.

Jonny Flynn, who is also the official mancrush of TFG, drew praise from Hornets standout Chris Paul over the summer when the two matched up at the LeBron James Academy in Ohio. It isn’t that we don’t already know what he’s capable of doing, but it certainly means a lot more coming from such an accomplished pro than it does from an overweight fan blogging during a slow work day on company time… not that that’s what I do or anything.

Finally, the Orange scored a verbal commitment from the class of 2009 in mid-September, which came from local product Brandon Triche of Jamesville-DeWitt High School, Andy Rautins’ alma mater. Triche joins James Southerland, a 6’6″ forward, in the recruiting class of 2009. The lack of scholarship seniors on the roster not named Kristof Ongenaet means that we probably won’t see much more news on this front for some time. The class of 2010, however, has been a completely different story, making tons of waves as of late, but that will be touched on at a later date. Wow, what better way to close out our debut than with a rhyme?

Be sure to stick with us throughout the season as we follow Syracuse’s journey back to Selection Sunday and beyond!

When: Saturday September 13th, 2008 – 3:30 PM Eastern

Where: Syracuse, New York in the Carrier Dome

Capacity: 50,000

Television: ABC – ESPN360 – ESPN Gameplan

Tailgating information: http://www.texanmarktailgate.blogspot.com/

The Spread: Opened at Syracuse +26.5 – which has already jumped to Syracuse +28.

Rivalry info: Syracuse and Penn State have faced off 68 times since 1922 but havent played each other since 1990. Penn State leads the series 40-23-5.

Fun Fact:

Coaches: Penn State – Joe Paterno – 42nd season at Penn State (374-125-3 overall.) Syracuse- Greg Robinson – 4th season at Syracuse (7-30 overall.)

Last time they played: October 13th, 1990. Penn State beat the Orange 27-21 in College Station.

Syracuse passing game (ranked #99) vs. the Penn State secondary (ranked #80): Last week against Akron – Senior Cameron Dantley was actually able to get a few things going in the air. Dantley completed 13 of 20 passes and threw for three touchdowns. The only problem is – 6 of those completed passes were to Tight Ends Mike Owen and Nick Provo – and two were to FB Tony Fiametta. No, its not a bad thing if your Tight Ends and backs are heavily involved in the passing game, especially with Brownings offense – but it’s a big problem when your Wide Receivers are basically non existent. Outside of Donte Davis (4 receptions a game) all other Orange receivers have only been able to manage a measly 5 total catches in two games against Northwestern and Akron – two teams that aren’t know for their cover corners. Penn State has seemed to of played a bit or a “bend but dont break” pass defense in its first two games giving up 450 yards in the air but for the most part has been able to keep the ball out of the endzone.
Who has the edge? With Dantley at the helm things seemed to flow a little bit more when it came to the passing game. If he can continue to involve TE Mike Owen and if Lobdell or Sales are able to step up – Dantley should be able to keep the Nittany Lions honest giving Carter and Brinkley a bit more room to run. Although Dantley looked promising – we’ll have to give Penn State the nod due to our lack of receivers. You would have to think Lavar Lobdell is at least better than WR Trent Usher out of Coastal Carolina (3 receptions/50 yards/TD against PSU) though…right?
Syracuse rushing attack (ranked #42) vs. the Penn State front six (ranked #29): Ah, one of the lone bright spots to the team this year. Brinkley and Carter have ran the very well thus far – both averaging nearly 6 1/2 yards a carry. Boonah was able to find his way into the endzone for the second straight game last week and racked up a career best 143 yards on 21 carries while Carter chipped in 77 on 13 carries. Although I do want to see one primary back recieve most of the carries – I don’t agree with a guy like Hogue only getting three carries. He’s too good of a player to keep on the sidelines and I would’ve loved to of seen him take that 4th down carry which definitely suits his running style. The more I see from our stable – the more I want to give all three of our backs twenty carries a game. With how we’ve thrown the ball…why bother? Penn State on the other hand has done pretty well against the run thus far – although the two teams they faced do most of their work in the air opposed to on the ground. All-Big 10 DE Maurice Evans and starting DT Abe Koroma have been suspended for this weekends game for a marijuana incident a few weeks ago.
Who has the edge? With the suspension of Evans and Koroma and with how Carter and Boonah have ran the ball so far – I’m going to give us the slight edge. The Offensive Line has done a much better job than last season and hopefully can continue to open a few lanes if we have any chance in competing this weekend.
Syracuse Offense (rated #87) vs. Penn State Defense (rated #50) synopsis: Hopefully Dantley can continue to provide some spark in the offense like he did last week against Akron. I really liked what I saw from the offense last week and if they can mirror what they did last week a few more times we might be able to stay competetive a bit later in this one than a lot of people think. Penn States defense has been relatively untested so far this season and the suspensions really work in our favor. Theres no reason we should be held under 20 points this Saturday.
Penn State passing game (ranked #42) vs. the Syracuse secondary (ranked #84): Penn State QB Darryl Clark has been a decent surprise this season and thus far has done all he has had to do to put a W on the board. Clark has only completed 25 passes out of 37 attempts for 361 yards and 3 TD’s in two games as Penn State has done a majority of their damage on the ground. Darryl is probably feeling better than ever – because after two games his offensive line has yet to let up a sack. Penn State won’t need to air things out this Saturday but if need be it seems Clark can just find WR Jordan Norwood – who has reeled in half of Clarks passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns. The Orange will probably have to have all 11 guys in the box if they have any chance at slowing up the Penn State rush offense – but Clark has the arm to burn you if need be. I don’t see Penn State throwing the ball more than 20 times but I’m sure Clark will hook up with Norwood a few times to keep up honest. Bruce Williams returns to Safety this weekend for the injured Mckinnon and is expected to start. Hopefully he didn’t forget to tackle.
Who has the edge? Penn State wont need to throw the ball – but if they do Clark should be able to dispose of Merkserson and Holmes accordingly.

Penn State rushing attack (ranked #7) vs. the Syracuse front seven (ranked #114): Touchdown Evan Royster. Thats something both Coastal Carolina and Oregon State have probably heard enough of – and something we’ll probably witness a handful of times this Saturday. Royster is off to a fast start this year after racking up 205 yards and 6 TD’s in two weeks of action. A touchdown every four carries isnt bad – and the Penn State offense as a whole has already put up 500+ rushing yards and 11 TD’s. The Orange on the other hand havent done much against the run – mostly because of poor tackling. Akron was able to ‘Zip’ through the Orange defense using the draw gaining 218 yards on the ground. Yeah, 218 yards on the ground to Akron. Arthur Jones has a lot of work on his hands.

Who has the edge? After almost three days of thinking this through – I’ll have to go with Penn State. Who am I kidding – Penn State is going to man handle us on the ground. What we’ll see this weekend is probably just a taste of what we’ll get from Devine, McCoy, and the likes later on this season.
Penn State Offense (ranked #12) vs. Syracuse Defense synopsis (#113): Penn State has dished out brilliant offensive performances so far and are averaging 55 points a game. The Orange have surrendered 36 points a game thus far…I don’t expect much to change this weekend.
Why Syracuse will win: The entire Penn State offense gets caught up in Down Under Leather on Marshall Street (pot shop) and get ripped before the game. Royster and Co. get so high they can’t even stand straight and continually fall over and our defense doesnt even need to make a tackle. (OK, maybe they’re not all pot heads…but c’mon, how else are we going to win/make a tackle?)
Why Penn State will win: They continue to run the ball as well as they did in the first two games.
Syracuse player to watch: RB Curtis Brinkley. Brinkley gained 143 yards on 21 carries last week with a score notching his best ever career start. He’s averaging 6.4 yards a carry this season.
Penn State player to watch: Quarterback Evan Royster. Royster has already scored 6 times this season and racked up 205 yards on the ground.
Reyes39 Prediction: Penn State 49 Syracuse 21
Lvilleorange Prediction: Penn State 56 Syracuse 10
CollegeFootballNews Prediction: Penn State 41 Syracuse 14
-Stats thanks to ncaa.org and cfbdatawarehouse.com
-click on photos to see them from host site

When: Saturday September 6th, 2008 – 3:30 PM Eastern

Where: Syracuse, New York in the Carrier Dome

Capacity: 50,000

Television: TWC 26 and FSN Ohio

Tailgating information: http://www.texanmarktailgate.blogspot.com/

The Spread: Opened at Syracuse -7. Has quickly moved down to Syracuse -4.5

Rivalry info: This will be the first time the two teams have ever played each other.

Fun Fact: Akron Head Coach J.D. Brookhart served under Syracuse Head Coach Greg Robinson as a defensive assistant when Robinson was the Defensive Coordinator of the Defensive Broncos.

Coaches: Akron – J.D. Brookhart – 5th season at Akron (22-27 overall.) Syracuse- Greg Robinson – 4th season at Syracuse (7-29 overall.)

Last time they played: Never

Syracuse passing game (ranked #101) vs. the Akron secondary (ranked #10): After last week…I’m not sure we have anything that resembles a passing game. Robinson looked pretty bad much of the game – only completing 14 of 28 passes for just over 100 yards and an interception. Andrew looked tight the entire game and rarely put the ball where it had to be in Brownings new short swing/slant passing offense. Rumor has it Senior Cameron Dantley has been getting looks with the first team offense this week during practice – but we’ll just count Arob in as the starter until we see otherwise. I’m not sure if it was our recievers, the loss of Williams and Taj – or a combination of both. But Robinson just did not look comfortable in the offense and didn’t seem to groove with anyone last Saturday. No matter who gets the start on Saturday there has to be an improvement – and maybe a passing attempt down field…or two. Akron on the other hand didn’t recieve much of a test against Wisconsin. The Badgers did their work on the ground and only threw the ball a total of ten times but the Zips were able to pick off one of those attempts to keep things tight in the first half.
Who has the edge? It’s hard to really judge the Akron secondary since they were untested most of the game – but with how bad we were in the air in week one we’ll have to go with a push. Neither side showed much of anything in week one to warrant the edge.

Syracuse rushing attack (ranked #70) vs. the Akron front six (ranked #113): Syracuse was able to nearly double their rushing average from 2007 on Saturday rushing for 122 yards overall. The only problem is 60 of those yards came on two bursts by Brinkley and Carter and Grob has yet to chose a back to carry the load. I understand the problem in chosing a back – its gotta be hard not to try and involve the three headed duo of Carter, Hogue, and Brinkley – but by splitting the carries like we did takes the momentum right out of the ground game. No one was able to really get into sync since each drive there was a new back manning the tailback position. The Offensive Line looked improved but still not to the point we would want it – our backs were unable to find much room inside the tackles and usually profited most by bouncing the ball outside or following Fiammetta. The Orange should be able to run the ball down the Zips throat just like the Badgers chose to do. The Zips run a 3-3-5 defense that Wisconsing and P.J. Hill were able to gash open for over 400 yards but to return a decent and experienced Defensive Line. We’re not Wisconsin – but If our O-Line can at least engage all 6 Zips in the box our backs should be able to find a few holes in the Zips easy to run on defensive scheme.
Who has the edge? Although we were pitiful in the air – I think the Orange have an edge over the Akron defense. If we follow the Badgers blueprint and keep the ball on the ground we should be able to put up a few more points this week. Akron was able to keep things closer than expected due to three Wisconsin turnovers – be smart with the ball, run, run, and run – and our offense should be alright this week.
Syracuse Offense (rated #102) vs. Akron Defense (rated #101) synopsis: I wouldn’t mind seeing the Orange try to open things up a bit more with the pass against an opponent we can likely tweak a few things against – but I’d rather go the safe route. Keep the ball on the ground just like Wisconsin did and eat up the clock en-route to a few to a few scores. The Orange actually have more experience on this side of the ball and hopefully flow a bit more like they did last week in the first quarter. I give the Orange the slight edge – no matter who is behind center. We should be able to pick up some good chunks of yardage against the quirky 3-3-5 defense Akron utilizes.
Akron passing game (ranked #43) vs. the Syracuse secondary (ranked #71): Akron Quarterback Chris Jacquemain probably had one of his best performances last week going 22-36 for 227 yards and 2 TD’s against a decent Wisconsin secondary and was able to break his streak of seven consecutive games with an interception thrown. Perhaps some of his success could be attributed to JC transfer Deryn Bowser – Akron’s top catch in the 2007/08 recruiting season. Bowser has great size (6-2 215 lbs) and was able to grab five balls for 76 yards. The Orange defense wasnt spectacular but was able to somewhat slow down one of the nations best and most experienced passing units last week. Like the Wildcats – the Zips run a shotgun spread offense but don’t have the firepower – especially at QB – to run it as fluently as Northwestern. If Brown, Merkerson, and Holmes play a little better than last week then they should be able to force a turnover or two and stall the Zip offense a bit.
Who has the edge? Syracuse. Akron QB Jacquemain had the best game of his career but due to his past turnover issues It’s not enough to believe he has really turned the corner just yet.
Akron rushing attack (ranked #94) vs. the Syracuse front seven (ranked #109): Like Syracuse’s passing game – Akron didn’t show much of anything in their opener on the ground. Akron ran the ball only 22 times for a total of 70 yards – deciding to keep the ball in the air much of the game. The Orange just flat out didn’t do much against the run of Northwestern – missing tackles and assignments – letting the NU ground game eat them up for much of the game. Good thing is – there’s not one back on Akron’s roster that is anything like Sutton and Akron was unable to run the ball well against any formidable defenses last year. Odds are the Zips will try to run the ball a little more than they did against the Badgers since that was our weakness – but as long as we can tackle a little bit better the Akron ground game shouldn’t provide much of a problem.
Who has the edge? Akron does return two 2nd team all MAC offensive lineman – but I think Arthur Jones and Jared Kimmel answer the call and shake things up a bit. LB Mike Mele has to step things up if he wants to see much more of the field. Overall the Orange run Defense has a lot to prove after such a sad performance against Northwestern – but Akron didn’t seem to try to do many things on the ground. I give the Orange the edge for just that reason.
Akron Offense vs. Syracuse Defense synopsis: If the Orange can tackle…they shouldn’t have a problem creating some problems for Akron. Sounds easy – but if you watched last weeks game you know we’re far from fundamental.
Why Syracuse will win: The Orange take a page out of the Badger playbook and run wild on the Akron defense. Brinkley and Carter both rack up nearly 100 yards a piece while Hogue chips in with 50. Jones reverts to 2007 form and makes life for Jacquemain hell as he’s on his back all day. The Orange actually make a few tackles.
Why Akron will win: History repeats itself.  The Cuse blows some assignments on D, there are missed tackles and Akron is allowed to get comfortable while the boo birds come out in full force.  On offense, the play calling stays conservative.  There are lots of 3rd and long situations and down the field passing is non-existent.
Syracuse player to watch: Safety A.J. Brown. Brown made 11 tackles and intercepted a pass against Northwestern in week one.
Akron player to watch: Quarterback Chris Jacquemain. Jacquemain had a career game against Wisconsin throwing for 227 yards and two scores.
5 Things I don’t want to see:
1) The offense pinned inside its 20 all game. If we have 3 or more possessions inside our 20, that means that both the offense and defense are not winning the battle up front and we are losing the field possession game. A recipe for disaster.
2) “The rotation” – I want to see us find the hot hand at tailback and go to him. Someone needs 20 touches. I would think it should be Carter, with Brinkley the 3rd down guy and Hogue as short yardage.
3) “The dropsies” – must be cut down. Lobdell and Davis have to come up with balls to keep the chains moving. Otherwise, I expect that the field will get alot shorter as the defense crowds the box.
4) Maybe this should be heard vs. seen, but here goes: No “I’ll have to look at the tape” quotes from Grob. Give us your take as you saw/remembered. I expect that you were watching this game as keenly as I was.
5) Aluminum. I want to see fans in the seats for 4 quarters. These are our kids. Let’s get behind them. All the way. Period.
Reyes39 Prediction: Syracuse 27 Akron 21
Lvilleorange Prediction: Syracuse 31 Akron 16
-Northwestern helmet thanks to Nationalchamps.net
-Stats thanks to ncaa.org and cfbdatawarehouse.com
-click on photos to see them from host site

Well its finally time to put summer camp aside and focus on our Week One opponent, the Northwestern Wildcats. Read along for everything you’ll need to know about this game! A huge thank you to reyes39 for providing the majority of this preview.

When: Saturday August 30th, 2008 – 12:00PM Eastern/ 11:00AM Central (local kickoff time)

Where: Evanston, Illinois at Northwestern’s Ryan Field

Capacity: 47,130

Television: ESPN2 HD

The Spread: Opened at Syracuse +12. Currently floating around Syracuse +11 and +11.5

Rivalry info: The two teams have faced each other seven times. The last being in 1984. Syracuse owns a 4-3 record in the all-time series winning the last four meetings.

Fun Fact: The upcoming movie showcasing Ernie Davis and the Syracuse Orangemen, “The Express” – was shot mostly in Evantson, Illinois. Producers felt Ryan field closely resembled Archbold Stadium – home of the Orangemen until 1980.

Coaches: Northwestern- Pat Fitzgerald – 2 seasons at Northwestern (10-14 overall.) Syracuse- Greg Robinson – 3 seasons at Syracuse (7-28 overall.)

Last time they played: Syracuse pulled out a nail-biter over Northwestern on September 15th, 1984 – beating the Wildcats 13-12.

Syracuse passing game vs. the Northwestern secondary: Heading into 2008 the Orange expected to have one of the top passing units in all of the Big East. Then – top Wide Receiver Mike Williams was kicked off the team for academic reasons, Taj Smith bolted early for the NFL (Green Bay Packers), and Dan Sheeran broke his leg in summer camp. Now the Orange are left with a group of unproven and inexperienced talent at the position. Lavar Lobdell is the most talented and top receiver from 2007 returning but has shown little in his few opportunities in orange and blue. Freshman Marcus Sales is expected to contribute immediatly and Donte Davis returns after missing all of 2007 with a hand injury. Rounding out the group is Bruce Williams who transitioned back over from safety and will take time to get comfortable in the offense again – and theres a small chance freshman Van Chew will be worked into the mix after joining the Orange in early January.
Northwestern lost two starting DB’s in FS Reggie McPherson and CB Deante Battle but do return SS Brendan Smith who missed most of ’07 due to injury. Last years staff did yield 243.3 ypg but is expected to be improved with 3 of 4 starting backs returning with strong game time experience. The only real question mark heading into 2008 is with CB Justan Vaugh who is expected to share time with Jordan Mabin opposite Sherrick McManis.
Who has the edge? Although unproven, Lobdell and Robinson should be able to find some holes in the Northwestern secondary. Initially I would think it would be a push…but due to our overall uncertainty at the WR position – Northwestern gets the nod.
Syracuse rushing attack vs. the Northwestern front seven: After ranking dead last in almost all major rushing categories in 2007 – the Orange look to be in much better shape heading into the 2008 season. Delone Carter and Curtis Brinkley are both back and healthy – and Doug Hogue rounds out what should be one of the most well rounded RB units the Orange have had in years. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter who’s in the backfield if the Offensive Line is anything like it was last year. New Offensive Coordinator Mitch Browning has a great track record or piecing together great Offensive Lines – but will he have enough time in Syracuse to really make a change?
Northwestern returns a rather experienced and strong front seven that was able to mingle in the mid 60′s-70′s nationally against the run in 2007. Fortunately, big run stuffing DT John Gill, Northwestern’s best defensive player, has been suspended from the season opener against the Orange. Losing Gill is something the Orange will try to take advantage of – but giant DE Wootton (6’7”) will provide enough problems in the trenches alone. Northwestern also lost leading tackler Kadela to graduation who racked up 125 tackles last year.
Who has the edge? Due to the Orange’s problems with the Offensive Line in 2007 – we’ll have to give Northwestern the edge for now until we see Brownings product on the field this Saturday. The Orange are in much better shape at Running Back than last season though. A true starter is yet to be named – but its probable Coach Robinson will use a committee anyways.
Syracuse Offense vs. Northwestern Defense synopsis: Everything falls on the offensive line. If they are indeed improved from 2007 the Orange have the play makers to put up some points. Expect things to look sloppy at times as the Orange transition into Brownings offense regardless of the offensive lines performance.
Northwestern passing game vs. the Syracuse secondary: Northwestern probably brings one of the most well rounded and underrated WR crops in the Big Ten to the table this Saturday. Peterman, the best overall receiver in the bunch, returns after a 66 catch 744 yard performance in 2007. He’ll be joined by Rasheed Ward (brings speed/elusiveness) and Ross Lane (Big target/red zone threat.) Converted quarterback Andrew Brewer figures to be worked back into the mix in the Wildcats four wide sets as well. The success of the Wildcats falls into the hands of their best players – QB C.J. Bacher. Bacher led the Big Ten in passing yards per game averaging just over 300 yards last year but did have problems controlling the ball – throwing 11 interceptions in the Wildcats final four games last season.
The Orange are expected to only have two starters in the secondary with starting experience in SS A.J. Brown (pressured strongly by Kevyn Scott) and sophomore CB Mike Holmes. Da’Mon Merkerson has made the transition from WR back into his natural CB position and officially won the starting spot over Nico Scott just days ago. Scott is expected to see the field quite a bit especially against Northwestern’s spread 3-4 receiver sets along with senior Ryan Howard. Mike Holmes will be starting opposite Merkerson and was rather impressive in action last year notching starts at both CB and Safety.
Who has the edge? Once again – the Orange are beat out by a much more experienced WR core. Bacher is slated to have a monster season with all of his major targets from 07 returning. Syracuse’s secondary will be much improved from last season and has a bright future but might not show for a few weeks.
Northwestern rushing attack vs. the Syracuse front seven: Like the Orange – Northwestern also has offensive line problems of their own. The Wildcats do return one of the Big Ten’s top RB’s in Tyrell Sutton. Sutton has close to 3,000 total yards in his career although he was banged up and unavailable much of the 2007 season. Omar Conteh is a serviceable compliment to Sutton and last year was able to rack up nearly 5 yards per carry. The offensive line is the Wildcats biggest question mark especially after losing three starters from last year – although thats not necessarily a bad thing. Last years line had trouble protecting much of anything and gave up 32 sacks on the year.
With DT Arthurt Jones – the Orange should be able to flourish against a weak and diminished offensive line. Kimmel has to take advantage of the extra attention Jones will receive – and Santiago (lost 40lbs in offseason) and Girruzi (transitioned from LB) only have one more year to showcase their talents. The only glaring issue heading into 2008 is with the Linebacking core. The Orange seem to be all set at MLB with Flaherty – but outside of him the unit is young and rather raw. Conley has voiced his satisfaction with his entire core but Orange fans don’t really know what to expect from Mele and Smith until we see them in action on Saturday. Overall the group is in better shape due to youngsters getting PT last year – but until Saturday its another coin flip.
Who has the edge? When it comes down to the trenches – I think Syracuse has the definite edge. But our questions at Linebacker still loom large and the two headed Wildcat running attack give them the slight edge overall. If Kimmel and Giruzzi can keep Sutton contained we have a shot at really slowing down Northwestern ground game.

Northwestern Offense vs. Syracuse Defense synopsis: If the Orange can contain Sutton and Bacher – the Orange should completely dismantle the Wildcat offense. The thing is – thats not easy – especially with the question marks we have on defense.
Why Syracuse will win: Arthur Jones and the Defensive Line expose Northwestern’s weak Offensive Line and shake up Bacher and Sutton. The Orange Offensive Line makes a 180 degree turn and Carter and Co. run wild on the Gill-a-monster-less Northwestern D-Line making it easy for Robinson to hook up with Lobdell for a few red-zone scores.
Why Northwestern will win: Bacher and Sutton are just way too much for the Orange to handle and shred a young Orange defense. The Orange O-Line isnt much improved from 2007 and Carter and Co. aren’t able to get things rolling. Robinson has the usual 3 seconds of time to pass and cant establish a passing game without Taj or Mike.
Syracuse player to watch: Defensive Tackle Arthur Jones. Jones is the staple of the Orange Defense and was able to rack up 17.5 TFL in 2007.

Northwestern player to watch: Quarterback C.J. Bacher. Bacher lead the Big Ten with 305 passing yards per game and totaled for 23 scores in 2007.

Five things I don’t want to see on game day:
5) A punt/quick kick on third down.
4) The corner backs playing 15 yards off the ball.
3) 3 or more sacks allowed.
2) CJ Bacher having all day to throw.
1) The Orange walk out of the tunnel. I want to see fire and emotion not that parade march we endured last season.

Reyes39 Prediction: Northwestern 35 – Syracuse 27
Lvilleorange Prediction: Northwestern 38 – Syracuse 23
Collegefootballnews Prediction: Northwestern 37 – Syracuse 20
Phil Steeles Prediction: Northwestern 31 – Syracuse 21
-Northwestern helmet thanks to Nationalchamps.net
-Stats thanks to ncaa.org and cfbdatawarehouse.com
-click on photos to see them from host site