Even though it's becoming a well-documented fact that the Orange are an absolute menace, I am backing Cuse here. For two consecutive weeks, Syracuse has knocked off opponents as an 8.5-point underdog. First came an overtime victory against North Carolina in Chapel Hill, followed by an upset of ranked SMU inside the Dome, last Saturday. Now, conveniently, Clemson comes to town looking for revenge after last year's shocker in Death Valley that saw the Orange send off the Tigers in a 34-21 defeat despite closing as a 17.5-point underdog. Will Clemson have a pulse and get vindication?
Yeah, no. I think the Orange strike again and the Tigers will have to wait another year for reprisals. There's something appealing about a Syracuse team playing with absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain. The Orange are free-wheeling, confident, and clearly enjoying themselves, and that makes them a dangerous opponent, particularly at home. Clemson, meanwhile, looks like a team that doesn't know what it is anymore. The Tigers have the talent but talent alone doesn't solve an identity crisis. Right now, this is a program that appears lost and I don't particularly fancy its chances of finding the answers in a hostile environment against an opponent riding this kind of momentum. Syracuse has already demonstrated it can beat teams the market considers superior, and there's little reason to believe Clemson is immune. The Orange have the confidence, the venue, and the motivation. I'll take Syracuse to deliver another outright upset.
Clemson Tigers vs Syracuse Orange prediction: Syracuse +124 (ML) available at time of publishing. Playable to +120.
