The Syracuse Orange came thisclose to being 5-0 after nearly holding on against the Clemson Tigers last Saturday. What could have been for SU inside Memorial Stadium is burned into the mind and soul of fans. Had it happened, it would have been a win that all but guaranteed a spot in the top-15 for a program that hasn’t had a cup-of-coffee in the polls since 2001. A major victory that would have changed expectations, the course of the season and likely the future (immediate and potentially long term) of Syracuse football.
The Orange had chances, almost too many to be believed in what felt a little like a basketball game when Jim Boeheim’s team survives a bevy of missed baskets by the opponent to pull off a big upset (see State, Michigan).