Syracuse, N.Y. — Belief without evidence.
It's the phrase that Dino Babers preached to the Syracuse football players when he first addressed them as head coach on Dec. 5. It's the phrase that he echoed to media members at his introductory press conference two days later.
Even then, the message raised a natural question. Wasn't his track record as a head coach at Eastern Illinois and Bowling Green evidence? How about the success of the hurry-up spread Art Briles designed at Baylor?
Now with a spring practice's worth of installation and motivation, positional meetings and cultural change, players chuckle at the thought of a lack of proof.