Hi, I'm Sean & I'm A Cautiously-Optimistic Syracuse Football Fan

Hi, I'm Sean and I'm a Cautiously-Optimistic Syracuse Orange Football Fan.

("Hi, Sean.")

It's been six days since I was pessimistic about Syracuse Orange football. Six days since I assumed the Orange weren't nearly as good as they looked against Wagner. Six days since I said SU would win but it wouldn't be in any kind of convincing fashion. Six days since I feared the worst.

Following consecutive 50+ point performances and the emergence of a bonafide quarterback in Terrel Hunt, I am ready to put my pessimism behind me, at least until the game against the Clemson Tigers in a week and a half.

I am taking this new feeling day by day. I'm aware that my positive feelings about Syracuse Football are weighted by the fact that we've only played well against non-BCS squads. But that was before The Huntening. That was before Clay Cleveland steamed'm. That was before Eric Crume cruminated all over Tulane.

I know that Syracuse has to go 4-4 from here on out to get bowl eligible. I see Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech and the rest of the ACC schedule before us. It's enough to get pessimistic about. But I also see Wake Forest, Boston College, Pitt and a Maryland team I don't quite trust yet. I see four wins in there. I swear I do.

I'm trying not to look at the Clemson game and think about Tajh Boyd doing to us what we just did to Tulane. I'm not saying I expect Syracuse to win but I'm cautiously-optomistic that the Orange make it a game. Plus, Clemson is due for a Clemsoning soon and we've got a thing about beating ranked teams in the Dome once a year. Two weeks ago I would have laughed at the suggestion. Now...I'm trepidatiously buying in.

Those old fears creep back in. We're a wishy-washy football program. One year we're solid, the next year we're shaky. Hell, some seasons are shaky and solid and shaky and solid over and over. So when I see success begin to take hold, I run in the opposite direction and assume the worst. I make excuses. I don't give credit where it's due. I just wait for the other shoe to drop.

But for right now, I'm like Jack Burton and Wang Chi drinking some of Egg Shen's magic potion in the elevator down to Lo Pan's hideout. I'm feeling pretty good. I'm not scared. I just feel kind of...invincible. I've got a very positive attitude about this.

One day at a time, you guys. One day at a time.