Syracuse vs. Duke: TNIAAM Prediction & Poll

Matt McClusky

Duke 27 - Syracuse 17

I want to pick Syracuse, if only for shock value, but I just don't see this Orange team winning again in 2014. The Blue Devils have a strong offensive line that will bulldoze Syracuse's frontline bigs on defense, and the Orange is just too banged up on offense. Duke may have fattened up on bad teams this season, but it also beat Georgia Tech and nearly beat Miami. Translation: Duke is just better tan SU, same ole same ole.

Ben N.

Duke 31 - Syracuse 14

Can we just end the season already? The injuries keep piling up and we'll see Austin Wilson get his first full game under center (Would have been real nice if Alin Edouard made it up to campus this fall). I'm not sure how much fight our team has left. We were always good for that one upset every season in the Dome but we didn't get one last year and I don't expect one this year either. Our defense has been excellent but I don't think they can do enough here as our offense won't be able to stay on the field long enough to give them some rest. Maybe Wilson can prove that he deserves a look going forward, but that's about the only storyline in this game worth watching.

John Cassillo

Duke 26 - Syracuse 9

No A.J. Long is pretty much all you need to know about this Syracuse team this weekend. If things weren't bad enough with this offense, you're removing their motor and are left with... Austin Wilson. That's not a knock on Wilson, just a commentary that he hasn't been taking the majority of snaps for the past month and if Tim Lester expects the passing game to guide things yet again, it's simply not happening. The defense keeps this one from being a total blowout, but yeah, not expecting much. Goodbye any final chance at bowl eligibility.

Michael Burke

Duke 31 - Syracuse 10

​I know it's Senior Day and thus the last chance for Syracuse's seniors to play in the Dome, but I can't imagine the Orange not coming out flat. Any chance they had at making a bowl game this season vanished last week, and in comes perhaps the third best team Syracuse has played this season. Duke's pretty damn good. That much I'm convinced of. David Cutcliffe's team is, in all likelihood, going to finish the regular season 11-1 -- quite the feat, even in the ACC. Against an A.J. Long-less, slumping Syracuse team, the Blue Devils aren't going to lose tomorrow, and I have a hard time believing they'll even allow the Orange to hang around for long. Here's to hoping I'm wrong.

Ben B.

Duke 24 - Syracuse 14

Duke is playing well and Syracuse is not. It’s pretty simple. I don’t think the Orange can put up enough points without AJ Long to keep up. Duke doesn’t have a fantastic offense — it’s rather conservative as Anthony Boone averages less than six yards per completion — but with Syracuse’s offense playing so poorly it won’t take much. If Duke doesn’t turn the ball over, I think it controls the clock, keeps the Orange defense on the field for extended periods of time and has the game well in control part way through the third quarter.

Jared Smith

Duke 27 - Syracuse 20

Injuries are just going to be too much to overcome. I can see the defense making a play or two to give the offense chances to score some points, but Duke is just going to keep coming at your and I don't think the Orange can keep up.

Dan Lyons

Duke 24 - Syracuse 10

Too many injuries on the Orange side, especially along the offensive line, dooms Syracuse in this game, and puts the nail in the coffin of any bowl hopes, Syracuse has missed a number of big opportunities this year, which doesn't bode well when a talented team like Duke shows up to play. The Blue Devils have a great offense, and while their defense can certainly be had, I don't think Syracuse has the horses to do it this weekend, with Austin Wilson making just his second start behind a true MASH unit of an offensive line.

Sean Keeley

Duke 28 - Syracuse 9

I have no doubt that the Syracuse Orange football team, or what's left of it, will go out there on Saturday and play their asses off. But that's about all I think we can look forward to. So many injuries. So many bad breaks. So much proof that this year's squad just doesn't that...whatever it is...that wins football games they shouldn't. I don't think the team is going to lay down, not with a couple games to go and the chance for guys to solidify some PT for the future, but, I'm not gonna expect too much out of Austin & Co. Let's just try to get Cole Murphy and Riley Dixon some hardware...

How about you?