ESPN's ACC Blog is releasing position power rankings for every team in the conference. So far we've seen the quarterback rankings, where Syracuse ranked 9th in the ACC. For the running back position, Andrea Adelson was, well... unfavorable in her thoughts on the Syracuse Orange backfield, ranking them 13th out of the 14 teams:
13. Syracuse: The Orange have talent here, with Dontae Strickland, Jordan Fredericks, and George Morris II returning, along with the addition of freshman Moe Neal (No. 3 on the post-spring depth chart). But they struggled to run the ball a year ago, so more consistency is needed out of this group.
While I tend to agree with the fact that we need more consistency with the bunch this season, I find it hard to accept the low ranking. Florida State has the highest ranking on the list, yet they averaged just five more yards per game last season (168.2 ypg) on the ground than Syracuse (163.2 ypg). That's not to say that Florida State should be lower on the list, but certainly that could lead one to believe Syracuse should be ranked higher given the backs returning from last season.
The Orange put up better rushing numbers than Wake Forest (105.2 ypg), Miami (119.1 ypg), and Virginia (144.8 ypg) last season, yet are ranked behind all of them except for the Demon Deacons.
Here is the entire list:
- Florida State
- Pittsburgh
- North Carolina
- Clemson
- Virginia Tech
- Miami
- Georgia Tech
- NC State
- Louisville
- Duke
- Boston College
- Virginia
- Syracuse
- Wake Forest
I realize this list is completely subjective, but I can't help but think the Orange got a little disrespected here. What do you think?