Syracuse moves to 12th in ESPN’s ACC power rankings

Following a two-game losing streak to some tough opponents, the Syracuse Orange got back on the right track with a victory over UConn on Saturday. As a result, ESPN’s ACC Blog moves them up one spot to 12th this week.

Said the blog:

“The Orange won on a 99-yard drive, but the real confidence might have come from a defense that came up with a goal-line stand in the fourth quarter. With Notre Dame and its defensive struggles next, Syracuse has reason to be thinking upset Saturday.”

Goddammit. Now we’re going to get our hopes up...

Syracuse is listed ahead of Boston College and Virginia despite wins by both of those programs this past week. BC did what it was supposed to do against FCS Wagner. Virginia actually upset Central Michigan.

While the Orange did move up, it did seem like the next tier above them moved up a bit too — a stark difference from any point in our tenure in the ACC. Wake Forest is now 4-0. Pitt lost a close one to North Carolina but is still considered a quality team. Duke upset Notre Dame. NC State was inactive and will have a suddenly tough test against the Deacons next week. Syracuse is still within shouting distance of all of these teams. The gap is growing a little, however.

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Again, these are meaningless rankings, but they do frame a conversation around the league from week-to-week. Syracuse is putting itself in position to rise, but will need an upset along the way to truly change its standing. Is that upset coming this week? I’m trying to temper expectations, rightly or wrongly.