TNIAAM Reacts: Syracuse fans feel optimistic about the No. 18 Orange

Before the Syracuse Orange suit up for a shot at 6-0 and bowl eligibility, we asked you all to let us know your thoughts on the squad. Now the polls are closed and we have the results. Here’s the latest State of the Orange Fanbase:

Over three-quarters of this week’s voters are certified Absolute Magicians™, as you picked ‘Cuse to prevail over No. 15 NC State in front of the largest home crowd since 2019. The Orange remain 3.5-point favorites, so we’ll have to see if the extra Dome-field advantage helps them shut down the Pack attack and secure the win.

Nearly half of you say that Syracuse will be ranked lower than No. 15 at the end of the month. After NC State, SU travels to No. 4 Clemson then returns to host Notre Dame. Realistically, one loss shouldn’t drop the Orange down too far, and even losing two of the next three might not knock them completely off the board.

This one had people mostly settle on the middle of the pack. It seems like Sean Tucker won’t be breaking the SU single-season rushing record again this year (though he’s welcomed to prove me wrong). He’s sitting 546 yards on the ground so far, but I’m sure a good chunk of you took into account how 232 of them were earned against an FCS team with an egregious losing streak. This week could give us a good idea on how the run-blocking will fare against some brutal defenses in the back half.

In the most divided response, 30% of responders have Mikel Jones tallying the most sacks this season. He actually has the fewest of the bunch right now with two. Both Caleb Okechukwu and Steve Linton have three, and Marlowe Wax is in the middle.